KODA

Kofi Owusu Dua Anto, known as KODA, was a Ghanaian gospel singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist from Takoradi. Besides his own albums he produced for many of Ghana's leading gospel acts, and he won Record of the Year at the 2015 Ghana Music Awards.

Early life and education

He was born on 15 December 1978. His mother enrolled him in music classes at ten, where he learned the guitar. At the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology he directed the mass choir and led several student groups, including God's Instruments and Simply Jazz Crew, and was a leading member of the gospel group Da Project.

Producer

After university he co-wrote and produced God's Instruments' album Awurade Ei at his KODED studio in Takoradi, whose songs "Awurade Ei", "Tumi" and "Onyame Ye D'awase" became hits. He also produced Nii Okai's Moko Be and Gye W'ayeyi, and worked with Danny Nettey, Joe Beecham, Daughters of Glorious Jesus, Joyful Way Inc., Helen Yawson and Diana Hamilton, among others.

Albums

He recorded six vocal albums and two gospel jazz albums, including Waye Wie, Nyame Beye, Black and White, with "Nkwa Abodoo" and the controversial "Nsem Pii", Oxygen (2016), with "Adooso", and Keteke (2021). He also released instructional DVDs for bass and lead guitar and live recordings of his concerts in 2008, 2013 and 2016.

Family and death

He was married to the singer Ewurama Dua Anto, and they had two sons and a daughter. He died early on 21 April 2024, aged 45, after a long battle with kidney disease.