Music of Monday, 8 August 2005

Source: ghanamusic.com

Winner Of Hearts?Amankwah Mireku?s Gospel Freekick

The Ghanaian music front has surprisingly taken a different trend and guess who is singing this time; a professional footballer.

Yes, his name is Amamkwah Mireku, the captain of top premier club, Accra Hearts of Oak and his maiden gospel album titled ‘Yeda W’ase’ (We thank you) is out.

“I just realised that God has given me the talent to sing and moreover I have been having dreams of singing so I decided to put it good use”, said the 26 year old skipper in an interview with Showbiz.

“Yeda W’ase”, a five-track album is a long cherished dream Amankwah had carried for years but never had the chance to fulfil due to his footballer career.

According to him, his love for music led him to play drums for the Back to Jesus Church at YMCA about ten years ago and on one Sunday, he was asked to sing in the place of the praise and worship leader who was absent.” For that day, I led praises and worship for two years and that was when the dreams and interests of releasing an album built up”, said Amankwah Mireku.

However, his dream was put on hold when he started playing for Okwahu United, for five years, he completely forgot about music until recently when he thought the time was ripe to return to his second love music.

“I started writing my songs alongside my soccer career. Sometimes I had to do it while we were in camp and during my leisure times. It wasn’t easy”, he laughed as he remembered those days.

“Yeda W’ase”, the title track, is done in reggae and in this piece, he expresses his gratitude to God for all he has done for him. “Adom Bi” (literally means a type of grace) is? another reggae piece sang in honour of God’s grace.

Footballers are typically noted for their love for ‘jama’ music and Amankwah Mireku makes use of it in a track titled “Nyame Na Obebua Wo (God Will help you)”. It is a medley, which is in the highlife view.

He also sings a very popular jama song which goes like ‘boa me, Nan’, ‘Onyame boa me..’ in the tracks.

Other tracks on the album include ‘Drolo gye Nyogmo’ (God is gracious), a highlife piece and ‘Nyame Asem’ (God’s word), a worship song telling of the benefits derived from the word of God.

Apart from the skipper’s motive of exploring his God given musical talent, he also hopes that this album would help motivate footballers exploit other talents within them and also eliminate the illusion that sportsmen are not God fearing.

“I believe God is using me as an example to all footballers and I hope to bring out more albums by God’s grace”, he said with confidence.

“Yeda W’ase” was produced by Amankwah Mireku himself with the assistance of T.T. Brothers and was programmed by Willie Charles of Favour Recording Studio.