Kojo Antwi, the music legendBorn out of the desire to pay tribute to the phenomenon of music, Kojo Antwi has been spreading his wings so extensively as he could and has captured the global music landscape with his music and across America and Europe he has descended strongly with a message of love and peace.
In so doing he has become a passport to the hearts of lovers of music who have always become Kojo Antwi?s welcomed customers just as he has vice versa. This will happen as usual when he storms the National Theatre tomorrow.
At home in Africa he has tried hands with other African counterparts to advance the music industry.
This gave birth to his brainchild African Music Festival. To prove what he meant, he got other African music giants, namely Freddie Meiway from Ivory Coast and Rex Omar of Ghana host of other African artists, from South Africa and the Benin, and our local compatriots in the sub region of our artistic landscape to work together said Kojo.
"This is a plat- form intended to be used to fuel the enthusiasm of budding artists to help achieve their dreams and goal," he noted.
In an interview granted this correspondent, he said the festival was like an oasis to make fertile its environs, and to give useful and meaningful direction so as to inspire black or African artists on the continent to greater heights of their music profession.
With a pragmatic proof some of the best cream of artists of our land namely George Darko ace Ghanaian guitarist of high standing, Nana Tuffour just to mention few passed through the mill of his traditional 24th December Music Fiesta as beginning of his vision.
Perhaps to express what he meant by promoting the image of the African artists, foreign artists who have come and gone through his 24th December Fiesta have been Steel Pulse, Steve Coleman, Morthey Alice Sofa, Sonti Mdebele from Ivory Coast and South Africa respectively.
In what can be described as a bold initiative to help revamp our local music industry and give it what it deserves, the Ghanaian Internationally renowned musician a.k.a Music man has not only been looking at the success of his musical career but also helping at home to motivate our musical youth to study the rudiments of music and show a bias for the playing of musical instruments.
At the plush Erata Hotel at East Legon, Kojo had been working tirelessly to put into shape some marvellous musical discoveries, who have shown promise of being worthy future artists. Those talents who responded to a modest advert in the media for this project, were auditioned, to assess, evaluate their music potential.
Kojo Antwi noted for his love classics as a rock balladeer and ?King of the Hearts? and famous for his unfailing performance on every December 24 surely be making history tomorrow December 24, 2006 when he mounts the stage at the Mecca of Ghana?s entertainment, the National Theatre.
One needs no barometre to measure Kojo?s success. Since, he got into the musical orbit of his career he has amazed and surprised sceptics about that which he possess that, he has shown no respect for limits, and proved that limitation can not hinder him in his endeavours to pursue his goals.
Kojo Antwi arguably like Osibisa, has become an institution with usual players of his group trekking across America and Europe and in fact is a pride of our industry having proved with chain of successes here and there.
Kojo Antwi provides abundant satisfaction to this countless fans who he mesmerizes with his music especially love classics. This achievement has remained a stigma of an indestructible monolith on his albums.
Gradually Kojo Antwi crossing the frontiers of global music with a proof that one can only say that keeping faith with his countless fans who have kept feeding on the diet of his slow rock, Afro rock and reggae laced with funk, worldwide, is an undisputed fact.
Recalling one of his engagements named ?shut down? in New York, U.S. it was reported that Edward Grant Highway had to be closed temporarily to accommodate his sprawling audience who had been waiting, because the concert hall could not accommodate the ticket holders attending Kojo Antwi?s live show. Media report in New York recorded it as the largest crowd ever seen at any predominantly Ghanaian gathering.
Once again, perhaps to record it as a memorable night, 24th December 2006 is here with us thankfully by the grace of God after the break. Kojo Antwi celebrating his 20th anniversary of his musical career will stay on the record books as proof that Kojo Antwi has what it takes to make people celebrate Christmas joyfully on the eve of yuletide. What is so unique and happily coincidental. Is that this follow a show of crisis cross giants Osibisa weeks after.