C. K. Mann Dies At 83

Legendary highlife musician Charles Kofi Amankwaa Mann, known as C. K. Mann, died on Tuesday, March 20 after battling with an undisclosed illness.

He was 83 years.

He had been sick for three years before he unfortunately passed on Tuesday at the GHAPOHA Hospital in the Western Region, NEWS-ONE has gathered.

He joined the list of entertainers who died in 2018.

C.K. Mann was one of the iconic figures of Ghana’s highlife music. He is best remembered for songs such as ‘Adjoa Yankey’ and ‘Ko Ma Monko’.

He was born in 1936 in Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana. He worked briefly as a seaman before joining Moses Kweku Oppong’s Kakaiku Band.

After familiarising himself with the Ghanaian music scene, he joined Ocean Strings and led the band until 1965. When the band was disbanded, he joined a newly-formed band in Takoradi, The Carousel 7.

He came to prominence in 1969 when he released his single, ‘Edina Benya’. He was the one who impressed on the band’s owner, Anis Mubarak, to sign Paapa Yankson to the group.

1. K. Mann added Western musical instruments to ‘Osode’, the traditional music of Ghanaian fishermen.
2. K.Mann had several hit songs like ‘Asafo Beesuon’, ‘Obaa Yaa Aye Me Bone’, ‘Kolomashie’, ‘Dofo Bi Akyerew Me’, ‘Ankwasema Dede’, ‘Okwan Tsentsen Awar’, ‘Aboa Akonkoran’, ‘Beebi A Odo Wo’, ‘Tsie M’afotusem’, ‘Ebusua Ape Adze Aye Me’, ‘Yebeyi Wo Aye’, and ‘Do Me Ma Mondo Wo Bi’.

His latest album titled ‘Wope Nyeho’ was produced by West Gold Music Studio in Takoradi and released in 2013.

In 2006, he was awarded the Grand Medal of Ghana during the 2006 National Honours and Awards ceremony in recognition of his contribution to Ghanaian music.

He was among the first recipients of this award after the ceremony was revamped in 2006. With old age and ill-health, by 2015 C. K. Mann had not performed publicly in several years.

He lived at Anaji, a suburb of Takoradi. The street on which his house is located has been renamed C. K. Mann Avenue.