Born Kwabena Anim Richard but fondly known with the stage name Dada Kwabena, this promising singer is gradually endearing himself to Ghanaians and the showbiz industry.
Growing up, Dada Kwabena had always wanted to become a musician but his family’s medical background (traditional herbal practitioners), slowed his pace.
He started elementary school at Grace the Baptist School, continued to Full Gospel International School for his JSS and had his SSS at Kings College in Kumasi. After secondary school, Dada Kwabena who had listened extensively to songs by then hiplife musicians like; Ex-Doe, Dr. Poh, Buk Bak, Chicago, Castro, Stone, Quata, and others, felt it was time for him to execute his art episteme.
He attended numerous music reality show auditions to no avail. Just when he was about to give up, his own close associates advised him to try singing instead of rapping. Dada Kwadwo gave singing a try and has since not looked back.
Finally, after 10 years of experimenting with music and having learnt from experience, Dada Kwadwo is out with a great single titled ‘Check Your Weight’ featuring the ever green Ex-Doe. Dada Kwabena actually sees Ex-Doe not only as a compeer, but as a brother from another mother.
At a time most upcoming musicians of today are busy singing and rapping about girls: breast, contouring shapes, heavy torsos and other coarse themes – as though life is all about admiring women, Dada Kwabena comes in with an erudite flair and a highbrowed approach to music.
“With my background in herbal medicine practice from my father and a sting with KNUST, I’ve come to realize that most people of today don’t pay much attention to their weight; hence, my motivation for the song ‘Check Your Weight.’ So though the song is a very danceable song – a real party song, its positive orientation-to-change is very loud and clear.” Dada Kwabena said.
Playing live band comes as easy as snoring to Dada Kwabena. He sings mature lyrics larded with figures of speech, adages, proverbs, idioms and set phrases. Dada Kwabena opined that to him, highlife is not a genre for the old folks; as it’s perceived wrongly by some.
“Highlife music is not for the oldies. It’s actually song of Ghanaian origin so I feel proud doing highlife music; though I don’t condemn hiplife or hip-hop. I can rap, I can do hip-hop, but fact is, you can’t do hip-hop better than its owners (the West). Highlife can never die! Young musicians like us will hold the front for our veterans who started it.”
The multi-talented Dada Kwabena is a singer, rapper, acts (screen acting), and a broadcaster. Dada Kwabena first acted in the movie “Manson” in 2006 and was a presenter on Rock fm in Bolgatanga for 3 years. He was then known as DJ Flash but resigned to pursue his passion – music.