Fatal Crash Claims Another Artiste

Last Friday, another young Ghanaian artiste, 20-year-old Waleed Faisal Helwani, budding musician, producer and sound engineer, lost his life on the road.

The son of Mr Faisal Helwani, renowned music producer, Waleed was a second-year student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi.

His death comes barely one month after Suzzy Williams, a 23 year old actress had lost her life through a car crash.

At about 1am last Friday, Waleed affectionately called “Wele”, was said to have been riding a Kawasaki motorbike with registration number AS 5346 V when he crashed into an embankment on the Ridge Road in Kumasi.

According to a Daily Graphic report, Waleed was taken to the Okomfo Anokye Hospital soon after the accident but he died shortly after arrival.

One of Waleed’s friends, John Abdul Fatau who was with him during the night said while they were eating with friends at a restaurant, Waleed excused himself from their company.

He said Wele went out with one of their colleagues and when they delayed in returning, he decided to go and look for him. That was when he saw him riding the motorbike which he crashed.

Police Chief Superintendent Augustine Gyenin, the MTTU Commander who arrived on the scene soon after the accident told the Graphic that when he got to the spot, a distance of about 50 metres from his official residence, Waleed was on the ground, while the motorbike lay about 200 metres away.

According to Mr Gyenin, when he asked Waleed what happened, he said that he was testing the motorbike to find out its state as a friend of his had expressed interest in buying it.

He said that he phoned the police/military patrol team who arrived at the scene in less than five minutes to convey Waled to the hospital.

Waleed, who wrote his first song The Bus at the age of 14, literally adored the first guitar his Dad bought him when he was 12 years old.

It was with that guitar that he thrilled audiences at an Emancipation Day concert at the Independence Square. Then again at age 14, Wele, the youngest performer at the Millennium Musical Concert, organised by his father, stole the show for the night.

“Everybody was shocked to find that I could also play highlife” was what young Waleed wrote in his diary after the show.

Recently, Waleed began working closely with his Dad on the Bibini Talent Hunt show in collaboration with Metro TV to help bring out the musical talent in individuals.

Waleed is said to be a genius in the studio. He programmed, arranged and produced many artistes who were involved in the project.

His passion for music and the great talent with which he executed it had been described by a lot of people as simply amazing.

Waleed has since been buried. Waleed Faisal Helwani was born on Monday, 1st July, 1985 to Mr. Faisal Helwani and Mrs. Victoria Helwani. He first attended the Merry Mary Nursery and Kindergarten and then Merton Montessori.

Waleed began his primary education at the Ridge Church School in Accra in 1991 and then moved to Alsyd Academy where he completed his JSS education.

At Alsyd Academy, Waleed was very active in sports and excelled in track events. In the arts, he was exceptional. He always used music to lift up the spirits of those around him.

His sister Yasmeen says “whenever I was sad, Waleed would bring his guitar to my bedroom and say ‘Yazay (as he affectionately called her), Sing!’”

Waleed attended Achimota School from 2000 to 2003, where he studied Fine Arts. After secondary school he enrolled at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology where he continued his artistic exploits in the study of graphic designing.

Waleed’s professors described him as a real artist and a “computer wizard”. In the words of Yasmeen, “Waleed was very technology oriented.

He was great with computers, cameras, mobile phones?if I didn’t understand anything happening with my phone I could always call on Waleed who would simply touch a few keys and explain what was going on with my phone.

He was always showing us new ways to use our phones, sending pictures, ring tones etc. he loved gadgets.”

His whole family admits that Waleed was a very wise young man who acted much older than he really was. He touched the hearts of many and always offered a word of advice.