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One genre of music that is making waves in Ghana now is “dancehall music.” The start of every journey is always difficult, but with the help of some musicians, it came into force in Ghana.
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Today we are looking to the effort of the top 10 pioneers in Ghana who influenced the reggae/dancehall genre to make it what it is now.
1. Rocky Dawuni
Two-time GRAMMY-nominated musician and activist, Rocky Dawuni, straddles the boundaries between Africa, the Caribbean, and the U.S. to create his appealing Afro Roots sound that unites generations and cultures.
He burst onto the African reggae scene in 1996 with the release of his debut recording, The Movement.
The artist’s introspective journey into social and spiritual consciousness garnered rave reviews in the Ghanaian press and spawned two hit singles, with both “Sugar” and “What Goes Around” obtaining massive Ghanaian airplay.
The intense media exposure led to a full-page write-up in New Nation, one of England’s most influential weeklies, where Rocky was touted as Ghana’s Bob Marley.
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2. Root Eye
Root Eye, born Kwesi Nyarko, is another ‘grandfather’ when it comes to the Reggae/Dancehall genre. He hosted the famous Music Music show on TV3. When hiplife was in its experimental stage, he infused Jamaican rhythms into his style.
This made him different, which led Reggie Rockstone and Akyeame to feature him on their respective albums.
3. Samini
The story of Samini‘s success as a Dancehall artiste is widely known, but we are not including him in the list because he is still very much in the game.
4. Yoggy Doggy
Yoggy Doggy was very phenomenal in his era. If you love listening to C.J. Lewis of Jamaica, whose unique voice was the subject of imitation by most of our artistes, then you will equally appreciate the immense quality of Yoggy Doggy.
He did well to make the genre attractive, and artistes like Sonni Balli and Samini followed in his footsteps.
5. Sonni Balli
Sonni Balli is relatively unknown in the music industry, but that does not take away from the fact that he was such a great gem.
He discovered and introduced Samini into the game. He initially started as a hiplife artiste before he metamorphosed into a full Dancehall artiste. He has really been influential.
6. Iwan
The list would certainly not be complete without acknowledging Iwan and his immense contribution to ensuring that Dancehall music is incorporated into Ghanaian music.
It is very unfortunate that he is not in the limelight anymore, a situation he has always blamed on saboteurs.
7. Black Prophet
Black Prophet, born Kenneth Wilberforce Zonto Bossman on 3 April 1977 in Accra, Ghana, is a Ghanaian reggae music composer and a member of the Rastafari movement. Bossman appeared at a young age with the Ola Williams band.
He released his debut solo album No Pain No Gain in February 1998 with his backing band, the Thunder Strike. It was not until the release of Legal Stranger in 2003 that Prophet gained national spotlight.
In 2007, Prophet’s “Doubting Me” was named Best Reggae Song of the Year at the Ghana National Music Awards.
8. Shatta Wale
Known as the King of African Dancehall, Shatta Wale was already one of Ghana’s most decorated artists before a collaboration with Beyoncé introduced him to a global audience.
His 2004 single “Moko Hoo” (released under the name Bandana) featured popular rapper Tinny and earned Wale his first of three-dozen nominations at the Ghana Music Awards.
“Dancehall King,” his 2014 breakthrough hit, won him several accolades, including Best New Entertainer honours at the International Reggae & World Music Awards.
Shatta Wale – Dancehall King [Official Video]
9. Stonebwoy
He’s been described as the king of reggae and dancehall artists in Africa. For the past decade, Stonebwoy has cemented himself as one of Ghana’s most successful artists, winning more than 50 awards.
His music has reached millions on streaming platforms, earning the respect of artists and fans far beyond the West African nation’s borders.
10. Kaakie
She can simply be described as a pacesetter; being the first female in Africa to ever win a Reggae/Dancehall award, and the first and only Ghanaian female artiste to date to be selected to perform at Big Brother Africa, the number one reality TV show in Africa, held in South Africa.
Generally, it is very rare to find a female musician doing Dancehall in Africa or from Africa. But as in the case of Kaakie, she has stepped on the scene as not only Ghana’s first female act to take Dancehall to the international stage but also, on the records, Africa’s first female Dancehall artiste who has gained international prominence within a short period of just 16 months.
