Entertainment of Thursday, 15 January 2015

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

#Throwback (January 15, 2004): Terry Bonchaka's magic lives on

It seems Terry Bonchaka has become more popular posthumously. Why not? His many fans can simply not get over his death and his premature death has earned him many more fans.

Since his death almost every musical show sees Terry Bonchaka look alike performances which confirms that he has lots of followers than he probably might have known. Good news is, Terry's music can still be enjoyed because there are about 40 yet to be released songs before his death. Thanks to PSI Records, 10 of these songs have been released in what they call "The Bonchaka Project 2004."

PSI Records, a subsidiary of Peter Smith International Investment Ltd is where Terry was recording before his untimely death.

The album titled Zoozey and launched last December has ten songs on CD and eight on cassette. Alberto of PSI told Showbiz that his outfit decided to call it "The Bonchaka Project 2004" because there are others coming up.

"He was working on releasing Zoozey when he passed away so we decided to complete and release it."

Listening to the songs, one cannot help missing Terry and imagining him perform them on stage. He features lots of people on the album, an indication of his willingness to see his friends make it.

Love runs through almost all the songs and a few times, one wonders what the young man was up to with some of the lyrics but Terry was smart and stayed clear off trouble no matter how deep he expressed himself.

Zoozey featuring K.K. Fosu has all it takes to be the title track. Zoozey is catchy enough and even the first time listener sings along without releasing it. As he says himself, "this song was clearly from the bottom of Terry Bonchaka's heart."

The lyrics are that of a young man in love, who says God created Heaven and Earth, and created man and woman saying that a man shall leave his parents and become one of his wife. He sang Show Me the feeling of Zoozey. The chorus passes for highlife.

Terry featured Shee and Collins in Sweetie, a slow-paced one. A guy in love sure has more than enough to describe his woman. Hear this; sweetie, honey, baby, darling, you are the one I love?

Another song on the album that is a potential hit is Kaasha Flash. An interesting line in this says one cannot work at GNTC and demand salary at UTC. Wo ke ei, Wo ke ba waa is how it begins. It is done in Ga and Twi and features Shanzy, Cosbby and Wise.

Remember one of the things Terry always did while performing? Asking the audience to respond Mui to whatever he says. Yeah Chichinappi, Aboboe Mui is one of the songs on the album featuring Mosquito.

There probably was no way Terry Bonchaka was going to release an album without featuring King Ayisoba. Sayetugari is a song Terry did with him. The message here is simple but deep. "Pray without ceasing, at bedtime, when going to work, before one eats, etc." King Ayisoba does not do the solo part people have come to know him for, he raps on and on and ends with kae kae kae!

Other songs on the album are Obaa Na featuring Shanzy, Lick Me Zonnzon, Etuo, Lorlor, and Kankam.

The Bonchaka Project 2004 is doing well on the market, according to Alberto, "it is hot cake."

The message on the inlay card summarises it and people will no doubt agree that though Terry Bonchaka is gone, "His magic lives on."

Additional Material
Enjoy Terry Bonchaka's Zoozey below: