Secret

Secret (Owusu Boateng) unexpectedly became a teen idol in the late '70s churning good gospel music to Ghanaians in the Military government era whiles Nana Onyina, Agya Koo Nimo, Ghana Ba, E. T. Mensah, King Bruce, A. B. Crentsil, and more were also making hit songs in the highlife world.

Ghana Music.com is at it again and is bringing to you (our loyal visitors), a veteran musician in the Ghanaian music industry. I consider this man, as someone who knows music.

He granted us an interview from his base in Canada. Let?s read more to know about his music life.

Ghana Music.com: Please could you tell us about your background?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): I am an old time musician. I had my gospel group called ?Master's Singers? in the Seventh Day Adventist church in Oyoko, Koforidua, my hometown. This group was very unique and the group performed on many important occasions all over the country. We were on stage with famous groups like the Advent Heralds and the Voice of Prophesy who in those days performed on the National Radio GBC 1 programme.

Ghana Music.com: Ok, please tell me more about your new album?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): The title of my album is ?Apranke? This talks about cheating in life among men and women, especially married ones. Men who chase other people?s wives, l call them - ?Apranke? and the same applies to the women who do so.

Ghana Music.com: Why such a song?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): This song is meant to address the issue of cheating and how to eliminate such habits from our societies and marital homes.

Ghana Music.com: How many songs and any favorite song on the album?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): It?s a ten track album and my favourite song on the album is titled ?Johnny Walker? which talks about my private life.

Ghana Music.com: Pick one song and talk about it?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): My special song on the album which is yet to be released is ?Home Sweet Home?. So it?s easy to tell you that this song brings great spirit and love to my heart for my home land Ghana.

Ghana Music.com: Any remembrance of your first stage performances?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): Yes. Many years ago at the Jackson's park in Koforidua and in front of a packed crowd which is something to remember and talk about. Another one was when l performed before a packed crowd of whites in Burlington, Ontario in Canada. I played a song tilted, ?Manu Me Ho? , to the overwhelmed whites who did not understand the lyrics of the music. It was well enjoyed and everyone asked for a copy of the CD, but it was not yet out.

Ghana Music.com: Who are your favourite artistes, be it any genre?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): My favourite reggae artistes are the late Peter Tosh, Bob Marley and Lucky Dube. My best highlife music artistes are Nana Ampadu, the late Akwasi Ampofo Adjei, Amakye Dede, Kojo Antwi, Paapa Yankson, C. K. Mann, Nana Onyina, E. K. Nyame, Kaikaiku, Agya Koo Nimo and P. K. Yamoah.

Ghana Music.com: What do you consider your music as?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): I consider my music as educeptional and soother. I consider my music also to be great love and understanding to my people and for others who have not known this music to bring in their lives joy, happiness and understanding.

Ghana Music.com: Were you born into a music family?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): My father in the late 50's &60?s was a famous folk musician and as such, music runs through my blood.

Ghana Music.com: So then you knew you would one day become a musician?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): I knew from my infancy that I will one day become a famous musician because I saw my talent and the wonderful voice I had.

Ghana Music.com: Any collaboration with the youth in the pipe line?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): Back home in Ghana, I will like to encourage the youth and let them know how important music is. I will like to promote and develop the new artistes who need help.

Ghana Music.com: Most of your answers go way back when I was not born. How long have you been away from Ghana?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): I have been away from Ghana since October 1985 but by God?s grace I shall return to my home land soon when situations become good.

Ghana Music.com: How is our Ghanaian music doing in the states?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): Ghanaian music is not well promoted in North America as other music is. Ghanaian music is equally good as Congo or South African music which has been accepted here. Ghanaians have to do their best to promote our music too.

Ghana Music.com: Any thing on our highlife music too?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): Ghana highlife music is been ignored and had been changed of late. We should maintain our roots of the high life that will put Ghana on the world spot light in terms of music and culture.

Ghana Music.com: Your future with your new highlife album?
Secret (Owusu Boateng): My future looks very bright in terms of my music and the books I have written. I am really planning so hard to come back home and help the country I love. So far I have written many books in which one is in Akan language with thousands of Akan proverbs as l said earlier. I have also written many children stories, a book on marriage, one about Ghana, fictions and one true story about myself which are all waiting to be published.