Ghana’s legendary highlife musician and a composer, Jewel Ackah, has passed away on Friday April 27, 2018, after battling stroke and other ailments. He was 73.
The supporter of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), passed away at his Tema Community 11 residence, at around 7:00pm, his son, Francis Ogoo confirmed to Prime News Ghana.
The highlife legend has been battling stroke and other sicknesses for over 10 years now.
Jewel Ackah in August 2017 told the world that he didn’t want to be celebrated when he is dead because that monies could be as well donated during his trying times to cater for his health.
Jewel Ackah told some NDC group who donated a sum of GHS2,000 towards his medication in August 2017 that “I want to remind them that they shouldn’t let me die before they come and make Jewel Ackah….Jewel Ackahâ€.
A brief history of Jewel Ackah
He was born in 1945 at Axim in the Western Region to late Emmanuel Ackah and Cecilia Dye.
He started his elementary education at the Axim Roman Catholic Primary and completed in Takoradi in 1963.
Jewel had a career as a footballer and later joined a shipping company called Palm Line in Takoradi.
Realizing shipping was not his field, Jewel was introduced to a traditional drumming group and within a short time, he became the best in the group.
He was then picked up by a renowned musician named Ebo Tailor and mentored.
He is one of the few musicians who made popularized the gospel music genre in Ghana after he had drifted from secular music.
Jewel Ackah has over 27 albums to his credit. Some of his songs are ‘Asomdowoe Hene,’ ‘Abena,’ ‘I’m in the Mood,’ ‘Joyce Sane Bra,’ and ‘Me Wo Bi.