Until late last year when hiplife artiste, Bisa Kdei, spoke in English on Joselyn Dumas’s The One Show programme on Viasat 1, many people, especially those who had heard him speak impeccable Twi, assumed that he could not speak English.
The musician said he faced a lot of embarrassment during media interviews at the time his Azonto Ghost song became popular. In almost all the places he was invited to, Bisa Kdei told Showbiz, from English-speaking radio stations to television stations, he was welcomed in the Twi language.
“It was funny, however, how English-language radio stations quickly changed the language to Twi just to make me feel comfortable because they thought I couldn’t speak English. ”Presenters from YFM, Citi FM and Joy FM, who interviewed me would regularly start their interviews in Twi before I told them I preferred to speak in English”, he said.
“I have received a lot of bad comments on my Facebook page from my fans telling me to educate myself in English. But I knew that was because no one had heard me speak English in an interview”. Bisa explained to Showbiz at his Shortcut Studio located in Santa Maria, Accra.
According to Bisa, after he uploaded some videos of interviews he had done in English on his Twitter and Facebook pages, many of his fans and friends began sending him positive messages with many of them congratulating him for being fluent in both English and Twi.
“I decided to prove to all those doubting my capability that I am not an illiterate. For Christ sake, I am a graduate of Accra Technical Training College. The fact that I never spoke English in an interview or replied comments asking me to speak English did not mean I am an illiterate”. Bisa stated.
Bisa whose real name is Ronald Kweku Dei Appiah, started his music career as a rapper in a group called BISA (Boys In Serious Action). He later decided to embark on a solo project when he found out he could do better in singing.
Movie producer Afra Marley who spotted the talent in Bisa introduced him to his other colleague and that was how Bisa’s success story began.
Bisa has done sound tracks for movie producers such as A. A Productions, Paul Gee, Miracle Films and Pat Thomas. However, it was the movie, Azonto Ghost, that brought him into the limelight.
Asked how he comes by the lyrics of the songs he does for movie production houses, Bisa revealed that he first takes a look at the movies and then puts the lyrics together.
After his Azonto Ghost song became a massive hit, the 27 year old musician released hit singles, Metanfo, Over, Madanfo and Love Letter before finally releasing his maiden Thanksgiving album that has 16 songs on it.
According to Bisa, he stands for good music. “Some musicians do music for the fun of it, but I always try to tell a story that people can relate to. Ever since I began playing music about eight years ago, I have told touching stories of everyday life through my music,” Bisa said.
Last year, he was nominated in the category of Best Hiplife Song at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards and also had four nominations at the MTN 4syte Music Video Awards in the categories of Best Storyline Video, Best Hiplfe Video, Best Highlife Video and Best Discovery Video.
Currently Bisa Kdei has six nominations in the upcoming Vodafone Ghana Music Awards. He was born on March 19, 1986, and hails from Larteh, in the Easten Region.