Oheneba sings of Faith and Hope

It never crossed his mind that he would one day abandon secular songs and only lean towards gospel but that is what has happened to Prophet Oheneba Sammy Jnr, better known as Great Oheneba, and he has no regrets about the direction he has taken.

His debut album, Jordan Metwa, contains 11 songs and will be launched later this month. Unlike many gospel artistes who started singing gospel songs at tender ages, Oheneba grew up with strong interest in secular music.

“I use to hate gospel songs especially the worship ones that came in slow tempo. My interest was in fast-tempo songs including raps,” he says.

According to Oheneba, he developed an early interest in music and used to gather his playmates to play songs on empty cans and bottles when he was only seven.

Recollecting the day he represented his school, Akim Asuoso Roman Catholic Primary in the Eastern Region at a music show, he calls it a miracle to see himself singing gospel today.

The album Jordan Metwa spans reggae, highlife and agbadza. Oheneba varies the pace on the different songs but does well to keep most of them danceable.

There are faint traces of the delivery approach by the well-known gospel star, Kusi Berko on a few of the tracks but Oheneba eventually emerges as his own man bent on preaching the gospel through his compositions.

Oheneba claims he realised the gift for gospel in 1999 following a prayer session at which a pastor asked the congregation to pray over their special talents.

His prayer over music yielded a gospel song Wu Tumi So, the seventh track on the Jordan Metwa collection. Other songs on the album include Matwere Me Din, Yesu Aye Bi, Sie Sie Me, and Jesus Te Memu.

Jordan Metwa, Oheneba says, came about as a result of the trials he went through when his mother died in 2000. The song seeks to give hope to whoever comes to this side of the road.

“I think God saved me just as he did for the Israelites when they were crossing the River Jordan. I thought of killing myself to end the troubles I was facing”.

Matwere Me Din is a highlife and seeks to encourage people living worldly lives to join him in Christ Jesus since His second coming is close at hand.

Beware of Satan, a reggae tune, is the only song on the album rendered in English. It creates awareness of the plans of the devil and admonishes that believers should pray without ceasing to combat Satan’s plans. Jesus Te Memu, a song in agbadza vein, portrays what exploits one can undertake with the spirit of God.

Oheneba attributed the delay in the release of his album to his inability to get a producer to support his work which he says has received appreciable airplay on some radio stations since the beginning of this year.

“It took the intervention of a childhood friend, Felix Letse, whom I’m so grateful to for assisting me financially,”

Oheneba does not command much of a name on the gospel scene now but he could attract more attention if continues with the zeal he displays on the Jordan Metwa album.

Prophet Oheneba is married to Joyce Larbi and they have been blessed with two children.