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Rap, reggae, the church
Evangelsing to the youth should preserve the sanctity of the temple
The young Guatemalan Catholic priest has gone far in changing the face of Catholic worship in his homeland, using rap preaching, rap music and rap prophecies. Obviously, the man is in the wrong profession.
Many of his countrymen think that the man who behaves like Tic Tac should have been Guatemala’s award-winning top hip-hop artiste and not a minister of the word. Imagine Gyedu-Blay Ambolley doing the ‘Zimigwado’ on the pulpit and administering the communion.
When he first introduced rap into Christian worship, many in his congregation thought the Guatemalan priest had gone ‘ment,’ precisely gone ‘mental.’ Far from it, the man is pretty sane and is drawing youngsters from far and near with his rap delivery, the staccato power-packed gospel message.
TEMPTATION
First of all, some in his congregation were tempted to think that God and Jesus did not understand rap and anyone who rattled in rap language was merely wasting his time. God wasn’t going to understand what he (or she) was saying, much more answers his prayers.
But of course, rap prayers are being answered in Guatemala and the rap mass celebrations still go on. The Guatemalan revolution in Catholicism is fast catching up but the conservative hardliners don’t ‘dig’ the idea.
They reckon that if the young priest had been born in the last two centuries, the Catholic Church room would today be exactly like a rock concert hall with the mass servers break-dancing behind the Catholic Father, while he is offering the communion for the forgiveness of sins.
One really would wonder what type of music Jesus would like if he was alive today. Probably he’d take a liking to traditional Sikaman gospel highlife. That would be the nearest to what is sang in heaven.
No doubt Peter would go in for funk, may be gospel funk, and by all means Judas would stick to reggae. That in no way means that reggae is evil music, but taking the profile of Judas, he’d be someone who’d thump his feet to the Jah rendition, “One Love.”
The man’s betrayal of Jesus was merely business as far as he was concerned. Music had nothing to do with it. Thirty pieces of silver, if melted into cedis today is a fortune the disciple’s greed couldn’t resist. Today, people are doing exactly what the man did – selling their own children, their nephews and nieces for pittance. I hear someone was even going to sell his own mother until the law caught up with him. To sell your own mother? Leave her alone and come and sell Kwame Alomele!
The world is going pieces but if Jesus were alive today, his disciple James would have chosen between jazz and burgher highlife. John would go for the cool numbers just like Andrew. Certainly, Bartholomew and Thomas would go for Congo!
In centuries past, composers of renowned songs performed to hail Jesus, notably George Frederich Handel composed “Unto Us A Child Is Born” and songs like “Every Valley Shall Be Exalted in praise of the Lord Jesus, called the Christ.
Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Jesus Joy of Man’s Desiring” was another classic gospel tune of the time which probably earned him the Father of Modern Music accolade. Talk about Beethoven (arguably the most talented composer), Mozart (the most intelligent), and you’ll understand the celestial and Halleluyah inspiration of their compositions.
FAITHFULS
Those were the days when fellowship was a solemn occasion of hymn singing, choral music and sober sermons preached on morals.
Penteco-charismatism began when some faithfuls saw that what happened on Pentecost Day as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles was totally sidelined.
On that day, those present spoke in varied tongues, many rattling in Ada-Krobo, Ewe and Gomoa-Fanti when they hailed from Judea, Jerusalem, Nazareth and the rest.
It was a phenomenon unprecedented in Christian history, yet totally ignored by emerging churches like Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Evangelical Presbyterian.
One of the reasons why we have two Evangelical Presbys is the fact that one believes in tongue- speaking and other attributes and manifestations of the Holy Spirit and the other doesn’t. In other words, one is charismatically inclined, the other traditionally enshrined.
HOLY SPIRIT
One sticks to traditional hymn singing, the other takes to fervent praise-and-worship sessions to literally invoke the Holy Spirit. The issue of doctrine is central to the split, and so long as doctrinal differences cannot be reconciled, coming together can only be a pipe-dream.
Of course, the role of music in the spread of the word cannot be denied. But more and more, the idea of bringing in floating youths to worship is also distilling the notion that the kind of secular music in vogue must be ‘christianised’ as a way of magnetising the youngsters.
The question here is, if rap or hip-hop is used to draw in the youth, would they be coming to fellowship because they genuinely want their souls to be saved or because they want to do their ‘monkey- things’ also in church as they do elsewhere?
If we do not present the gospel to the youth exactly as it is, then very soon, the latest dance style of very dubious origins will be released in the church room rather than in the dance hall.
The enthusiasm of evangelising the youth must be tempered with the need to preserve the sanctity of the temple, reverence for order, the comportment and deportment of those who leave their homes to go and worship. Greetings!
This article was first published on February 1, 2003
Walk into any supermarket in Accra, Kumasi, or Tamale today, and you will see the modern Ghanaian diet packaged as ‘progress.’ You will see breakfast cereals with cartoon mascots, fruit drinks that are mostly sugar and colour, and snacks promising energy and happiness in bright fonts.
Even products loaded with salt and unhealthy fats often wear a health halo labeled as fortified or natural, while the real nutritional risk is hidden in tiny print on the back. This is not just a consumer inconvenience; it is a public health blind spot. Ghana is living through a silent surge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, and stroke.
These conditions quietly drain household income and steal productive years. According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, NCDs are now responsible for nearly 45 per cent of all deaths in Ghana.
We cannot build a healthy nation on a food environment designed to confuse people at the point of purchase. Ghana must mandate simple front-of-pack warning labels (FOPWL) on high-sugar, high-salt, and high-fat packaged foods because consumers deserve truth at a glance, and industry must be pushed to reformulate.
Why Back-of-Pack Labels Are Not Enough
In theory, consumers can read nutrition panels. In reality, most Ghanaians shop under pressure, limited time, rising prices, and children tugging at their sleeves. The back label is a relic that requires a high cognitive load to interpret—essentially, the seller knows what is inside, but the buyer cannot easily tell.
This ‘information asymmetry’ is not fair. It is not consumer choice when the information needed to choose well is deliberately difficult to find.
Simple warning labels like the black octagons used in the Chilean Model act as a ‘stop-and-think’ nudge. They do not ban products but they simply tell the truth so people can decide.
Reshaping Our Food Environment
A generation ago, Ghana’s meals were mostly home-prepared, like kenkey and banku with soups and stews. Today, ultra-processed foods have become the norm, especially in urban areas. Children are growing up with sugary drinks and salty snacks as everyday items, not occasional treats.
If Ghana is serious about prevention, we must act where decisions are made—thus, the shelf. Warning labels protect parents from sugar traps and pressure the market to improve. When warning labels are mandatory, manufacturers start to compete to make healthier recipes to avoid the stigma of the label.
Addressing the Pushback
Industry will argue that labels create fear or that education alone is enough. However, health education is slow; labels work immediately. While the informal street food sector is a challenge, regulating pre-packaged goods is the practical starting point because the supply chain is traceable. We cannot wait until the whole system is perfect; we must start where action is feasible.
A 2026 Implementation Roadmap for Ghana
To move from talk to action, Ghana needs this 5-step plan:
- Issue mandatory regulation: The Ministry of Health, Food and Drug Authority (FDA), and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) must define the label format and nutrient thresholds for all pre-packaged foods.
- Simple, bold symbols: Use plain language and clear symbols, such as “HIGH IN SUGAR,” designed for busy families, not experts.
- Transparent thresholds: Adopt technically defensible standards adapted to the Ghanaian diet.
- Transition and enforce: Provide a 12–18 month period for manufacturers to reformulate, followed by firm enforcement at ports and retail centers.
- National literacy campaign: The Ghana Health Service must pair labels with public messages explaining why high salt or sugar increases disease risk.
Conclusion: Truth Is Not a Luxury
Prevention is cheaper than treatment. A warning label costs little compared to the price of dialysis, stroke rehabilitation, or lifelong diabetes complications. A black octagon on a box of biscuits is more than a label; it is a shield for the health of all Ghanaians. It is time to put the truth where we can see it, right on the front.
By Abigail Amoah Sarfo
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Natives of the Kenkey Kingdom were mad with joy. They were still recovering from the hangover of the kingdom’s loss of the African Cup when their spirits were rekindled. Their great warrior, Zoom Zoom, stormed Melbourne and made sure that every Australian refused food. And that was after he had drawn contour lines on the face of their idol, Jeff Fenech.
Not only did the terrible warrior transform Old Boy Jeff’s face into a contour map useful for geography lessons, but he also accomplished the feat of retaining the much-envied super-kenkeyweight title against all odds. The warrior had not been eating hot kenkey for nothing.
The Fight Against Fenech
When Jeff Fenech bit the dust in the eighth round, I was tempted to consider if Adanko Deka could not have faced him in any twelve-rounder, title or non-title bout. Adanko has improved tremendously, and soon he would be facing Pernell Whitaker.
Sincerely, I was pessimistic about Azumah’s man, who the last time took him through twelve grueling rounds of rough boxing. I expressed my fears to my colleague Christian Abbew, alias Gbonyo, who surprisingly had total confidence that the Australian brawler would fall, predictably in Round Five.
Gbonyo gave reasons for his contention, all of which I counteracted using the age factor. Fact is, I didn’t know that contrary to the laws of nature, Azumah was all the time growing younger.
When Fenech fell briefly in round one, I asked my brother whether it was the same Fenech that fought Azumah in Las Vegas. Sure, it was the same Fenech, all out to beat Azumah before his countrymen.
But the African Professor had no intention of making the Australian a hero. As he spun round the desperate Aussie, dancing and stinging out his jabs, it was not too long before I realized that the end was near.
The Eighth Round Showdown
Two minutes into the eighth round, the African ring-master proved to the whole world that he was a true son of Bukom. He himself was cornered, but like the tough nut he is, he managed to break free before overwhelming the panting Australian with several blows that made him crash headlong.
Moments after, the referee, expressing fatherly sympathy, stopped the fight to prevent an obituary. After the ordeal, Fenech’s fairly handsome face was full of newly constructed hills, valleys, ox-bow lakes—whatever. I noticed that his nose was very tired and had a miniature volcano sitting restlessly on it. Obviously, Jeff’s wife will have to nurse that nose back to its normal shape—but I’d advise her not to use iodine, otherwise her dear husband will wail like a banshee.
Reflections on Boxing
Because Mohammed Ali was the kind of boxer kids liked, many school-going kids often entertained the wish of becoming like him. I remember one day when I told my father I wanted to become a boxer, and he advised me to first complete my education to the highest level. Then, if I decided to become a boxer and was knocked out a couple of times, I’d fall back on my degrees and make a living.
Boxing used to be interesting when bouts were fought more with the mouth and tongue than with gloves. You had to brag well, psychologically belittling your opponent before beating him up physically. Mohammed Ali became a very successful pugilist because he also managed to become a poet. He often blew his horn across America, calling himself the “pretty boxer” and opponents like Joe Frazier “the gorilla.”
Ali made a living fighting hard fists like Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Jerry Quarry, George Foreman, Leon Spinks, and Trevor Berbick. Twice he came back from retirement to fight just for money. It was Larry Holmes who finally pensioned him, and since then the great Ali has never been himself.
The Path Ahead for Azumah
When Azumah nailed Jeff Fenech on the cross and barked almost immediately that he was after the head of Pernell Whitaker, I was happy but concerned. I would have been happier if he had announced his resignation there and then—he would have been more of a hero. Beating Fenech in Australia is more newsworthy than facing Whitaker in the States.
With Whitaker, it might be a little difficult. The “Sweet Pea” is agile, has a crooked body like a snake with diarrhea, and stands awkwardly as a southpaw. He is known for having the fastest pair of fists and the rare ability to dodge punches no matter how close they may be.
Much as I do not doubt that Azumah can take his title, I also don’t want him to retire beaten. I want him to retire as a hero and live a fuller, healthy life.
As Azumah himself said after dishing Fenech, he is now a professor and has something to show for it. Like a true professor, I think it is time he resigned and took up training young talents who could draw inspiration from him and become like him in the future.
Closing Thoughts
I must say that although ageing boxers like Larry Holmes and George Foreman are making a name for themselves, boxing is not like the Civil Service, where you can even change your age and retire at 74. Zoom Zoom has delighted the hearts of the natives, and Sikaman will forever hold him in high esteem—but only when he retires as a hero.
This article was first published on Saturday, March 7, 1992.
