Legendary hilife musician, Lady Talata Heidi, has debunked the assertion that the late President, Jerry John Rawlings killed Nightlife and dance bands in Ghana.
Some entertainers and tourism enthusiasts, often blame the fall of nightlife and dance bands in Ghana, on the subsequent coup d’etat with its accompanying curfews, by the late President, Jerry John Rawlings.
Reacting to this the songstress said
“They should stop blaming Jerry, I was doing dance band in the year 1988. I recorded “Yara Yara” and “Mekunu ho ye fe” in the eighties. Kojo Antwi, Kwadwo Aquai, Charles Amoah, and Thomas Frimpong came out in the eighties,”
She told Christian Agyei Frimpong on Onua FM’s Anigye Mmere entertainment and lifestyle show.
“So where did Jerry go wrong, Jerry
didn’t do anything. Yes he did the coup and there were curfews, he did it in 1979 and took over in 1981. Were soldiers not playing at tiptoe? Afternoon jams in the eighties was a big deal, Sumsum band and some bands were active then,” she said.
She added “this is not the first time I’m hearing this. I was playing till 1989 before I left the shores of Ghana. Was I playing Accordion? Ah please stop.
“What we did then as dance bands was to sing copyright and it was fading. For example, our band was doing our repertoire and singing other people’s songs. However, some bands could do that. That’s what killed it, it was not Rawlings, he hasn’t done anything. The guy is dead and gone, let him rest,” Lady Talata concluded.
By Victor Kodom|OnuaFM|Onuaonline.com
