OFORI AMPONSAH READY FOR THE WORLD

CHICAGO: - After sweeping the Ghana Music Awards with seven titles, Ofori Amponsah a.k.a. ?All 4 Real? is ready for the world. That just may be an understatement. After a recent concert in Columbus where he appeared with Kofi Nti and Castro, Amponsah passed on through Chicago on his way to Ghana. The Chicago weather lived up to its forecast by delivering a blustery day with two to three inches of snow and a wind-chill of minus five degrees. As the Windy City whooshed familiar breezy tunes and the skyscrapers tilted and swayed with the wind, the Ghanaian superstar, clad in a winter hat and a long designer coat, would suddenly comprehend why Chicago was dubbed the Windy City. And this was supposed to be almost Spring! Whew!

Amponsah had stopped through Chicago to survey the House of Blues, a venue that he is slated to perform on May 27. Before his performance here however, he will be in New York at the Apollo Theatre on May 6 to receive an honorary award by the organizers of the International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA). He will be the first Ghanaian to collect that award. For a young man growing up humbly amid the vestiges of abject scarcity in an otherwise remote section of Ghana, Amponsah?s meteoric rise to fame is one to study.

Born in 1974, Amposah?s knack for music and its composition has accompanied him through out his life. Little did he know however, that music would be his ticket to stardom. Now he walks into practically most Ghanaian households around the world and feels like he lives there. He first burst onto the Ghanaian music scene in 1999 when he collaborated with Daddy Lumba to release ?Wo ho Kyere?, an album that gave Amponsah instant recognition and set the pace for the new generation of musicians.

On that album, as he traded note for note with Lumba who at that time was thought to be invincible, Amponsah?s charismatic vocal skills and music production became discernable and distinguishable thus signifying a rising star in the making. From the album?s self-titled first track through other songs, including ?Auntie Ataa?, ?Odo Mmra Fie?, ?Jane? and others, his mastery with words and the imagery he sets out to convey while mimicking the satisfied echoes of an appreciated lover made him an instant iconic female heartthrob and a national sensation.

Those times since his first album are long gone. Since then Amponsah has consistently proven that he just is not a stroke of luck. His follow up album ?Asew? established him as a force in the music world to be reckoned with. The Ghanaian and the African as well as the European airwaves had found an affectionate darling whose smooth and melodic music would make men kowtow and crave for their lover?s affections.

With abounding talent, the selfless Amponsah deemed it pertinent to discover other talents and share the knowledge. During this phase, while he made waves with his albums in the likes of ?Meprawo? ?Bohobio? and ?Abanoma Bewe Sardine?, all original and chart-busting hits, he also discovered and produced artistes like Kofi B whose ?Mmobrowa? single gripped the nation?s attention and lately Kofi Nti whose single ?Rakia? has taken the country by storm. Their albums ?Taxi Driver? and ?Odo Lastic? respectively have made them instant stars and a mantra for a whole new generation of fans. He has also collaborated with K. K. Fosu and Barosky.

On his latest album ?Otoolege?, the versatile singer songwriter has shown range in his producing and songwriting abilities not to mention his vocal prowess. From the opening track ?Bonwire?, a fast-paced song that figuratively talks about a village in the Ashanti Region of Ghana that is known exclusively as the home for the glittering Kente cloth, Amponsah expresses joy in a flaunting way while comparing the allegory to a loved one with the feelings and sentiments of a satisfied lover.

On ?Otoolege? the second and title track, Amponsah pays tribute to the good old days of Highlife by resorting to the familiar riffs of rhythmic guitars that made the genre a toast of West Africa. This was before Hip-Life set in. He proved he could maintain the old styles while creating a whole new set of sounds. His resiliency in the music culture i.e. authentic Highlife and Hip-life as well as American Hip-Hop separate him from a field of concentrated non-diverse musicians who never experiment with different styles of music. In music, the ability to be creative, different and versatile is what separate the men form the boys. On that track, lamenting about a dejected and a desperate lover, he uses polyphonic vocals and falsetto hooks to tell the story of a May-December relationship gone astray.

The lilt in his vocals indicates a musician who even though is at the pinnacle of his career talks modestly about still learning and declaring that the best is yet to come. On ?Lady? Amponsah proves he is ready for the world with a Soukous-generated Highlife on which he professes his love to his wife Linda. His singing delivery once again shows a journeyman musician who has been around the block once or twice. On ?Ababio? another hot tune, Amponsah croons as an introvert on the receiving end of an abusive relationship. His hard work would be noticed and appreciated in the Ghana music industry as the album won seven awards including ?Most Popular Song Of The Year?, ?Album Of The Year?, ?Contemporary Highlife Album Of The Year? and ?Contemporary Highlife Song Of The Year? while branding him ?Artiste Of The Year?, ?Contemporary Highlife Artiste Of The Year? and ?Producer Of The Year?. Not bad for someone who still believes he has so much to offer!

Whilst in Chicago, Amponsah had the opportunity to meet Mr. Ephraim Martin, producer of the IRAWMA. Mr. Martin, at the behest of African Spectrum Newspaper?s Executives had the pleasure of listening to ?Otoolege? and decided that Amponsah deserved the honorary award imparted on individuals with outstanding global appeal. Mr. Martin, who has given starts in the music industry to Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Jacob Miller to name a few, hopes with this award, Amponsah?s name would be etched among the greats of world music. Amponsah also met with Smart Frimpong, a serviceable guitarist who will be leading the band that will support Amponsah.

For his upcoming performance at the Chicago House of Blues on May 27 at midnight, a venue that has featured some of the greatest music superstars including James Brown, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, The Pretenders, U2, Pearl Jam, P-Funk and Ziggy Marley among others, Amponsah believes this exposure will put his name right out there with the who is who in the music industry. He has scheduled to release his latest endeavor entitled ?Celebrity? on that night of the show. While many are skeptical that Amponsah will actually appear, he wants people to believe that the era of arrogance and disappointment exhibited by some of his colleagues are gone.

?Our generation is made of a new breed of entertainers who want to look beyond the realm of Ghana and Africa for that matter. It is a privilege that we have this opportunity to represent Ghana musically at the House of Blues. It is indeed an honor. For the fans, who will see me perform there, bring your dancing shoes!? Amponsah said.

He will be appearing with Nana Quame, an astounding musician whose credit includes ?Atia Donko and other listener-friendly tunes also will release his latest on this night; Kofi Nti, another hot artist with the current hit ?Rakia.? Both these musicians with the help of Amponsah are willing to work together to put Ghana on the map of the international music scene. Tickets for the Chicago show can be purchased at the House of Blues box ticket by calling 312-923-2000 or by logging on to the website www.hob.com. One can also call 630-771-9069 or 630-771-9074.