Ghanaian Highlife musician Ernest “Owoahene” Nana Acheampong, popularly known as Nana Acheampong, has revealed that contrary to long-held public opinion, there has never been bad blood between him and half-brother, Daddy Lumba.
He was reacting to the notion that his said fight with Daddy Lumba was the first or at least the biggest between two music giants in Ghana’s music history.
“It may look as though we started this beef phenomenon but me and my brother, with whom people say I had a beef, had nothing ill going on between us. We had no problem, not for a single day. What happened was that after we made music together for a while, we parted.
“People thought it was over money or women. The fans were hurt because they had admired us as a duo of young talented music performers and breaking up, for them, was a signal that something big had caused it.”
Nana Acheampong
According to Nana Acheampong, when they broke into two different music brands, it also divided the fans causing a rivalry similar to the one between football teams ‘Hearts of Oak’ and ‘Asante Kotoko’, struggling for one trophy.
The influential singer-songwriter recalled how keen the rivalry between his fans and Lumba as members of the public gathered into two factions: “Nana Acheampong Football Club and Daddy Lumba Football Club.”
“No one heard him or I make any accusation against the other. They were fighting but my brother and I had no beef between us. We didn’t do what is done now where there is give and take, and verbal exchanges.”
Nana Acheampong
He admitted some of their songs clashed, however, Daddy Lumba’s songs that seemed to aim at him were untrue.
“In my opinion, those songs were not made about me. I don’t claim them for myself and vice versa. These were just songs we released to entertain our fans.”
Nana Acheampong
Nana Acheampong categorically stated that he has never recorded and released a diss track. His music only mirrored life, he added.
In the 80s, before seeking solo careers, Nana Acheampong and Daddy Lumba were a Highlife duo called Lumba Brothers. They initially met in Germany and performed in line with the Burger Highlife tradition.
According to Daddy Lumba, he was once a Gospel act in Germany until he found Nana Acheampong, who introduced him to Highlife, stating that he [Nana Acheampong] has played a major role in his music career and he owes him [Nana Acheampong] a lot.
When Nana Acheampong surprisingly joined Daddy Lumba on stage that night at a sold-out concert dubbed Legends Night at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC). It marked a moving reunion after many years since their legendary beef.
Showbiz Primary Purpose
Nana Acheampong, also known as ‘The Champion Lover’, reminded music makers of the primary purpose of showbiz – entertainment, and subsistence.
The legendary highlife musician stressed that music is ultimately work.
“In the middle of the excitement and dancing, some people seem to forget that we’re at work. It is indeed work. From this, you take care of children, acquire real estate and other properties for the future. Music performance and business is not a joking thing.”
Nana Acheampong
He appeared to broach the controversial 2019 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs) during which Stonebwoy brandished a gun when his archrival Shatta Wale and his crew stormed the stage while he was up there receiving his fifth Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year trophy.
“Showbiz is not about pulling and firing guns,” Nana Acheampong admonished, as he also wondered why the young ones show no understanding and tolerance of each other but resort to guns.
He noted with concern, that perhaps these disturbing instances are all engineered for publicity.
The Highlife legend underlined that among many other positive things, music is for healing and consolation.
Nana Acheampong’s latest offering features Fameye and is titled ‘Ye Wo Nyame’.
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