Kwaku Gyasi

Kwaku Gyasi is a new young gospel musician who has been on the scene for not too long but his artistic performance on stage has made him different from the rest.

He is well known in Kumasi where he is based and known? as gospel Abrantie for his flashy and attractive appearance. His music video stands out from the others. New musicians keep coming out day after day, especially within the gospel scene.

Kwaku was born and bred in Kumasi on the 14th of December 1977 but a Fante with his mother from Elmina and his father from Agona Wiamuase all in the Central Region. The aspiring new gospel artiste of the year tells us his own story, in this interview at his Kumasi residence.

GB: Did you have any dreams of becoming a gospel musician from childhood?
Kwaku: The thing is having dreams of becoming a musician. If God gives you a talent it begins from childhood. When you are a child and start picking and playing empty tins you should take it serious and realize that it may be your profession.

GB: So how did your music profession started?
Kwaku: With me, music started from infancy. At a very young age I took sticks, empty tins and played it as drums and gathered children in the neighborhood and we sung together as a congregation. This went on and on till I entered the church of Pentecost where I set up my own music group with four ladies and two men called the end time singers. So this is where and how I started doing serious singing till 1994 when I completed school and came with my first album.

GB: Talking about school, what is your educational background?
Kwaku:? I started with nursery school at Queen Elizabeth Kindergarten School to A.P.S and from there to Kumasi Technical Institute.

GB: Why did you choose to do Gospel music?
Kwaku: It is the calling of the Almighty God.

GB: How difficult was it coming out for the first time?
Kwaku: As for the difficulties they come in troops, its not easy to come from nowhere to be known and appreciated by everybody. Sometimes you even think God has forsaken you, because I went everywhere looking for a producer and nobody was ready to do it, but by God's grace all is well now. God has a purpose of doing everything.

GB: How would you compare when you started to now?
Kwaku: There has been a great change, because we all know that the God we serve always work forward and never backwards. As time goes on things keep changing so I thank God for my life and its success.

GB: What is your biggest achievement?
Kwaku: The biggest thing that has ever happened to me is being able to bring out this album title Ayeyi ahye ma koma and see it grow very successful and has brought hope, inspiration and smiles to the faces of many people.

GB: How does your song influence people?
Kwaku: If by the grace of God I have the chance to perform on stage, immediately I start singing my voice changes lives. For instance, there was this lady who called me after one of my performances and said she is a Moslem but because of the words in the song she wants to change to Christianity. So God has done it, glory is to His name.

GB: What is the relationship between yourself and ladies?
Kwaku: For the ladies I think it is something you can never run away from because so far as I remain a musician and as young as I am the ladies will definitely come my way. A lady just saw me in my music video and called me saying funny things but it will all depend on how hard you pray and how careful you are.

GB: How true is it that you were ex-communicated from your church for having an affair with a lady in the same church?
Kwaku: I will take this opportunity to tell all Ghanaians that I Kwaku Gyesi has never been ex- communicated from church. I don't even know where this is coming from but it all goes down to tell me that, the more you go up, the more some faceless people try to pull you down. Even though I'm not beyond falling down, I still stand firm in the spirit.

GB: Are you married?
Kwaku: No I'm not married, but I think its now time for me to settle down with a lady I can proudly call my wife to seal the pressure from other ladies.

GB: How long will you wish to sing?
Kwaku: I wish to do music all my life but there is time for everything. So if it is the will of the Omnipotent God for me to sing for the rest of my life why not? Because I'm ready to praise, worship, and adore the Lord I serve with my music any time.

GB: What else do you do apart from singing?
Kwaku: I don't have any other profession apart from music but by the grace of God I'm able to play all the instruments, so that is what keeps me busy.

GB: What have you planned to do after your music profession?
Kwaku: Well, I have planned of establishing my own music studio to record myself and other colleagues because the work of God is bigger than the people involved, so we will need more hands to spread the word.

GB: Don't you think you sing like Elder Mireku?
Kwaku: That is possible because we are all from the same church of Pentecost, and in fact I like Elder Mireku he has thought me a lot of things. He is like a father to me and if you listen to my songs and his, you realize that it is the rhythms that may be the same but the voices are different.

GB: Are you in a competition with any Gospel musician?
Kwaku: Competition is bound to come in all field of life because new artist keep on coming out and the old ones keep on growing. So without competition there wouldn't be any perfection. I don't have anybody in mind I'm competing with but I will do anything in my part to remain the best.

GB: How different would you say gospel music is from circular music?
Kwaku: For now I think the gospel music is on top because it's God we are raising high to the top before any other thing or fellow.

GB: Who do you admire in gospel music?
Kwaku: I like every body that sings to worship, praise, adore and raise the name of the living God but must also admit that I really admire Elder Mireku, because we share the same spirit and I also learnt a lot from him in music. This job we do, people do it because of the money but you should also look seriously at the spiritual accept of it which is more important. So I like Elder for that.

GB: What are your hobbies?
Kwaku: I really like listening to music.

GB: What is your favorite food?
Kwaku: My best food is fufu and light soup made with bush meat.

GB: What do you want to tell the general public?
Kwaku: Well everything in this world needs patience. Anything you do without patience can never be successful. I also want to use this opportunity to thank every radio presenter in Ghana especially DJ Abio of Channel 'R' my producer Mr. Mensah Sarpong and all TV stations in Ghana.