Ghanaian highlife musician Ofori Amponsah has lamented what he describes as Ghana’s culture of celebrating people only after they have died.

Speaking on UTV’s United Showbiz on August 9, 2026, the musician mentioned that Ghanaians often fail to recognise and appreciate the contributions of individuals while they are alive, only to honour them after their death.

According to Ofori Amponsah, this culture extends to the creative industry, where artistes and other personalities are often celebrated more after their passing than during their active years.

“Ghanaians don’t normally celebrate people; what we celebrate is death. When you’re alive, you will never be celebrated until you die,” he said.

Touching on discussions about a possible museum in honour of the late highlife legend Daddy Lumba, Ofori Amponsah said he does not support the idea of government taking responsibility for building such a facility.

“I don’t agree with the government building a museum; I believe the family can do that. If we should build Daddy Lumba’s museum, it’s the foreigners who will come and watch,” he stated.

He argued that the focus should rather be on appreciating and supporting talented individuals while they are still alive.

Ofori Amponsah further suggested that Ghana’s failure to adequately celebrate people during their lifetime could be contributing to some of the problems confronting the country.

“We didn’t learn anything from someone when he’s alive, but we’re honouring him when he dies. That’s why there’s a lot of corruption in this country,” he shared.

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He explained that some people may feel compelled to pursue wealth and leave behind a legacy by any means necessary because they believe society only celebrates those who have achieved significant material success.

“People know that if they don’t push and leave a legacy, they won’t be celebrated; that’s why everyone is trying hard to achieve something even if it’s illegal,” he added.

The musician also recounted his personal experiences performing alongside Daddy Lumba, describing the late musician as an artiste who commanded significant respect, including internationally.

According to him, he once performed with Daddy Lumba at the Polo Theatre and was amazed by the number of people, including foreigners, who turned up to see the legendary musician.

“Daddy Lumba and I went to Polo Theatre to play a show and if you see the foreigners and the people who showed up just to see Daddy Lumba, and the American musicians who were calling to meet up with him, you won’t believe it,” he recalled.

Ofori Amponsah also revealed that he travelled to the United States with Daddy Lumba for about three to four weeks, where the musician received exceptional treatment from people who admired his work.

“I went to America with him for three to four weeks. We booked like four rooms and one room cost about $1,000 a day. The bill was paid by someone because of him,” he disclosed.

He stressed that Ghana must not allow Daddy Lumba’s contributions to the music industry to fade away, urging stakeholders to preserve his legacy and ensure that his music continues to inspire future generations.

“This country is not supposed to forget him and I’m so grateful that I was so close to him. We don’t have to let his talent and the music die,” Ofori Amponsah added.

Let’s never wait until our heroes and legends are gone before we celebrate them. Honour them while they are still with us - Ofori Amponsah#UnitedShowbiz pic.twitter.com/QnHUfsZQrW

— UTV Ghana (@utvghana) August 9, 2026