President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has mourned one of Ghana’s legendary highlife musicians, Nana Kwame Ampadu, who passed away on Tuesday, September 28, 2021.
In a Facebook post sighted by African Entertainment, President Akufo-Addo said “I have learnt, with great sadness, of the death of one of Ghana’s musical icons, the legendary high-life artiste, Nana Ampadu. The outpouring of grief by many Ghanaians, following the news of his death, is an appreciation of the impact his music had on successive generations of Ghanaians. Nana Ampadu believed in my vision for the transformation of Ghana, and assisted me tremendously on the campaign trail in the run-up to my victory in the elections of 2016, for which I remain eternally grateful.
His was a life well-lived, and he will be sorely missed. My deep condolences to his widow, children and family. Rest in perfect peace, Nana, and may the Almighty keep you in His Bosom until the Last Day of the Resurrection when we shall all meet again. Amen.”
“Nana Ampadu, da yie, Nyame nfa wo kra nsie,” the President added.
Ampadu died on September 28, 2021 at the Legon Hospital, according to information available to DGN Online.
Nana Kwame Ampadu was a Ghanaian musician credited with numerous popular highlife tracks and he is known to have composed over 800 songs.
Ampadu’s “African Brothers Band” was formed in 1963. With a huge talent, he never shied away from politics although controversial.
He was noted to have composed a song about Jerry John Rawlings ahead of the 1992 general elections.
The famous campaign song which talked about the background of Rawlings as half-Scottish, Rawlings proved to win the first elections under the Fourth Republic of Ghana.
Nana Ampadu later joined the campaign platforms of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) NPP in the later days of his life, predicting victory for incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Ampadu was born on March 31, 1945 at Adiemmra, during colonial rule in the then Gold Coast now known as Ghana.
By Vincent Kubi