Michael Dwamena a.k.a Zippoman, a highlife, rock and hiplife darling star based in America, records his latest album, a gospel fire titled ?Prayer?. This will be reproduced here and marketed between December and early next year.
Speaking to ?The Spectator? in a telephone interview, Michael described the sad news of Terry Bonchaka?s death as a crushing blow not only to him, but also because he was an exportable musical potential.
He recalled when recording engineer Zapp Mallet and his assistant recommended the late hiplife maestro as a good choice to feature on the album ?Prayer? two years ago.
Terry, Michael said, gave a good account of himself when he was auditioned for the job. He added that he discovered him as a rare gift.
So in his dream album ?Prayer? a gospel produced in America, Terry featured in his first and third tracks.
Terry?s flair and gift of Patua Oratory afforded him the opportunity to do every song coming from every direction with an unbelievable excellence. ?This made me believe working with Terry will be for a long time, since he was hardworking too,? he said lamentably.
Michael?s current album would be seen as a never-to-be-forgotten tribute to Terry Bonchaka.
?Prayer? is a superb gospel album, rare and exceptional ten-track gem. The first track Yesu ye ma Danfo Pa is beautifully handled as smoothly as anything sleek, with a mid-tempo and tapping beat. Terry Bonchaka then gets into the main stream with an unbeatable rap exposition.
Halleluyah the second track is tune and rhythm traceable to Jimmy Cliff?s ?Wonderful World?, a refined smooth-sailing melody on surfs of peace and sweet ocean waves, described as presented in ?sweet candy voice.? A real praise hit.
The third is Mede me ho be ma Nyame literally meaning a total surrender to God and victory.
Fourth Nokware is blues-flavoured with a slow tempo, a soul-spilling track, soothing and brilliant with Michael?s at his best. The effect of a great performing mass choir in the background is simple unbeatable.
Obviously playing the strings and the singing with Belgian stars like Gene Lisa and compatriot Sloopy Mike Gyamfi together with a group of musicians from Ghana contributed in no small measures to making his music euphoric. It melts down all jazz, rock and African rhythms.
Michael recorded his first single in the 1980?s when he met and helped a famous Ghanaian pop star, now behind prison bars, whose album he helped to release.
As a turning point in his career, men of influence and substance in music like Noah Howard and the late Marvin Gaye became a source of great influence in his later music works. He joined a hot favourite group known as the Zippo which Noah belonged to.
Michael has had a very glittering and eventful music career and the signing of a contract with EMI records precipitated a release of his single Ice Cream Man which caused a stir on the Zimbabwe music chart soaring to the top.
This singular success catapulted him into prominence making the album a radio hit in Canada and in Benelux, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg.
With this chain of successes behind him he was still bustling with an insatiable determination. Michael was brought into focus again with another successful single titled Summer in the City as his third. A fourth hit came with the title Ragga by rap.
Prayer his current album is sizzling. It is an extraordinary gospel work booms with his velvety and silky voice recorded with a message embedded in the album solidly signed, sealed and delivered to his large following.
You need to taste the stuff so why not get a copy to satisfy a curiosity we are all part of. See U-Name-It and you?ll never regret it.
