Highlife legend, Abrantie Amakye Dede, has revealed one of his toughest challenges in his musical career.
As someone who writes his own songs, he said he always has to burn the midnight candle to get the words and rhythm of the songs right.
One of such challenges he encountered, Amakye Dede said, is while writing his hit song ‘Iron Boy’.
“It took me about eight years to finish this song. I started with some rhythm, but it wasn’t good for me till I did it with a reggae tune,” he said in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Thursday.
He further noted that he had to take many breaks to work on other songs while recording “Iron boy.”
“It was giving me so much headache, so when I record a little, then I put it down and forget about it and do other songs until I got it right,” he added.
The highlife legend, who has over 20 albums to his credit, disclosed that he writes his songs only at dawn.
“I have the peace of mind to write at dawn. The words come to me naturally,” Amakye Dede stated.
About the song
The song, which was released in 1998, tells a story of a lover who had to travel abroad (for whatever purpose), leaving the other partner behind.
Amakye Dede recounts moments with the lover, especially their last moment where he accompanied her to the airport, bade her farewell with a kiss, and exchanged pleasantries for the last time before she left.
Though her absence, with no signs of her return, had left him with sleepless nights, loss of appetite, and other unfavourable conditions, he lived in expectancy, hoping his partner will return someday.
With such hopes, he visited the airport one day in anticipation of meeting her. Coincidentally, he spotted someone who resembled her descending from a plane. With joy, he ran to meet her, but his hopes were dashed after he got closer and realised that it wasn’t her after all.
Saddened by the turn of events, he concludes that ” ɔdɔ ama m’atutu mmirika hunu. Iron Boy eei, ɛnnyɛ ɔnoa oo (to wit ‘my lover as made me run in vain. Iron Boy, that’s not her).”
He finally sends word to her to return soon because he had missed her and that “ɛnyɛ wonkoa na adeɛ ahia wo, (to wit, you are not the person in need of something).”
Listen to Amakye Dede in an interview with Dwaso Nsem hosts, Chief Jerry Forson and Kwesi Asempa.