Daddy Lumba

Charles Kwadwo Fosu (29 September 1964 – 26 July 2025), wey dem know am as Daddy Lumba, be Ghana singer-songwriter, musician plus record producer. Lumba dey popular for ein plenty songwriting, dynamic style, long time for music inside, plus e own controversies.  Ein songs root deep for Ghanaian culture and folklore, and de lyrics dey talk things like love, life, death, family, money, poverty, pleasure, grief, spirituality, an sensuality E be prolific and top figure for modern highlife, and plenty pipol dey see am as one of the greatest an most influential Ghana musicians of all time.

For the late 1980s wey Germany-based Burger Highlife dey develop, Lumba start ein music career as part of Lumba Brothers duo plus ein Ghana brother Nana Acheampong. Both of dem be migrants wey dey live for Germany that time. Dem drop demma only studio album, Yee Ye Aka Akwantuom, for 1989; de title track turn big hit for Ghana, and today dem dey see am as one of de most celebrated highlife songs. Soon after the duo scatter for early 1990s, Lumba start ein solo career and create ein own record label, Lumba Productions, under MiPROMO. Over decades inside, he release plenty successful albums wey cement ein name for highlife music.

Lumba win Ghana Music Awards. For 2018, he chop the EMY Africa Awards’ Icon/Legend of Entertainment award. For 2023 too, dem dash am the Borga Highlife Lifetime Award wey the German Ambassador to Ghana give. For 2024 inside, he dey among the people wey receive the National Honours and Awards.  For 2025, ein song “Mpempem Do Me” enter  Apple Music-exclusive playlist wey UK King Charles III select for Commonwealth Day.

 Early life 
Charles Kwadwo Fosu wey dem born 29 September 1964 in Nsuta, Ashanti Region of Ghana Ein mama be Comfort Gyamfi (n.a.–2001), wey dem dey call Ama Saah and ein papa be Johnson Kwadwo Fosu. He be second born of three piki. Both mama and papa be teachers. Ein papa lef am early when he still be small boy.

Fosu start ein school for Nsuta, den later go Suame Methodist for Kumasi, wey he finish for 1979.After that, he go Adu Gyamfi Senior High School for Jamasi but he later move go Juaben Senior High School, wey he complete ein secondary school for 1984.

 Career 

 First Recordings plus de Lumba Brothers (1983–1989) 
Fosu start sing when e be 16 years old, as e take lead Juaben Senior High School choir from 1983 to 1984. E form first band plus ein boys  wey dem call am “Lumba Brothers.   E start dey get name for di area as e form Nkwanta Wesley Singers, wey dem turn popular for Anokye Krom Cultural Center. Insyd dat time, e compose one song “Lumba Lumba,” wey e dedicate am to South African freedom fighters. Di song catch fire, people start dey call am “Daddy Lumba,” wey later turn ein stage name.

Afta he graduate from Juaben, he lef go Germany for 1983 inside, plus support from ein then-girlfriend Theresa Abebrese, wey he meet for secondary school, den plus support from ein school teacher, Mama Acheampong. For Germany inside, he jam Highlife musician Nana Acheampong. Acheampong already dey duo inside wey dem call "Talking Dreams." Dem two strike friendship   den later form de duo wey dem call Lumba Brothers (dem take de name from Daddy Lumba ein earlier band). Dem plan say dem go drop demma first studio album Yee Ye Aka Akwantuom for 1986 insyd, wey Lumba ein wife for dat time, Akosua Serwaa, produce am. But sake of money wahala, de album ein release delay go 1989 insyd. Still, when e come out, e turn big success for de duo. Lumba Brothers dem cite say dem popularize new sub-genre of Highlife wey dem call Burger-Highlife. Inside de next two years, de duo split, but dem still dey perform live shows together for almost ten years, till Lumba move go anoda city.

 Solo career (1990–2025) 

 Rising popularity (1990–2000s) 
Afta Lumba Brothers split, Daddy Lumba release ein first solo album Obi Ate Meso Buo for 1990 inside, wey people hail am plenty, den e turn popular inside Ghana music space. De album carry de song "Theresa," wey he dedicate give ein former girlfriend.  Lumba dey record ein music for Rheinklang Studio, wey dey Düsseldorf, Germany. From dat time go 2010 inside, Daddy Lumba dey release at least one album every year. All in all, he drop 27 studio albums for dis period (plus Obi Ate Meso Buo insyd). He dey release ein music through ein own record label, Lumba Productions, wey dey under MiPROMO.

All through de 1990s, he produce albums give some other artists for Germany, like Vida by Felix Owusu for 1992 inside. Around dat same time, Lumba meet Ofori Amponsah, wey dey search producer make e start ein music career. For dis period too, Daddy Lumba small put ein music career for hold. Dem two demma first collabo be de song "Anti Atta," plus den Ofori drop ein first album Asew. Lumba still work plus Ofori for de studio album Wo Ho Kyere, wey dem release for 1999 inside.

For 1999 inside, he win three awards for de Ghana Music Awards, plus Album of the Year den Most Popular Song of the Year. He san win Artist of the Year for Ghana Music Awards for 2000 inside.

For 10 December 2005 inside, Daddy Lumba perform for House of Blues wey dey Chicago.

Daddy Lumba be public endorser of New Patriotic Party (NPP). Ein song, "Nana Ye Winner," play big role for dema presidential campaigns for 2008 (wey be de year e release), 2012, den 2016 insyd. He drop anoda song give Nana Akufo-Addo ein 2020 re-election, wey e title be "4 More For Nana."

On January 11, 2009, three armed military men enter Lumba ein house for Atimatim, Kumasi. Inside de house that time dey, be ein kid sister, Faustina Fosu, plus some other relatives. According to Faustina, de armed men ask say where Lumba dey, den dem explain say dem travel come with am from Accra and he tell dem make dem meet am for de house. But once she talk say he no dey house, dem lef. Two hours later dem come back again reach de house gate with aggression plus verbal insults. After dem lef, she link up authorities. Daddy Lumba himself no make any public statement about de matter.

 2010—2025 
For late 2010, Daddy Lumba get schedule say he go perform for Royal Lamerta Hotel, Ahodwo inside Kumasi, ein first time to perform for de city after 26 years to celebrate ein 26th anniversary for ein solo career. But de event end up reschedule go 1 January 2011 (wey be same venue) sake of say de hotel ein equipment spoil, plus vandalism, and other things wey no make sense. Because of dat, dem sue de hotel say e breach ein part of de contract with de event organisers.

On 17 January 2018, Lumba take Kwame Anokye (wey people know am as Daddy Lumba Junior) go Accra High Court. Lumba talk say Anokye dey claim say he be ein son plus he dey impersonate am just to collect gifts from people. Lumba also talk say Anokye start dey impersonate am since he appear for TV Africa ein reality show, Just Like You.

Because of de court case, Anokye change ein stage name to Anokye Supremo. He later die on 30 January 2019 for India inside Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences after he go dey receive treatment for tumour wey dey ein head inside.

For 2018 EMY Africa Awards, Lumba win the Icon/Legend of Entertainment award.] When he take the prize, he tell the organisers plus the people of Ghana, “Thank you. I go continue dey give you good music as long as I dey alive.”

 Awards den nominations 

 Sources

 ^[a] Ghana Music Awards.

OrganizationYearCategoryNominated workResultRef.Ghana Music Awards1999Best Album—Dem win[a]Most Popular Song—Dem win2000Album Of The YearAben Wo HaDem winSong of the Year"Aben Wo Ha"Dem win2003Contemporary Highlife Album Of The YearPoisonDem win[a]Contemporary Highlife Song Of The Year"Menya Mpo"Dem win2008Song of the Year"Tokrom"Dem nominate2011Highlife Song of the Year"Anadwo Ye Die"Dem nominate2012Highlife Song of the Year"Hye Po"Dem nominate2015Highlife Song of the Year"Yentie Obiaa"Dem win[a]Ghana Music Awards UK2017Highlife Song of the Year"Enko Den"Dem nominate2023"Ofon Na Ɛdi Asɛm Fo"Dem nominateMost Popular Song of the YearNominated

 Honorary awards 
OrganizationYearCategoryRef.Ghana Music Awards1999Artist of the Year[a]20002003Contemporary Highlife Artist Of The Year2015Highlife Artiste(s) of the Year2018Lifetime Achievement AwardEMY Africa Awards2018Icon/Legend of EntertainmentEmbassy of Ghana, Berlin, Germany2023Borga Highlife Lifetime Achievement AwardNational Honours and Awards2024Grand Medal

 References 
Category:Ghanaian highlife musicians
Category:1964 births

 Work dem cite 

 Primary



 External links 

Category:1964 births
Category:2025 deaths
Category:Human
Category:Ghanaians
Category:20th-century Ghanaian male singers
Category:21st-century Ghanaian male singers
Category:Akan people
Category:Ghanaian highlife musicians
Category:Ghanaian singer-songwriters
Category:Male singer-songwriters
Category:20th-century singer-songwriters
Category:21st-century singer-songwriters
Category:People wey komot Ashanti Region