Bediako Arrives with his Song

Kwame Bediako Kwame Bediako who has just hit his home country, Ghana, with his first album must have discovered by now that his musical type, reggae, is too familiar to most Ghanaians.

Indeed, for the past decade, the rhythms of reggae music have dominated a large portion of contemporary music in Ghana, especially when it comes to new wave highlife and gospel music.
Again, Bediako would have noticed that quite a number of reggae musicians have come up with some really good music such as Rocky Dawuni, Shasha Marley and Kojo Antwi.

So what is new that Bediako has up his sleeve? His maiden album, How Sweet It Is which has already been released in the USA and Europe boasts of a rather strong point ? simplicity.

All the eight songs are very simple, so simple that they may carry the listener to the ?old school? days when reggae was a solid affair without all the frills that come with it these days.

In One Good Word for example, the music is quite bouncy yet it gives adequate room for the message to come through as though Bediako is drawing attention of what is being said using the music as a medium.

The bass line in Free Up Afrika comes off as the most impressive aspect of the song that any listener would notice. But if the listener happens to be Ghanaian, then he would not miss a whiff of the National Anthem. ?.....make our nation great and strong. Bold to defend now and forever.....The cause of our rights....Freedom nd Justice.

Kwame is credited with having travelled extensively through Europe, the Caribbean and the United States. He has been performing nationally at clubs, colleges, and mid-sized concert venues since 1981. "We play the King's Music," says Kwame. "We hail the ancient. Isn't a flower a product of the plant? I am because we are, and we are because I AM. Rastafari, wonderful and dreadful."

The recipient of many honors and awards including the Chicago Reggae Music Award for most culture-oriented band, the group has received several incentives from the Martin's International Reggae Awards as well. Recently, Kwame and Wan Afrika were honoured to perform at the World Congress of Religions in Chicago. "The Parliament meets every 100 years," Kwame said, "And this time we were fortunate to represent Rasta Fari."