“Daddy Lumba Was Not Celebrated Enough” — Arnold Kojo Asante Laments

Renowned event organiser and CEO of Imajin Advertising and Fusion Global, Arnold Kojo Asante, has expressed deep disappointment over what he describes as Ghana’s failure to adequately celebrate highlife legend Daddy Lumba during his lifetime.

Speaking in an emotional interview on Okay FM, Mr. Asante, who famously honoured Daddy Lumba with a $25,000 gold medal at the inaugural Legends and Legacy Ball in 2012, said he still finds it hard to believe the icon is gone.

“I still don’t believe Daddy Lumba is dead. Sometimes I even think it is a stunt. It hasn’t fully hit me,” he said.

Asante recalled how Lumba reached out to him late last year after hearing he was honouring South African music icon Yvonne Chaka Chaka at an event in South Africa. Lumba, according to Asante, expressed interest in reconnecting when Asante returned to Ghana.

Reflecting on why his team decided to honour Lumba in 2012, Asante explained the motivation behind the Legends and Legacy Ball was to celebrate living legends before they pass.

“Most of our musicians have no form of ex gratia. Music is dynamic. We thought those whose music has built today’s sound should be celebrated now—not only when they die,” he said.

He criticised the standard practice of handing out wooden plaques to artists during award shows and said his team wanted to set a new benchmark by awarding Lumba a pure gold medal worth $25,000.

When asked whether Lumba was celebrated enough, Asante, who is now also a pastor, responded:

“I don’t think so. I feel Lumba was not celebrated enough. Yes, he made a huge impact. I remember when we were planning the 2012 celebration; Kofi Nti offered to perform free just because it was for Daddy Lumba. That’s the kind of influence he had.”

Asante strongly endorsed the idea of a state burial for Daddy Lumba, saying it would be a fitting honour for a man who contributed so immensely to Ghanaian music and culture

“It’s not how long you live, but the impact you make. Jesus lived 33 years. Lumba lived well and paid his dues.”

He also used the opportunity to call on fellow Ghanaian musicians to support event organisers who genuinely want to celebrate legends while they are still alive.

“When musicians meet event organisers like us, they should celebrate and encourage us. If we had more support, we could’ve done even more. The only real event that truly honoured Daddy Lumba was the Legends and Legacy Ball. There are talks we should bring it back—and I agree.”

Daddy Lumba, born Charles Kwadwo Fosu, passed away under circumstances that have shaken the entertainment industry. As fans and colleagues mourn his loss, voices like Arnold Kojo Asante’s are reigniting conversations about how Ghana values its living legends.