Nana Addo dancing with Paulina Oduro
Nana Addo dancing with Paulina Oduro
Yesterday at the poolside of the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra, an event was organized by Mirror Image Promotions to celebrate the 60th birthday of highlife legend and King of Burger Highlife George Ampem Darko, popularly known as George Darko the Tufuhene of Akropong-Akuapim. The night was also to launch his 10th album ‘Lucky Star’ simultaneously.
The event brought together several top class musicians who performed their various tunes to the admiration of the participants. Musicians such as Efya, Bessa Simmons, Kwabena Kwabena, Kwame Zaggy all treated the audience to the rendition of their songs.
When it got the turn of Felix Owusu to perform, he managed to get the attention of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, who in turn was obliged to show off his dancing skills.
Nana Akufo Addo lost narrowly the presidential elections in the 2008 General Elections. Aside that, he is also known lawyer, human rights activist, a diplomat but one thing most people do not know is that, the man can actually dance.
Immediately, he got up to walk to the stage with his entourage-Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, his wife and other people, he got the attention of everyone, specially from people who had not seen him dance before.
Before he started dancing, one patron shouted “Nana, this is all-die-be-die dance”. He couldn’t help than to laugh and show his dancing prowess. MusicianPaulina Oduro who was performing with Felix Owusu became Nana’s dancing partner as they do the ‘all-die-be-die’ dance together.
The well attended event was a night of good music. Highlife music at its best. The artistes were on rotation and the beauty of their performances was majestic.
Never-disappointing ‘Efya’ opened the night. After some performances, George Darko mounted the stage and treated the audience to some tunes of his previous album. Shortly, after he took a breather, it was preceded by the cutting of his birthday cake and launching of the ‘Lucky Star’ album.
When finally, the presenter KOD announced George Darko to mount the stage for the second time, it was as if the audience were longed to have him on stage again. Backed by his Jazz Kings Band, he dished out songs from the latest album including the title track ‘Lucky Star’. Not even his manager Kaicy Boakye Nhyira was able to stop him, that he’s had enough.
With his guitar firmly in his hands, he performed one song after the other to thrill the audience. And from the way they danced their hearts out, it meant one thing; they have had their money’s worth.
He was born in 1951 at Akropong in the Eastern Region; George Darko is credited with the introduction in the 1980s of Burger-highlife, a variation of West Africa’s popular genre, with his first hit ‘Ako Te Brofo’.
He was educated at the Presbyterian School at Akropong. After playing for an army band in the Middle East, Darko returned to Ghana and formed the Golden Stool Band. In the late 1970s the band moved to Germany, where he went solo and formed the Bus Stop band in 1982.
He returned to Akropong in 1988, where he was made Tufuhene of Akropong-Akuapim in 1991 with the stool name, Nana Yaw Ampem Darko and has since been combining his musical career with chieftaincy roles.
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