Daddy Lumba

Daddy Lumba
Daddy Lumba performing in 2025. Photo credit: Manuel Photography
Born
Charles Kojo Fosu

(1964-09-29)29 September 1964
Nsuta, Ashanti Region, Ghana
Died26 July 2025(2025-07-26) (aged 60)
Accra, Ghana
NationalityGhanaian
Other namesDL, Lumba
CitizenshipGhanaian
EducationJuaben Senior High School, Adu Gyamfi Senior High School
Occupations
  • Musician
  • producer
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • entrepreneur
Years active1986–2025
Known forMusic
MotherAma Saah
AwardsGhana Music Awards

Charles Kojo Fosu (29 September 1964 – 26 July 2025), known professionally as Daddy Lumba, was a Ghanaian singer-songwriter and musician who had about 34 albums to his name. He was widely regarded as the greatest Ghanaian musician of all time.[1][2][3][4]

Early life

Charles Kojo Fosu was born on 29 September 1964 in Nsuta, Ashanti Region of Ghana to Comfort Gyamfi (–2001) and Kwadwo Fosu. His mother, Comfort Gyamfi, popularly known as Ama Saah, was a teacher [5]

His father, Owoahene Kwadwo Fosu, a teacher, died when Lumba was only a child. His mother, Comfort Gyamfi, popularly known as Ama Saah, was also a teacher. She died in 2001 in Kumasi. Her death was a devastating blow to Lumba as she was literally everything to him. Many of Daddy Lumba's songs, including "Anidasoɔ Wɔhɔ Ma Obiara", "Ohia Asɛm", "Ɛmmere Pa Bɛba", "Agya Bi Wua Agya Bi Tease", were dedicated to her.[6]

Career

Daddy Lumba's music career started at the age of 16. He was the leader of Juaben Senior High School choir from 1983 to 1984 academic year where Christabel was the music teacher and he completed in 1985. In Juaben SHS, Lumba formed the Lumba Brothers group with his friends Yaw and Kwabena and girlfriend, Theresa Abebrese.

After school, with the help of his girlfriend Theresa, Lumba travelled to Germany to seek greener pastures.

In Germany, he met Ernest Nana Acheampong. Nana had already formed a group called talking dreams with a white man. The only thing Lumba knew at the time was gospel music, and he credited Nana Acheampong with introducing him to highlife music.

They formed another group called Lumba Brothers, the same name as his first group when he was in Juaben SHS.

The pair planned releasing an album in 1986 but due to financial constraints, the album was released in 1989 with the help of Lumba's wife, Akosua Serwaa, who produced the album. The title of the album is Yɛɛyɛ Aka Akwantuo Mu.

Daddy Lumba, in all, released 33 albums.[6] The albums included critically acclaimed ones such as Aben Wɔha, Awosuɔ, Obi Ate Me So Buɔ, Sika Asɛm and Ebi Se Ɛyɛ Aduro.

He was at the time of his death gearing up for his 34th album, titled Nnipa Fon Na Ɛka Nsɛm Fon.[7]

He was consistent with the release of multiple-hit albums thereafter and established himself as one of Ghana's most popular singers of the Highlife genre.

He introduced a future love song master, Ofori Amponsah, through his blockbuster hit album Woho Kyere (1999). Daddy Lumba's pairing in 1999 with the rising star produced five hits and shot Ofori Amponsah into the limelight. All together he sprang the careers of 13 different Ghanaian musicians.

In 1999, he won three awards including Best Album, Artist of the Year and the Most Popular Song of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards. Before the year 2002, Daddy Lumba came out every year with a hit album.[8]

His solo career was not devoid of controversy; one moment he would release a gospel album and the next he would shock people with his provocative lyrics and music videos. He also faced accusations of skin bleaching.[9] He however denied bleaching his skin.[10]

He owned his own studio where he did all his work and also owned machines for mastering, cassette duplication, loading, printing and shrink wrapping exclusively for his works. His music evolved over the years to reflect the changes in taste and demands for music; he was described as a contemporary highlife artist. Daddy Lumba won several Ghana Music Awards and other excellence awards and continued to appeal to the young and old.

Apart from Ofori Amponsah and Nana Acheampong, Daddy Lumba also collaborated with Felix Owusu, Pat Thomas, Ateaa Tina, Oheneba Kissi and Afua Ampofowaa.[11][12]

On 23 December 2022, Daddy Lumba released his long-awaited single, "Ofon Na Edi Asem Fo".[13]

On 18 October 2023, he released a single titled "Nya Abotare Na Twen Awurade".

Radio station

In September 2022, Daddy Lumba opened DLFM (106.9 MHz), a radio station broadcasting in Twi in the Accra area.[14][15]

Personal life

Daddy Lumba was married with children.

illness and death

External image
image icon Official statement letter from Daddy Lumba's family confirming his death

On the early morning of 26 July 2025, Fosu died at the age of 60 in The Bank Hospital, located in Cantonments, Accra after an undisclosed brief illness. His death was confirmed by his own radio station,[16] DLFM, following several rumours and conflicting reports centring on his death.[17][18][19] King Promise revealed to Joy FM that he and Daddy Lumba were working on a collaborative album in the previous two months prior to Fosu's death.[20]

The news of his death has spread all across the people of Ghana. Popular Ghanaian figures such as Sarkodie, Strongman Burner, Patrick Yaw Boamah, Bola Ray, and former vice president Mahamudu Bawumia[21] all pay initial condolences to Fosu's death on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram.[22]

Selected discography

  • Yereye Aka Akwantuo Mu (with Nana Acheampong) (1989)
  • Obi Ate Meso Bo (1990)
  • Sika Asem (1991)
  • Playboy (Daddy Lumba album) (1992)
  • Biribi gyegye wo (1992)
  • Vida with Felix Owusu (1993)
  • The Very Best Of Daddy Lumba Vol. 1 (1994)
  • Mesom Jesus (1995)
  • Sesee Wo Se (1995)
  • Hwan na Otene with Akua Serwaa Bonsu (1996)
  • Back for Good (1997)
  • Ebi se ɛyɛ aduro (1997)
  • Aben waha (1998)
  • Woho kyere with Ofori Amponsah (1999)
  • Mato Odo mu (2000)
  • Poison (2001)
  • Aseɛ ho (with Borax) (2002)
  • Mɛma afa wo tirim (2002)
  • Bubra (2003)
  • Pa Ntoma (with Borax) (2004)
  • Ahenfo Kyinye with Pat Thomas (2004)
  • Area Boy (2005)
  • Give peace a chance (2005)
  • Tokrom (2006)
  • Agenda (2007)
  • Sika (2008)
  • Aware Pa Ye Anibre (2009)
  • Kohye Po (2011)
  • Awoso (2014)
  • Ye Nea Woho Beto Wo (2014)
  • Hosanna with Great Ampong (2015)
  • Enko den (2016)

Awards

  • On 18 August 2018, he was acknowledged with an "Icon/Legend of Entertainment" award at the Exclusive Men of the Year Africa Awards (EMY Award).[23]
  • 2000 Ghana Music Awards – Artist of the Year, Best Album of the Year, Most Popular Song of the Year
  • 2003 Ghana Music Awards – Contemporary Highlife Artist, Contemporary Highlife Song, Contemporary Highlife Album.
  • In commemoration of the 2025 Commonwealth day, King Charles III  listed 's 'Mpempem Do Me' song as one of his favorite tunes. The song ranked seventh out of 17 songs on King Charles's "the kings music room" playlist on Apple Music.[24][25][26][27]

References

  1. ^ "Daddy Lumba is the world's greatest musician – Ko-Jo Cue". GhanaWeb. 2 October 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Social media users rank Daddy Lumba as Ghana's greatest - MyJoyOnline.com". Myjoyonline. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Ras Kuuku Declares Daddy Lumba Ghana's Biggest Artist". ModernGhana.
  4. ^ "Daddy Lumba As A Course To Be Studied?".
  5. ^ "Daddy Lumba". GhanaWeb. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Daddy Lumba Full Biography: His Wife, Children, Albums, Songs". GhanaSlayers. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  7. ^ Donkoh, Ebenezer (22 December 2017). "Kumasi Readies For Daddy Lumba Live In Concert – NYDJ Live". nydjlive. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  8. ^ "Daddy Lumba Storms Berekum" Archived 6 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine, LeakxGH, 17 December 2009.
  9. ^ Dokosi, Michael Eli (6 January 2015). "Daddy Lumba: We Love You And Your Music, But This Bleaching Must Stop". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  10. ^ "Daddy Lumba not happy with Bukom Banku over bleaching comment". GhanaWeb. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  11. ^ "Focus on Felix Owusu of Waben Fame".
  12. ^ Safo, Ebo (24 April 2021). "Meet The Female Vocalist Behind Daddy Lumba Songs". GhanaWeb.
  13. ^ Music, Ghana (23 December 2022). "Single: Ofon Na Ɛdi Asɛm Fo by Daddy Lumba". Ghana Music. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  14. ^ Agambila, Dorcas (8 September 2022). "Music legend Daddy Lumba establishes his own radio station, DLFM". Pulse Ghana. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Daddy Lumba opens his own radio station DLFM in Accra (Photos)". Shineme GH. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  16. ^ "Ghanaian icon Daddy Lumba Passes Away at 60". ghanamusic.com. 26 July 2025. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  17. ^ "Daddy Lumba is dead". GhanaWeb. 26 July 2025. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  18. ^ Sopher, Ittai (26 July 2025). "Daddy Lumba, Ghanaian music superstar, dead at 60". WUSA9. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  19. ^ "Daddy Lumba is gone". Graphic Online. 26 July 2025. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  20. ^ Tetteh, Emmanuel (26 July 2025). "Daddy Lumba: 'We were working on a joint album' - King Promise reveals". myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  21. ^ Asare, Simon (26 July 2025). "Daddy Lumba's death is a big blow to Ghana – Dr Bawumia". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  22. ^ Nyagamago, Maxwell (26 July 2025). "Sarkodie, Bawumia, Bola Ray and other celebrities react to Daddy Lumba's death". pulse.com.gh. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  23. ^ "2018 EMY Awards: Daddy Lumba adjudged Icon/Legend of Entertainment". GhanaWeb. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  24. ^ Baisie, Seli (10 March 2025). "King Charles III lists Daddy Lumba's song on his Commonwealth Day Playlist". Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  25. ^ Bonne, Abigail. "Daddy Lumba's 'Mpempem Do Me' featured in King Charles' playlist – MyJoyOnline". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  26. ^ Atawoge, Kabah (10 March 2025). "Daddy Lumba's 'Mpempem Do Me' featured on King Charles' Apple playlist". Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  27. ^ Ghartey, Raphael (10 March 2025). "Daddy Lumba's 'Mpempem Do Me' features in King Charles III's playlist". Retrieved 12 March 2025.

Sources

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