As a musical genius, Kojo Antwi, highlife’s bounty killer is described by many as Mr Experimenter. But if you know the man well enough and understand what drives him with his musical exploration, you would realise that far from experimenting, he is a visionary and knows exactly the direction he wants to take his music.

Shaped by his days in the Classic Handles, Kojo was among the elite few who realised that highlife with its traditional Yaa Amponsah beat, had reached its sell by date; as youngsters, the back bone to the indigenous music industry felt alienated and turned their backs to highlife. This was the 70’s and 80’s where teenagers like myself preferred to listen to more Soul, R&B, and Jazz etc. Just cast your mind back and the likes of Cemandy, Brothers Johnson, Delegation and the Isaac Hayes were the one’s that we followed. It was the same period too that highlife musicians were sweating out for a living because it only appealed to the old. In my student days, it wasn’t hip to be caught listening to Konadu, K Gyasi or Akwaboah. You were refereed to as ‘afoom’ (villager).

Against this background came organs to revolutionised the whole music scene. Determined to make his livelihood in music, Kojo’s first priority was to woo back the alienated youngsters whose departure had shrank the domestic market thereby threatening the livelihood of musicians. Having diagnosed the problem, it was up to him to remedy the situation if he wanted a sustainable income from the profession.

This wasn’t the time for try and error but rather a time to come up with music that was easy to listen to and feel comfortable with.

So when he hit out with his ground breaking tunes including ‘Dade anoma’, he wasn’t experimenting. Shrewdly, he came out with the sort of music that he believed the public wanted to listen to. Beautifully arranged, Kojo sits back for his music to do the talking for him. He is a real find, a 25 carat pure gold whose music though in Twi compares with the likes of Michael Jackson, Steve wonder and deceased Marvin Gaye when you appreciate the musical background. Smart enough to know that you have to keep changing your beat to evolve and always captivate the public, he came out with ‘afrafra’ which took his music to a different level but yet, endorsed him as the best talent in the business. He says: " The public soon gets bored with you when you keep to one style. They want variety and as an artist it’s good for your development as it keeps you motivated and spurs you on to do more things".

Kojo Antwi’s music could be defined as ‘Rootsy highlife’. In that the rhythm, has a black beat focus ranging from reggae, jazz, blues, soul, swing, disco and R&B all designed to attract and give his music international appeal regardless of his ‘Twi’.

Without a doubt, his music has lifted highlife from the doldrums to the limelight deservedly, once again with teenagers being spoilt for choice as the highlife now is as good as the soul as far as the rhythm is concerned. A visit to Afrikiko, Lomnava, Ahenfie Restaurant all in North London, would unfold before your eyes how this newly branded rootsy highlife is being embraced.

Yet, some arm chair generals accuse him for trying to kill of the Yaa Amponsah beat. Yaa who, I ask? In defiance to such critics Kojo said: "Before I came on the scene, highlife was dying a natural death as people were getting accustomed to organs rather than horns, brass and guitar. And since life evolves, naturally things were going to change as we’ve seen now". Referring to ET Mensah and Jerry Hanson, he pointed out that their music was more Jazzy than highlife and that rather than being stagnant people wanted diversity to drive the music industry on.

One of kojo’s greatest endowed strength is that he’s not afraid to learn, he is visionary and pay attention to things happening around him. For instance he’s quick to point out that the Ghanaian music scene remain disenchanted with live concerts and if nothing is done about it, it could spell the end of the music industry. In his own small way to revive and reverse the trend, he plans to put variety of concerts around Christmas and the new year to entice people into life concerts.

Thou wildly acclaimed as the best; he’s forever scouting for new talents. This takes him to musicals you wouldn’t expect to see him. But that is the man, he doesn’t under estimate anybody’s capability and through that real quality, he’s managed to pick backers who are splendidly superb to form his ‘Rainbow Tribe’ band. The band members show him immense respect, which by his nature is reciprocated.

With a busy punishing schedule, you wonder where his over-flowing energy comes from. Determined to release a new album by December and playing in the Afro Music Festival in Holland this August, kojo still had the time to produce and give chance two new emerging artists. They are Wofa Yaw Aboagye – a Gospel and New Trend by Nana Quame.

Having won every award that is there to be collected in his musical career, the man’s devotion and appetite for music remains

undiminished and wants to be remembered as the great musician who ever lived.

NOW MEMBERS OF THE RAINBOW TRIBE

As a bass player, he gave his all and showed his gifted skills to the full appreciation of fans that came out to watch Kojo Antwi’s concert. Softly spoken, quiet with a good personality Dan told of how he got involved with music after leaving National Technical Engineering College in Accra. He said: " I started playing drums in the church and, as I got better, I craved for better exposure which only joining a proper band could deliver".

Therefore I joined Tarran-Tular in 1992 and spend two years with them. After that, He joined the Amazing six for a year followed by a further two years with Mega Star where kojo Antwi discovered him at a concert. The rest after that was history.

EbenezarPratt, 38, and Siera Leonain

He was the saxophonist you couldn’t miss whilst on stage. Gaining his experience from school whilst in Freetown, he came to Ghana in 1990 and met Kojo in 1991. Since then, their marriage remains firm and solid as ever. He resides in Germany but terms up with the main man any time something is happening.

KwameYeboah, 22, born in Accra, was the keyboardist and is a producer.