Music of Sunday, 18 July 2004

Source: ghanamusic.com

Kiki Gyan Finally Laid To Rest

At long last, the mortal remains of the late Kofi Gyan known in musical circles as Kiki Gyan has been laid to rest at the Osu Cemetery in the heart of the capital city of Accra, last week Saturday.

People from across the length and breath of the country as well as from Nigeria and beyond converged at the Arts Centre in Accra, where the funeral of the man who was once the number eight best pianists in the world, was held.

Many top high-life musicians were present at the Osu cemetery to pay their final respect to their colleague and friend, Kiki Gyan after which they all marched to the Arts Centre to perform live at the funeral grounds. The renowned Ghanaian international drummer, Okyerema Kofi Ghanaba, Mac Tontoh, who was Kiki?s band mate at Osibisa band, and Orlando Julius were some of the musicians who were present to perform at the funeral of their departed colleague. They performed live, danced and graced the occasion with their presence to ensure that their departed colleague had a befitting burial.

In an interview with Mac Tontoh, through whom Kiki had the opportunity to become a member of the Ghanaian International Afro-Beat group, Ghana had missed a great asset in the person of Kiki Gyan.

According to him, Kiki?s inclusion in the group indeed brought a new lease of life into the group as he intelligently contributed his quota to the upliftment of the image of the group. ?Kiki was a very good keyboard player who indeed contributed his quota to the shaping of Osibisa and I think it will be very difficult to get a replacement for him.?

Kiki Gyan was a key member of the Osibisa Band, which stunned the world with their dazzling performance and making them the number one entertainment band in the world. But a few years later after Kiki left the group to group to establish himself in Nigeria, he travelled to the United States of America where he got himself attached to some drug addicts and got hooked to it.

After realizing that his life was taking a deteriorative dive, he decided to come back home to seek medical care, but was to avail, until he passed away on Sunday June 6, 2004 at the Fe?den International Church at Kokomlemle.