Alex Konadu

Alex Konadu was a Ghanaian highlife singer, songwriter and guitarist who sang in Twi. He was nicknamed "One Man Thousand" for the crowds he drew, and it was said he had played in almost every town and village in Ghana. His 1976 song "Asaase Asa" remains a standard at Ghanaian funerals.

Early life and bands

He was born in 1948 at Adwumakase Kese, in the Kwabre area of the Ashanti Region. He played with the Kantamanto Bosco Group, with Kwabena Akwaboah's band and with the Happy Brothers Band before going solo. The record producer A. K. Brobbey signed him after watching him rehearse and built a band around him that specialised in uptempo guitar highlife.

"Asaase Asa"

The title song of his 1976 album tells of a man struck by tragedy when his wife and sister die. Dedicated to everyone who has lost a loved one, it became one of the songs most often played at funerals in Ghana. His music also appeared on The Rough Guide to Highlife (2003).

Death

He died in Kumasi on 18 January 2011, aged 63. The singer Nana Tuffour began his career with him.