FLASHBACK: Yaw Sarpong and Tiwaa
Leader and founder of the New Jerusalem Church, Bishop J.Y. Adu, has revealed that veteran gospel musician Yaw Sarpong is still unaware of the death of his long-time singing partner, Maame Tiwaa — because family and caretakers fear the news could severely affect his already fragile health.
Speaking on Top Radio, Bishop Adu said the team has been struggling for weeks to find the right way and time to inform the ailing musician.
“Up until now, we’ve not been able to tell Yaw Sarpong that Tiwaa is dead. We don’t even know how to inform him because we fear his reaction. He has confidence in the woman so much,” he said.
According to Bishop Adu, Yaw Sarpong’s attachment to Tiwaa has made the situation even more delicate. He narrated an emotional incident where the musician refused to eat unless she was present.
“When they prepared food yesterday and he was served, he said he was waiting for Tiwaa before he would eat. According to him, if he ate without her, she would get angry,” he recounted.
Caretakers have reportedly been shielding Yaw Sarpong from media reports, fearing that stumbling upon the news online could trigger a health crisis.
“The media didn’t help us at all by circulating the news so fast. If he was online, he would have seen everything, and that would have been a big problem for us,” Bishop Adu lamented.
He further disclosed that although Tiwaa’s family visited Yaw Sarpong’s home, he advised them not to reveal the news immediately because the musician was battling malaria at the time.
“All this while he has not seen the woman; he thinks she has gone to perform at a show,” he said, adding that Tiwaa had been a major support system for Yaw Sarpong, often performing to earn money to take care of him.
As the family continues to grapple with the dilemma, Bishop Adu emphasised that breaking the news to Yaw Sarpong remains one of the most challenging decisions they have had to make.