Before the fame, before the Accra FM microphone and the spotlight, Nana Romeo was a young man in Techiman—broke, unknown, and in love. But behind the voice that now commands attention on air is a story many wouldn’t expect: a raw, gut-wrenching heartbreak that nearly broke him before he ever broke through.
In a soul-baring interview on The Delay Show, Nana Romeo opened up about Rhoda, the woman who first loved him, cared for him, and eventually left him shattered. “She was the first person to give me a broken heart. I didn’t even know what that was until she walked out of my life,” he said.
Their story began in Techiman, where Romeo had just started his radio journey. With only two stations in town, presenters were minor celebrities, and it was through that recognition that he met Rhoda, a confident and kind young woman from a well-off family. She wasn’t just his girlfriend—she was his lifeline. “She supported me in ways I can’t forget—gave me food, helped me get a place to sleep. I owe her a lot,” he said.
But their romance was built on a shaky foundation. Romeo, whose full name is Abdul Karim Tanko, kept his Muslim identity under wraps at first. “I used to escort her to church, and I’d introduce myself as Nana Kwame because I’m a Saturday-born. She had no idea I was a Muslim.”
When Rhoda eventually found out, everything changed. “I told her the truth, that I’m a staunch Muslim, and she just said we can’t marry. From there, she started pulling away.” Within three months, the relationship ended.
The breakup sent Romeo into an emotional spiral. “Her house was by the roadside. I used to walk past at night, stand by her window just to see if there was another man inside. When she heard me and asked who it was, and I responded, she’d scream ‘thief!’ and call for help.”
At the time, his job in radio brought no income—only passion—and the woman who had been his support system was gone. “It felt like the world had collapsed on me. For over a year, I wasn’t okay. I would talk to strangers about my pain. If I could talk to a goat, I would have.”
Healing didn’t come easy, but it did come. “Eventually, she realized maybe she’d made a mistake. She tried to come back, but by then, my love for her was gone.”
Now a household name in radio, Nana Romeo’s story is a reminder that behind every public figure is a private pain—and sometimes, a heartbreak that nearly silenced the voice we all now hear.
Watch Nana Romeo’s interview below
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