FEATURE: Adei 'Disses' Osibisa

Professor Stephen Adei, the Head of GIMPA,is an accomplished,distinguished and a well respected academician,who is also a motivational and inspirational speaker,but his utterances regarding the Osibisa song 'Woyaya'(We're going) was uncalled for and born out of ignorance.

Apparently, Prof. Adei was giving a a talk on the theme 'vision' at the 'Eagles Camp', a leadership conference organised by Mr.Emmanuel Dei-Tumi's Foundation For Future Leaders. Like many others,I had the privilege of watching the program on TV3, and the Professor, as part of his lecture on 'vision', stated emphatically that the said Osibisa song 'Woyaya', was the most silly song he's ever heard and I was aghast to see the audience laugh over such blunt and ignorant comment. Prof. Adei ired badly by disrespecting and trifling with an internationally acclaimed group like Osibisa.

The Professor should have done some research on the song before making such a comment on it. If he had painstakingly done a research on the song,he would have used the song to buttress his talk on vision,rather than defame it. The 'Woyaya' song, written by one of the founding memders, soulful Sol Amarfio through divine inspiration, is one inspirational and motivational song that easily drives one close to tears. "We're going.....Heaven knows where we're going. We know we will get there.The road will be rough and tough,but we will get there. " This song literally means that as we aspire to reach the top,the road will be tough and rough,but with the help of God(Heaven knows),we'll surely get there. What sounds so silly about the song?

As a fanatic of the larger-than-life African oriented group,I was heartbroken to have heard such comments emanate from a role model like Prof. Adei. This is a group whose songwriting,vocals,instrumentation and the music as a whole is simply irrepressile and uncomparable.

Like the legendary Bob Marley,their songs never die and the likes of Sol Amarfio, Teddy Osei, MacTontoh, Kofi Ayivor, Greg Brown, The Late Lasisi and Kiki Gyan are revered as legends. The audience laughed over the Prof's blatant comment because they were as ignorant as the Prof himself on the lyrics of the song. Prof. Adei should have been at the CITI FM's MOGO night to experience the excitement that would've dumbstruck him by Osibisa's performance. I therefore implore him to render an unqualified apology to the celebrated group and its fans for that unfortunate comment.