Renowned music executive and former Deputy Minister for Tourism, Mark Okraku-Mantey, has revealed that late highlife legend Daddy Lumba began his illustrious music career as a professional chorister in church.
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Okraku-Mantey shed light on the strong musical foundation that shaped the artistry of the man born Charles Kwadwo Fosu, attributing his exceptional vocal ability and songwriting to early training in structured choral settings.
“Lumba started as a chorister, and those people are really taught music. That was the foundation of his greatness,” Okraku-Mantey said.
He went on to note that Daddy Lumba’s experience in the church instilled in him a disciplined approach to music, which later reflected in his remarkable career spanning over four decades.
According to him, such early foundations often produce the most musically gifted performers.
Okraku-Mantey also revealed that Lumba survived a near-fatal accident during his youth—an experience that deeply influenced his spiritual outlook.
The highlife legend later recorded a Thanksgiving song in gratitude to God for sparing his life.
“Sometimes, highlife musicians sing better than gospel musicians — and Lumba is proof of that,” he added.
Daddy Lumba, who passed away on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at the Bank Hospital in Accra, was 60 years old.
Widely regarded as one of Ghana’s most influential musicians, his work transcended generations and genres, touching millions with timeless classics like “Aben Wo Ha,” “Theresa,” “Yentie Obiaa,” and “Ohia Asem.”
