Entertainment
Yaw Sarpong leads all stars in peace song
Iconic Ghanaian musician, Yaw Sarpong is leading a campaign for unity ahead of the December polls by collaborating with some prominent Ghanaian artistes on a peace song.
According to him, the song is aimed at sensitising the citizens to be peaceful as the general elections beckon.
Speaking at the launch of the song held at the premises of Think Media Expert, a key partner of the project at North Kaneshie in Accra, Yaw Sarpong said the song was recorded during the 2000 elections when he had returned from Liberia.
He said that considering the seeming tension characterising this year’s elections, his management led by Nana Kobo and Nana Poku Ashis, decided to bring other artistes on the song to tweak it to suit the current times.
As a result, Pat Thomas, Cynthia of Daughters of Glorious Jesus fame, CSP Kofi Sarpong, Fameye, Kuami Eugene, Lord Morgan, Bernice Ansah, Akwaboah, Joyce Blessing, Eno Barony, Bessa Simon and Wutah Afriyie are featured.
He told this paper that all the artistes wholeheartedly accepted to be on the song without taking any monetary reward, a gesture, he believes must be commended.
“I did not encounter any problem when I reached out to them, none of them demanded even GHC1, they proved to me they have a lot of love for Ghana, which is highly commendable,” Yaw Sarpong said.
Recounting his Liberia experience he said that election violence was something one should never encourage, adding that “it derails a country’s progress.”
He said that his team was exploring the possibilities of staging a concert for all the artistes on the song to perform ahead of the general elections.
Other musicians who were at the launch with their solidarity messages also called on Ghanaians to remain peaceful before, during and after the elections.
Sadiq Abdulai Abu and Fred Kyei Mensah, who represented the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) respectively added their voices to the call for peace which the country needs to enhance development.
The song is currently available on all digital music stores.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Entertainment
Sparqlyn reminisces as he congratulates Shatta Wale for winning two awards at 43rd IRAWMA
Ghanaian musician and former member of musicial gorup, Dunsin, Ahmmed Kanneh Larweh, popularly known as Sparqlyn, has congratulated Ghanaian music heavyweight, Shatta Wale following his impressive double victory at the International Reggae and World Music Awards.
Shatta Wale recently made headlines after winning two major awards at the prestigious event held in Florida, USA, securing Best African Dancehall Entertainer and Concert of the Year for ShattaFest.
Reacting to the achievement, Sparqlyn could not hide his excitement after sighting news of the awards on Monday, May 18, 2025.
According to him, the one thing that caught his attention was the plaque presented to Shatta Wale. He noted that the design looked strikingly similar to the one Dunsin received when they won at the MUSA Awards over a decade ago.
The resemblance, especially the upper part of the plaque, instantly brought back memories of his former group’s historic moment on the African stage 13 years ago when the group represented Ghana proudly in South Africa.
It will be recalled that back in 2013, Dunsin achieved international recognition after winning Most Exciting Group in Africa and Most African Video at the MUSA Awards held in Pretoria, South Africa. The awards came on the back of their global hit project “Ɔyɛadeɛyie,” a song that helped elevate the group’s profile beyond Ghana.
At the time, Sparqlyn, then known by many as Kele within the group, was the one who represented Dunsin at the event to pick up the award.
Ghanaian dancehall artiste Charles Nii Armah Mensah, known as Shatta Wale, has won two awards at the 43rd International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) held in Florida over the weekend.
He picked up the Best African Dancehall Entertainer award as well as Concert of the Year for ShattaFest.
In a statement, Shatta Wale’s management expressed appreciation to the organisers and supporters of the awards.
“Management would like to sincerely appreciate the organisers of the IRAWMA awards for the recognition and continuous support for African music on the global stage.
“We also extend our deepest gratitude to fans across the world, especially the Shatta Movement fraternity, for their unwavering support, votes, and dedication throughout the years,” the statement said.
The statement added that the latest wins reaffirm the artiste’s position as one of Africa’s leading musical exports and a prominent figure in global dancehall culture.
The awards bring Shatta Wale’s total haul at the IRAWMA to 11, highlighting his continued presence on the international reggae and dancehall scene.
At last year’s edition, he won three awards: Best African Dancehall Entertainer, Best Music Video for “Killa Ji Mi”, and Best Crossover Song for “Commando” featuring Bounty Killer. -GNA
