Despite claims that hiplife music is not flying in the music market, obstinate young guys like Augustine Tetteh-Quarshie, a.k.a Alewa, still possess the hope that hiplife will survive and he shows this by his maiden album titled ABAYAA.
The 24-year-old artiste has 13 songs on the album and by all standards; it is doing well in Ghanaian music circles with massive airplay enjoyment on some of the major radio stations in Accra alone.
The masterpiece opens with “Abaayaa”, which goes in a mid-tempo vein and has good instrumentation. Alewa’s style is very captivating on this track and it is bound to get the attention of even passive listeners. It is well programmed and has very nice lyrics.
“Mabre Wo” is another fine song on the album which has the artiste voicing out his disgust for his partner’s intolerable deeds. This track has a danceable rhythm which goes in the highlife vein and the lyrics offer great lessons to ladies who are unfaithful to their partners.
“Nonsiaa”, an Akan word that means “6 O’clock”, is another favourite song on the album which has humorous lyrics and is bound to get a listener dancing and laughing at the same time. The artiste sings about the exact time he would be meeting his lover for their romantic bouts. It is a nice song with good instrumentation.
Then comes Lady Wei, the title-track, which happens to have enjoyed massive airplay in the country and yet to become a hit if given the necessary publicity and proper distribution. This song, which talks about the beautiful features of the artiste’s lover that makes him love her more, proves that Augustine is a promising star about to take hiplife music to another level.
“Alewa”, privately known as Augustine Jude Tetteh-Quarshie, hails from Ningo in the Greater Accra Region and is the second son of 4 children born to Mr. George and Mrs Constance Tetteh-Quarshie who are both Pharmacists.
Though he has the dream of becoming an Accountant in the near future, music seems to be the main thing for him now. “ I did a couple of computer courses at NCR and because I loved music so much, I started working at A-1 music studio where I am currently the sound engineer” he said.
Augustine, who realized the passion for hiplife music about three years ago, has programmed the songs of great hiplife artistes like Obour and award-winning Kwaw Kesse. He has also performed at grand shows such as the Miss Ghana @ 50 beauty pageant held last year alongside Obour as well as hiplife concerts in some African countries like Gabon, Benin, Senegal and Nigeria.
He is well known in Ghana for his various stage appearances at regional shows like the Christmas and Easter Bash concerts organised in Takoradi, Kumasi, Sunyani and other parts of the country which featured other great hiplife artistes.
Other songs on the Lady Wei album are Meku Meho, Oda Baabi, Awurade, Yebo Yeni as well as remix and instrumental versions of Lady Wei, Nonsiaa and Yebo Yeni.
