It’s Homowo, let the Ga songs play on!

We are in the Homowo season once again, and the communities like Ga-Mashie, La, Teshie, Nungua, Osu, Tema and Kpone among others, are geared up to celebrate the well-known festival.

As is often the case, families will come together to observe some time-honoured obligations and also have fun on the beaches, in the pubs and at home.

Some good mood- lifting Ga music, many would admit, often works like magic as the soundtrack for such activities.

At least for those who care, well-rendered popular music in Ga has throughout the years entertained, enriched and inspired us.

Presume, if you can, that we never had ET Mensah, King Bruce, Ramblers Band, Wulomei, Adane Best, Adotey Tetor, Tinny, Ghanaba, Henry Abossey, Gasmilla, Amartey Hedzole, Allan Family, Cina Soul, Amarh Pino, Amandzeba and several others.

We would have been poorer without their unmistakable musical styles.

So as Homowo lingers in the air, one person who will keep his ears to the ground for what amount of Ga music flows at the various events is singer and composer, Amandzeba. He is best known for his groundbreaking Wogbe Jeke piece released in 2000.

Though of Fante parentage, the man believes he was a Ga who didn’t complete his mission in an earlier life and is on Earth again to accomplish that task.

He is a committed cultural activist who among other things, wants to see Highlife grow but is keen to do his bit to help prop up Ga popular music as well.

“I don’t want to sound tribalistic but at Homowo time in some parts of Accra, you hear so much non-Ga music. Homowo is a ceremony or festival for a particular group of people so music of those folks must dominate.

“Even if music from other people and places are included, a large chunk of what is played must be Ga-focused,” Amandzeba says.

Apart from Wogbe Jeke, Amandzeba’s other well-known, well-crafted Ga songs include Dede, Baawo and Kpanlogo Ye De.

“Sometimes, I throw in a couple of Fante phrases to pull in non-Ga ears but the main body of the songs are in Ga. ‘Kpanlogo ye de papa’ for instance, is not a Ga expression but what follows in the song is all Ga.”

Though he only releases new material sporadically, Amandzeba says he works consistently on new material. He is currently doing an album of re-makes of what he described as Ga Highlife classics.

The project includes songs by the late King Bruce who remains one of his all-time favourite musicians.

The outstanding thing about King Bruce was his mastery of the Ga language and the way he managed to craft beautiful lyrics from it.

Apart from his lyrics that had the power to evoke a variety of emotions in listeners, the man also composed and arranged infectious instrumental parts for his Black Beats band.

Some of the great Ga songs people remember King Bruce by include Miisumo Bo Tamo She, Minani Mina, Lai Momo, Anokwa Edomi, Yoryi, Dzee Aashwe, Ao! Dei O, Anoatre Hrebii, Suumo Gboo Kemooshi and Ona Noko Tamo Neke.