The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey, popularly known as Abeiku Santana, has expressed deep sorrow following the passing of veteran Ghanaian disc jockey and staff member of the Multimedia Group, Samuel Tei Mensah Nartey, known as DJ Awanna.
DJ Awana passed away on Sunday, April 6, 2025, at the 37 Military Hospital after a short illness.
He had a remarkable career that spanned over two decades, beginning with Adom FM when the station was operating in Tema.
Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem, Abeiku Santana, a former colleague of DJ Awanna, shared how he heard the news.
“I saw the post on social media, and I immediately reached out to some old colleagues who have worked with Adom FM over the years to confirm. When they confirmed it, people started pouring out their condolences. We were all shocked and devastated,” he said.
Abeiku Santana recalled how he met DJ Awanna when he joined Multimedia in 2001.
“At that time, Adom FM was about to undergo a reengineering and renovation process. Multimedia didn’t have a DJ assistant to play songs for them when I started at Adom FM. I wanted to focus on my presentation, so I decided to get a DJ assistant,” he explained.
Abeiku reached out to Yaw Nkrumah, a colleague, who recommended DJ Awana.
“I was the first person Awanna worked with, and he came in as a casual worker. His dedication was amazing. He would come in very early and stay late,” Abeiku shared.
Impressed by his work ethic, Abeiku, who was then the host of Ofie Kwanso on Adom FM, made a case for DJ Awanna to be employed full-time at Adom FM in its early days when the station was located in Tema.”
“As time went on, we needed more DJs, and I later recommended Papa Bills, who was also a fantastic DJ,” Abeiku added.
Although DJ Awanna later left Adom FM for Oman FM, Abeiku explained that by the time Awana returned to Adom FM, he had already moved to another media house.
Despite the changes, their bond remained strong.
Abeiku Santana also reflected on the iconic jingle that DJ Awanna was known for.
“It was Obour, the former MUSIGA president, who did that jingle for him: ‘Onie oo, AWANNA nie ooo.’ Awanna loved people and was very friendly,” Abeiku said, his voice tinged with emotion.
He expressed how deeply saddened he was upon hearing of DJ Awanna’s death.
“I was very sad when I heard the news, and I couldn’t control myself. God should take care of his soul,” he said.
Abeiku encouraged everyone to live by the word of God and reflected on the fleeting nature of life.
“God created us, and we came from God. We must always remind ourselves that we are here to worship God and fulfill His will. DJ Awanna’s demise should remind us that we are created in God’s image, and we have a duty to protect it. God will ask us for an account when the time comes,” he mourned.
He concluded with a message of hope, “If someone is in God, even in death, they are in God. We should celebrate Awanna’s good life so that heaven will remember him.”
The Ghanaian media landscape has lost a true legend in DJ Awana, and his colleagues, including Abeiku Santana, are remembering his life and legacy with fondness and gratitude.
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