Entertainment
Dwomtofohene Nana Kwame Ampadu bows out
Ghanaian music lovers were on Tuesday morning hit with sad news of the passing of one of the iconic highlife powerhouses, Nana Kwame Ampadu, affectionately called Dwomtofohene, to wit King of Musicians.
This unfortunate demise of this legend after some weeks of sickness shocked the nation as many poured out their tributes to celebrate his amazing contribution to the music industry.
Nana Ampadu was born on March 31, 1945, and passed away at age 76.
Ampadu hails from Obo, in the Kwahu area of the Eastern Region but he spent a part of his childhood a village called Adiembra.
MUSIGA
The umbrella body of musicians in the country, Musicians Union of Ghana(MUSIGA) in a release sent to The Spectator stated, “The Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) has learnt with regret of the passing of the legendary Nana Kwame Ampadu 1.This is huge national loss.
“As a trail blazing musician, you spawned a whole generation of musicians.
Your music was a source of inspiration, education and entertainment to many. The stories you told in your songs were veritable nuggets of wisdom and will continue to give solace to many.
“You always had a story for every occasion and every interaction with you was like an adventure into the land of wisdom.
As the current chairman of the Ageing Musicians Welfare Fund (AMWeF), you were committed to the welfare of your fellow musicians and even when your health was failing, you never missed the call to duty.
Dwomtofohene, nante yie. Damirifa due.”
Music journey
Nana Kwame Ampadu was a Ghanaian musician credited with numerous popular highlife tracks. Nana Ampadu’s “African Brothers Band” was formed in 1963. he has about 800 songs to his credit.
In 1964, young Ampadu met Mr. Jerry Hansen, leader and founder of the Ramblers Dance band and cultivated his acquaintance where Ampadu gave Jerry eight songs in all for free which the Ramblers Band recorded.
Some of the songs are Ntoboase, Afutusem, Scholarship, Me Nsoromma Bepue. All these songs became hit tracks. One good turn deserves another. Mr. Jerry Hansen seeing the musical competence in Ampadu, introduced him to Phillips West Africa Ltd., a recording publishers and Ampadu was given the chance to record two single tracks for a 45 R.P.M release.
The maiden recording was done at the Ghana Film Industries Corporation (G.F.I.C) onNovember 14, 1966.
The first track recorded that day was Agyanka Dabere with Suminaso Ntonko as the flip side. This single was released on December 21, 1966.
The single album became an instant hit and served as a beginning of a new era in the guitar band sector. The thought provoking nature of the lyrics in those two title tracks, made many people feel it was some old or veteran musicians who sang these songs.
A book of condolence has been opened at the residence of Nana Ampadu.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The time has come for musicians who were outstanding in the year under review in 2025 to earn nomination at Ghana’s prestigious music awards.
The much-awaited nomination for the 27th Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) is slated for today, March 14, 2026.
As part of measures to build up anticipation, the announcement will commenced with an hourly unveiling of nominees across all official TGMA social media platforms and partner channels from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Everything would be wrapped up in the evening with a special ceremony to officially kick off the 27th TGMA season, featuring the unveiling of the Big Five categories alongside key remarks from industry stakeholders at the Palms Convention Centre.
At the ceremony, the TGMA Calendar Indicating official schedule of activities leading up to the main awards ceremony will be unveiled.
Following the close of the submission window, the Board and the Selection Committee spent weeks reviewing works released during the year under review.
Each entry was carefully evaluated for artistic merit, technical excellence, and cultural impact to ensure that the final nominee list reflects the very best of Ghanaian music.
The 27th Telecel Ghana Music Awards is produced by Charterhouse in partnership with TV3, Closeup, British Council, refreshed by Guinness and powered by Telecel .
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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Thousands of music enthusiasts thronged the Adaklu Youth Resource Centre on Thursday night for the Torcher Experience Concert headlined by Ghanaian music icon Stonebwoy, blending entertainment with youth empowerment.
The atmosphere at the concert grounds changed, the moment Stonebwoy began his grand entry onto the stage at the “Torcher Experience” concert.
As the powerful Ewe song “Mele Gbagbe Há Wo le alia” started playing through the speakers, the crowd erupted with loud cheers and excitement waving their hands in unison, sang along, and some held up their phones with flashlights, lighting up the night as they waited to see the Bhim Nation President appear.
Notable of him, Stonebwoy stepped onto the stage with well-rehearsed symbolic choreography and energy, dressed stylishly as he was ushered on the stage by white-clad men wielding long sticks, from where he acknowledged the massive crowd.
The song created an emotional and energetic mood, making the audience feel connected to the performance. As he moved closer to the front of the stage, the cheers grew even louder, setting the tone for an unforgettable night of music and celebration in Ho and beyond as patrons celebrate music, unity and community spirit.
The venue came alive with excitement as fans sang along to popular songs and enjoyed energetic stage performances, creating a vibrant atmosphere that lasted late into the morning.
A delegation led by Mr James Gunu, together with Edem Agbana and Edem Kpotosu, Members of Parliament of Ketu North and Ho Central, respectively attended the event, and presented a citation and helped in cutting a birthday cake to the artiste in recognition of his contribution to music and youth development.
Mr Gunu commended Stonebwoy for projecting the Volta Region and Ghana onto the global stage through music while inspiring young people to pursue their talents and ambitions.
In a notable gesture during the concert, the artiste donated GH¢100,000 as seed funding towards the Volta Youth Development Fund, an initiative aimed at supporting youth entrepreneurship and creating opportunities for young people in the region.
Although the concert recorded massive patronage and lively performances, some patrons raised concerns about intermittent sound challenges; however, many remained at the venue until about 05:30am hours, cheering and calling for more performances as Stonebwoy thrilled the audience with his dynamic stagecraft and popular hits. GNA
