With songs like Lotto and Live it Up, Ghanaian artist Twicy is making a name for himself in the Afrobeats scene.
I recently caught up with him over Zoom shortly after his return from an Easter vacation to the Sao Tome and Principe, part of his prize for winning Artist of the Year at the 2024 Central Music Awards.
“It was so peaceful, just like heaven,” he says.
Born Ernest Bright Acquah in Agona Swedru located in the central region of Ghana, Twicy’s knew early on that he wanted to sing and perform around the world, largely influenced by his father who regularly played records by Fela Anikulakpo-Kuti and Bob Marley among others.
“Those songs shaped me, I would always imagine what it would be like to have people all over the world singing my songs,” he recalls.
After graduating from the Edinam an High School 2013, he was determined to pursue his dream full, recording early mixtapes and covers in studios around his hometown. “It was an exciting but challenging time, going from one studio to the other and trying to get money for the studio sessions,” Twicy says.
In 2016 he won first place in a Song Remix Competition organized by The Media Blast PR and Dailey’s Entertainment which earned him a record deal with Dailey’s Entertainment.
“I’m grateful to Big Moe and Dailey’s Entertainment. They really changed my life”
His win at the 2024 Central Music Awards capped up an eventful year which saw him embark on a media tour in Nigeria when I first met him. We connected early that year after his manager Moses Dailey hired me to join Twicy’s media and communications team.
“2024 was a busy but exciting year for me. I went to Nigeria and the UK for the first time in my life,” he says.
While in he Lagos, I took Twicy to the New Afrika Shrine and Ojuelgeba, Wizkid’s former hood which also inspired one of the biggest Afrobeats songs of the same name.
“I love Lagos and it was an honour to visit Fela’s shrine,” he tells me. “And Wizkid has always been such an inspiration to me so it was so inspiring to see his old hood. It felt good to be experience such iconic places in Afrobeats history.”
“One of my favourite things about Lagos was the food, especially the steaming bowl of cat fish pepper soup we had at the Afrika Shrine”
He tells me that he thought was actual cat meat pepper soup when he heard me making the order.
It reminded me of an old joke by comedian Basketmouth about a Nigerian who orders cat fish in a Ghanaian restaurant but is surprised when the waiter brings him a bowl of normal fish cut in into tiny pieces. So of course he was confused and wanted to know why to which the waiter in his Ghanaian accent replied that the fish had been “cut”
“I love the energy of Lagos, it’s similar to Accra in some ways. Something is always happening. “I loved the vibe at Obi’s House and the yellow Danfo buses. We have them in Ghana too. We call them Trotro,” he says.
“I also think about the CMS Church. It’s so beautiful and I plan to to shoot the video for my forthcoming single “All Over Me”
“It’s a beautiful song. I can’t wait to share it with my fans and that would be the perfect place to shoot the video”
“I love Lagos and I’m grateful for all the friends I made there, my friends in the media, Amos Ikwuje and Latino Perrico.
As we close, I ask Twicy about his dream collaborations and he lists Olamide, Ayra Starr, Crayon, Mqgixx and Shallipoppi who’s song “Laho” is currently doing ‘madness’ in Ghana.
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