INFORMATION
| Born In : | accra,chorkor |
| Occupation(s) : | singer and songwriter |
| Genres : | highlife and hiplife |
ndeed, Adane Best cannot readily recall when exactly he started singing. All he recollects is that as a youngman who sang as he worked, his siblings Daniel Frimpong, Ken Amoah and Victoria Amoah noticed the talent in him and vowed never to allow it go waste.
True to their assertion, his first album, “Ayitey” became a hit.
It’s therefore not surprising that his subsequent six albums, namely Se Wu Bre released in 1994, Wa nu Pe Asem, 1996, Rabbi, 1999, Maafio, Soja Go Soja Come, 2002, Ayekoo, 2004 and his latest Mamamia released last year have always been on the airwaves.
Music fans might be wondering why his songs are mostly in Ga, though he is Akan. The answer is simple. Adane Best who was named after his grandfather was born at Adedenkpo near Palladium in Accra where his mother, the late Madam Christiana Ama Sarfowaa from Kwahu and his father, Mr. Macauley Amoah from Agona Kwameng in the Central Region lived. He grew up with most of his friends being Gas.
He started his schooling at the Teacher Afio Kindergarten near the Palladium Methodist Church, then to Amamomo 1 Primary School and Amamomo 1 and II mixed middle school, both at Timber Market in Accra.
After successfully completing the middle school, he gained admission into the Otublohum Secondary School in 1986 which was at Blacksmiths, Laterbiokorshie. The school was however closed down a year later and this forced him to enroll at Osu Presbyterian Secondary School (Osu Presec) in 1987. He only got to form three and had to abandon school due to financial problem.
Life according to him worsened when he lost his mother in 1991. He therefore had no option than to join a friend, known only as O. B. to manufacture needles for sewing jute sacks at Palladium.
All this while he was able to sing people’s songs and also managed to sing songs he personally composed.
He told The Spectator in an interview last Sunday, that it was actually during the working hours, while making the needles, that he sang most of his own songs.
As a result, in 1992, his siblings teamed up and supported him to record his first album “Ayitey”. The song was composed from the experiences of his brother who travelled to Nigeria for greener pastures, but was deported back to Ghana. This brother of his advised him never to go to Lagos, Nigeria, because of hardships he faced. Instead he urged him to stay cool and that God can make one successful at home in Ghana.
Adane Best recounted how shortly after he stopped schooling, he joined the Beautiful Barristers of King Bruce as a back vocalist in 1980. The group comprised, Felix Raja (Drummer), Ras Mahoney (Key Boardist), Alure Ayitey (lead vocalist), and leader of the group now performing with PREKESE, a cultural troupe in the U.K., Atta Armah Asong (lead vocalist), Obli (base guitarist) and Atta Addo (lead guitarist).
The group used to perform at Old Timers Spot, Adabraka and at the defunct Ambassador Hotel. They also performed at various ceremonies in and outside Accra.
His experience gained from the group helped him a lot when he was recording his first album in 1992. He has since released seven albums.
Adane Best’s love and admiration for the Senegalese musician Issifu Ndow and Salif Kaita of Mali, whom he saw as mentors for their own style of music, gave him the inspiration to come out with his own style.
“My kind of music moves into various directions, especially highlife. I can use any rhythm at all to string through and this makes it stand different,” he stated.
Adane Best is proud the President of the Republic, John Agyekum Kufuor, in 2003 witnessed his performance with Daddy Lumba at the International Conference Centre during a musical concert.
For his achievements, Adane Best won the Best Dance Music ECRAG Awards in 1994. He also received the Best Highlife Song of the Year Award in 2003 and was recently honoured by the Kwahuman Traditional Council in conjunction with the Kwahu Youngsters Club.
He is a Catholic and currently single, but has a set of two and half year old twins (boy and girl).
Adane Best likes boxing, song writing, football and listening to foreign African music.
To be his wife, the lucky woman should be an expert in cooking rice and stew, his favourite dish.
Touching on some problems facing the music industry, Adane Best said the current play back system where people play C.D and sing behind is destroying the profession in Ghana.
“Let us all encourage the use of live band music to promote our cultural music. Let’s have the fear of God in us, love our neighbours and by so doing we can build mother Ghana together and enjoy the fruits of our labour in peace,” he said.
“The music profession is not an easy one as people think. I therefore urge young people who want to go into music to do well to get messages which are favourable to nation building. They should also be respectful to all, especially the elderly,” he concluded.
