In the disagreement between veteran music producer Fred Kyei Mensah, popularly known as Fredyma, and Highlife musician Ofori Amponsah over how the latter first met the late Daddy Lumba, both parties have finally reached a resolution.
The two clarified the matter during an appearance on Joy Prime TV, hosted by Andy Dosty, where they discussed and settled the confusion surrounding who introduced Ofori Amponsah to Daddy Lumba more than three decades ago.
In a Facebook post after the interview, Fredyma confirmed that the conversation ended amicably and that they had both agreed on the sequence of events that led to Ofori’s first encounter with the late Highlife legend.
Ghanaians are hypocrites when it comes to Obinim – Fredyma
“This evening on Joy Prime TV hosted by the venerable Andy Dosty, Ofori Amponsah and I settled the seemingly conflict about who introduced him to the late Daddy Lumba,” Fredyma wrote.
He outlined the key points of their agreement, explaining that while he may not have been the first person to connect Ofori Amponsah to Daddy Lumba, he indeed accompanied him to the legendary musician’s home to officially present his demo.
According to Fredyma, they both acknowledged that he produced Ofori Amponsah’s demo songs, which played a role in paving the way for Ofori’s acceptance into Daddy Lumba’s musical circle and eventual success.
“We both agreed that I did his demo songs, which ushered him to be accepted and to be part of Daddy Lumba’s music kingdom and his subsequent success in the music industry,” Fredyma stated.
He went on to explain how the misunderstanding arose. He said Ofori Amponsah had apparently already visited Daddy Lumba’s house on his own, made the musician listen to the demo produced by Fredyma, and even signed an agreement before later inviting Fredyma to accompany him officially.
“Apparently, Ofori Amponsah had visited Lumba’s house and made him listen to the demo I did and signed agreements without my knowledge before inviting me to accompany him later to officially present his demo. This was where the whole confusion erupted,” he clarified.
Fredyma further noted that while he had known Daddy Lumba for more than four decades, he was never involved in any of Ofori Amponsah’s business dealings or music contracts with the late legend.
“I didn’t ever partake in any of his music dealings through the signing of agreements with the late Daddy Lumba,” he wrote.
He also shared that he was the one who took Ofori for an audition at the National Museums and Monuments Board in June 1993, which later earned him an opportunity to perform at the National Theatre.
“I took Ofori Amponsah for an audition at the National Museums and Monuments Board in June 1993 for onward performance at the National Theatre,” he recounted.
Fredyma added that Ofori recorded two albums in his studio before eventually gaining mainstream fame with Daddy Lumba.
One of the albums, a Highlife project recorded with Dada Ahuofe in 1995, was never released, while a Gospel album recorded in 1996 came out before Ofori’s 1999 hit collaboration “Odo Mmra Fie” with Lumba.
The veteran producer said he had not worked with Ofori Amponsah since 1997 but remains grateful that the long-standing misunderstanding has finally been resolved.
“Officially, this has been Ofori Amponsah’s moment and journey in my life. I have never worked on any music project with him since 1997 to date. I am grateful that this uncalled-for impasse has been laid to rest. Thanks for your understanding. No malice intended. We move. Daddy Lumba koraa, wa wu so why the fuss?” he concluded.
Read the post below:
Watch the promo to GhanaWeb’s latest documentary, which uncovers the evolution of ‘kayamata,’ an exploitative practice fueled by love charms and manipulation, titled, “The Dark Side of Kayamata,’ below:
AK/AE
