Akwaboah Snr.

Kwadwo Akwaboah, known as Akwaboah Snr, was a Ghanaian highlife singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist from Mampong Beposo in the Ashanti Region. He was known for songs such as "Awerɛkyekyerɛ" and "Hini Me", and he was the father of the singer Akwaboah Jnr. He died on 16 May 2023 at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi.

A band musician

He was an accomplished keyboardist and played with a number of Ghanaian and international bands, including the Oheneba Ntim Barima Band. He was also a skilled guitarist and performed with some of the leading highlife names of his time, among them Rex Owusu Marfo, better known as Rex Omar, and the late C.K. Mann.

Songs

As a solo artist and songwriter he recorded highlife in Twi. "Awerɛkyekyerɛ", whose title means comfort or consolation, and "Hini Me" are the songs most closely linked to his name. He also worked behind the desk as a producer.

Father and son

His son Gladstorm Kwabena Akwaboah grew up around his father's music and went on to become a songwriter and singer in his own right, winning Songwriter of the Year at the 2010 Ghana Music Awards.

Illness and death

In his later years Akwaboah Snr lived with glaucoma. He died in the early hours of Tuesday, 16 May 2023, at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. His son announced the news on Instagram with a photo of his father and the words "RIP DADDY". Friends, fellow musicians and celebrities attended his one-week memorial service later that month.