Entertainment of Monday, 15 March 2010

Source: Paul Azumah-Ayitey

Cwasi Oteng Leading a Project-Based Music Ministry

The face of gospel music in Ghana has for some time now been experiencing gradual changes for the better in terms of quality of music presentation and with a ministerial essence rather than as a form of entertainment. This is partly owed to the popularisation and emergence of the present generation of music ministers and ministries such as Danny Nettey, Nii Okai, Ike Nanor, Helen Yawson, several choirs like the Joyful way Inc, The Commissioned Family, Harbour City Mass Choir and Impact Project. The new generation have found a place in the fraternity of Contemporary Ghanaian Gospel Music, which a few years ago might not have been possible simply due to a lack of interest from the public or appeal to the public. Interest, however, is now being greatly shown.

A recent addition to the family is one Cwasi Oteng who is also strongly advocating for gospel music to be taken seriously as a ministry to serve the kingdom of God through soul winning and impacting lives rather than the entertainment attributes and somewhat popularity contest among artistes it has been tagged with for a while now by many people.

Cwasi Oteng, affectionately called ‘Church Boy’, comes out as a passionate young man anointed of God to reach His generation through the ministry of music; bringing hope, encouragement, life and transformation to all in his city, nation and the world at large. Coming from the Harbour City of Tema, Ghana, Cwasi officially joined the gospel music circuit as a ministering artiste just last year with his highly inspirational and talked-about debut album, ‘Blessed Are They’.

The album made huge an impact in the Contemporary Ghanaian Gospel circles to the extent that Cwasi has been described by many as another rare gospel great to come out of Ghana following the footsteps of Sonnie Badu, Minister Danny Nettey, etc... The ‘Blessed Are They’ album brought home the message of worship and obedience to God to the fore in his hits such as ‘Okurayen’, ‘Look into your eyes’ and the title track ‘Blessed Are They’.

Cwasi is currently preparing to outdoor his new project under a new label, Jam Pack Records Inc. Jam Pack Records is his own registered and run record label which is responsible for all Cwasi Oteng creations (live concerts, albums, music outreaches) henceforth. The new project titled, the Mercy Project, according to Cwasi, will be a music, evangelism and humanitarian project.

Firstly, it will begin with a live recording concert of his forthcoming album, the Mercy Project and then the proceeds will be used to finance an evangelism and humanitarian drive to the condemned in prisons and the remote areas of Ghana, especially where the needy, poor and lost abound.

Come 4th April, 2010, Easter Sunday at 4pm, the live recording concert of Cwasi Oteng’s new album, the Mercy Project, will be staged at the Tema Community 8 Lighthouse Chapel. With a gate fee of GHc 10.00, one would not only have an opportunity of enjoying a night of anointed musical praise, worship and thanksgiving from Cwasi Oteng and the Flo Rivas, Nii Okai, Ps. Helen Yawson, Ike Nanor, Mega Praise and the Passion Way Crew but would also be supporting an evangelism and humanitarian drive whilst taking home a free CD of the Mercy Project single, ‘But for His Mercy’.