Music of Sunday, 17 August 2003

Source: ghanamusic.com

Omanhene Pozo - Ayede Vol 2

Omanhene Pozo VINTAGE highlife music has become an excellent source for many hiplifers who have come to appreciate the advantages that such marriages add to their own songs, and no artiste understands this marriage better than Omanhene Pozo.

Omanhene Pozo, formerly of the group, Nananom, has released his third album and almost all the songs on this album have influences from old highlife songs to which he has added rap.

When he performed the track Kyenkyen Bi Adi Me Awu at this year?s Ghana Music Awards, many were impressed first by the choice of vintage music and others still were glad for the addition of Alhaji K Frimpong the original singer of the song in the performance.

In that vein, Omanhene Pozo deserves a lot of recommendation, he appears to be giving life and some amount of sustenance to the songs of old, and ensuring that the coming generation will not forget them.

Kyenkye Bi Adi Me Awu is the song that leads the songs on his new album, Ayede Vol.2 in terms of popularity. Pozo is the second hiplifer after Reggie Rockstone to be adapting this particular song by Alhaji Frimpong. Another mix between the old and new highlife is the song Yellow Sisi, a song which was originally done by Kofi Sammy. Here too Kofi Sammy has been roped into the presentation of the song so one hears him sing ?Yellow Sisi de for corner put ee hand for jaw, wey tin dey cause am? Money palava.?

There are those who argue that such productions are making young musician complacent in their works, all they do is introduce a rap here and there in an old highlife song and viola! they have a hit hiplife track. Some believe that the only reason why Pozo?s last album Ayede Vol. 1 was any good was because of the track that featured Ewurama Bedu?s Medofo Adaadaa Me.

Pozo is the type of artiste who invokes appears to love complaints with regard to his use of words. Words that other musicians would avoid using in their songs, Pozo uses them in his songs inviting criticisms on his head. The song Amina Nim Ye is exactly what parents raising teenage children will consider a nightmare. This song has a Caribbean beat that is good for dancing but the sexual implications are way too much.

Then there is the song Nye Menkoaa Na Mepe, singing that he is not the only one who like booze, women, money and other such vices. He makes a complete mockery of the original song Joromi by Nigerian ace musician Victor Uwaifo whose melody Pozo uses for this song.

Pozo must be given thumps up for the song Ka Kyere Wo Mame, but there is no excuse for his indiscretion with some of the words. What is good about the song is the attack it does on rape and defilement.

Pozo will go down in the records as the one artiste with the most featured artistes on his album. Apart from Alhaji K Frimpong and Kofi Sammy, there is Abrewanana, Chico Dawuni, Nana Yaw, Cil Peswa, Georgette, Mr Green, Dadesem and Kwame Asu.