Ebony Reigns

Priscilla Opoku-Kwarteng, known as Ebony Reigns, was a Ghanaian singer known for "Kupe", "Poison", "Sponsor", "Hustle" and "Maame Hw3". In a career of barely two years she became one of the biggest acts in Ghana, and after her death in a road crash in February 2018 she became the first woman named Artiste of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards.

Early life

She was born on 16 February 1997 and grew up in Dansoman, Accra, where relatives called her Nana Hemaa. Her parents are Nana Poku Kwarteng and Beatrice Oppong Marthin, and the family comes from the Brong Ahafo area. She attended Seven Great Princess Academy in Dansoman and then Methodist Girls' High School at Mamfe, but left before graduating to pursue music.

Career

The musician and producer Bullet of Ruff n Smooth signed her to his RuffTown Records label. Her first single, "Dancefloor", came out in December 2015 and earned her a nomination for Unsung Artiste at the 2016 Ghana Music Awards. "Kupe" followed in March 2016 and made her a star. Billing herself the "90s Bad Gyal", she followed it with "Poison", "Sponsor" and "Hustle", which topped Ghanaian charts. "Maame Hw3" dealt with domestic violence, a theme its video made plain.

Death

On 8 February 2018 she was killed when her jeep collided head-on with a bus on the Sunyani-Kumasi road as she returned to Accra from visiting her mother. Her assistant, Franklina Yaa Nkansah Kuri, and a soldier, Atsu Vondee, also died; the driver survived. She was eight days short of her 21st birthday and was due to start a European tour the next day.

Her funeral was held at the forecourt of the State House in Accra, and she was buried at the Osu Cemetery on 24 March 2018. After her death Sarkodie and Stonebwoy led road safety campaigns. At the 2018 Ghana Music Awards she was named Artiste of the Year posthumously.