Kundivi Mahama, formerly Zazzy, has released yet another beautiful composition. The song, Afara’nga, furthers his agenda to dominate as a live performer with an enviable repertoire. Afara’nga is currently available to stream across all digital music platforms.
The song is off his yet-to-be-released album, scheduled for late 2024.
Kundivi Mahama’s Stature
Kundivi Mahama, who resides and operates from the Upper East Regional capital, Bolgatanga, is one of the top five vocalists in the region. His stature is undoubtedly high. His dexterity as a lyricist, vocalist, and live band performer remains peerless. His consistency as a stellar musician remains his call to fame.
In the last few months, he has been on a streak; he released songs that offer fans an idea of what to expect on his album. The songs released have so far exhibited the characteristics of a world star in the leagues of the Youssou N’dours, Angelique Kidjos, and Wiyaalas.
Songs from his Album Released so far
Afara’nga follows Yineme, featuring Soorebia, Sheiwuna, and Taafama, which have solidified his rise. Other songs like Pon Dem Case and Echanga also make listening unforgettable.
The Above songs marked his journey when he rebranded from Zazzy to Kundivi Mahama. The new persona came with his desire to bring back the sound and rhythms of Uppers International Band, which reigned in Ghana from the late 1960s to the early 2000s. He pursues this feat with the touch of an original self; thus, fans get a feel of two worlds.
According to Kundivi Mahama, Afara’nga is a tribute to the Uppers International Band.
A more detailed profile about the life and music of Kundivi Mahama is coming soon.
Kundivi Mahama
CHECK SAFE WAYS TO TRAVEL AROUND NORTHERN GHANA HERE
Dr Paul Azunre will be in Ghana for the first edition of nhyAImu, an artificial intelligence conference. The event is a collaboration between NLP-Ghana and the Academic City University College in Accra. Scheduled to take place on Wednesday, June 12th, 2024, from 10 am to 12 pm, nhyAImu will focus on ‘Unveiling the future of African Languages with the Khaya AI.’ As the name implies, it will be an event that prioritizes Africa’s foremost Language Translation and Speech Recognition AI tool, Khaya.
About NLP-Ghana & nhyAImu
While NLP-Ghana has been around for some time, many do not know enough about their scope of work. That includes the useability of Khaya AI and how to integrate its API into other technology products.
This conference will therefore cover topics that include the following:
Introduction to Ghana NLP and its mission
Overview of engineering pipelines emphasizing MLOps
Detailed demo and guidelines on using Khaya AI’s APIs
There will also be a Q&A session.
Dr Paul Azunre – nhyAImu-2024
Understanding the vision behind the creation of the Language App
Khaya AI has proven to be an amazing tool created and built by Dr Paul Azunre and his team at Algorine Inc. and NLP-Ghana. The artificial intelligence tool is capable of translating African languages to others and has speech recognition capabilities. These two features and the deliberate emphasis on African Language make the tool unique.
Currently, some of the African Languages Khaya can effectively translate and recognize include Twi, Dagbani, Ewe, Fante, Ga, Gurune, Kikuyu, Kimeru, Luo, and Yoruba. The Algorine team is still working with partners across Africa to ensure that African languages are an integral part of the digital and technology space.
In contemporary times, artificial intelligence is facilitating many things. From improving timelines for task execution to offering alternative ways to execute tasks, AI continues to make strides. Thus, Khaya AI as a tool for African languages makes it easier to preserve, learn, understand, and integrate African languages on platforms to make them user-friendly.
Even though Khaya AI has been around for the past few years, the creators have yet to give a massive demonstration of how it works. They have done a lot online, but with this conference, they intend to bring to the fore its actual usage—not only the usage but also to introduce the App to AI enthusiasts and people building products that can benefit from this app’s integration.
Twi is a language used in the Khaya AI App. nhyAImu is a Twi word that means “a gathering of people.” Thus, this event is a gathering of AI enthusiasts, including students, lecturers, business owners, tech entrepreneurs, and a host of others.
Dr Paul Azunre is a Tech entrepreneur and rapper who goes by name Dr Pushkin.
There are rappers whose daily objective is to impress. However, there exist others who focus on being the best. But we know that seeking to impress calls for swaying to trends and what’s in vogue. However, perfecting your craft remains the standout factor. Such is the case of Wyldthang, the Houston rapper featured on the Remix of Dr Pushkin and Budukusu’s Winning.
He prides himself in “being Willie Good”; the phrase is about an Austin – Texas legend Willie Nelson. He is an American country singer, guitarist, songwriter, and activist. He has remained peerless in skill and style to the extent that at age 91, he’s still performing to fans. His kind of perfection is what guides his pursuit of music as a career. As a street poet, his lyrics usually reflect his emotions juxtaposed with a unique worldview. In the process, he has become a lyrical dynamo with a penchant for releasing awe-inspiring lyrics.
In a short interaction about discovering his talent, here’s what he said.
“Like everyone else, I’ve loved music all my life. On this journey, I believe everybody lives out their own story. Stories become songs. I tell my story through my songs.”
How he Met Dr Pushkin.
His relationship with Dr Pushkin started when the latter performed at SXSW 2022. He was awed by the performance. When Winning was later performed, Thang went wild with love for the song.
In a classic case of “real recognize real” the two artists, got a conversation going. The result of that conversation is a remix of Winning.
Previous Works
He is a lover of motorcycles. His passion for Bikes led to him making an entire album titled Motorcycle Music in 2021. The Album featured nine songs.
He also released another album titled RIZE.
The incredible rapper is gearing up to release another album, Graffiti City. If you loved his flow on Winning, you will be awed by his next project. The rapper has also teamed up with Vox Machina to form The 6th Street Rebelz. The 6th Street Rebelz is currently gracing all stages across the Austin-Texas area. He also has several singles out there.
The Story Behind Winning
Before this remix, Winning rode the tides of encouragement for all in pursuit of success. People are often scared to try or continue. A situation that stems from tying their gains to others. However, while the people around you can play roles in your life, knowing your ability is paramount. “Winning” thus encourages all to avoid self-inflicted doubt.
The ever-enigmatic Budukusu complimented Dr Pushkin’s resounding words of wisdom on the first version of the song. However, with this new performance on the song, Winning has been given a new feel that encapsulates two different cultures and worldviews. Call it the Americanised version of Winning, and you’ve got it right. While Budukusu combines dancehall/reggae vibes with the song, Dr Pushkin goes philosophical. Wyldthang then brings an impressive flow of uplifting words capable of winning American rap fans.
This song is Dr Pushkin’s second feature of an artist from the Austin Area. His first song was with Aggie, an artist from Austin. The song is titled Forgive Them and was released with a stellar music video resonating with the song’s quality and value.
Dr Pushkin known in academia as Paul Azunre is expected to speak at the Ghana Natural Language Processing launch of an AI Conference series later in June this year. The event is dubbed “nhyAImu”, a Twi word which means “a gathering”. However, the “AI” in the word stands for Artificial Intelligence. nhyAImu is a collaboration between Academic City University College and NLP-Ghana. Khaya Language App, Africa’s leading speech recognition and language translation AI tool will be the focus of this event.
Themed “Unveiling the future of African Languages with Khaya AI”, the focus areas of the conference include the following:
Introduction to Ghana NLP and its mission
Overview of engineering pipelines emphasising MLOps
Detailed demo and guidelines on using Khaya AI’s APIs
There will also be an interactive Q & A session.
nhyAImu will take place on the campus of Academic City University College in Accra, on 12th June 2024. Time is 10am – 12pm.
Despite working tirelessly on his Khaya App, he’s gained a reputation for featuring artists worthy of the tag “artist”, and not necessarily trending artists.
Dr Pushkin is in the meantime readying a monster rap song featuring Kumasi’s finest rapper.
2024 has been a busy year for Dr Pushkin. Check out his releases for 2024 below.
Traveling alone can be a fulfilling experience. It offers an opportunity to appreciate and fully immerse yourself in new cultures and landscapes. But the challenges associated with traveling are vast, especially safety. In this post I will share a few tips to note when traveling alone to and around Northern Ghana.
Understanding Northern Ghana
As you prepare for an exciting trip to Northern Ghana, it is essential to familiarise yourself with the area before you start. The region is well known for its rich and diverse cultural heritage. With numerous exciting markets, art and craft lovers find it a heaven.
For people who love breathtaking landscapes, the Northern Region would leave visitors in awe. Northern Ghana also boasts several tourist attractions that will be the icing on the cake. Travelers should endeavour to know the nature of the area. It will be useful. Especially in devising your travel routes and plans while assessing the security risks should be a priority. Once you know the security risks, mitigation becomes easier.
Before embarking on your journey, it is essential to familiarise yourself with the region you will be visiting. Northern Ghana is known for its rich cultural heritage, vibrant markets, and stunning landscapes.
However, like any travel destination, it is very important to be aware of potential safety risks and how to mitigate them. The cultural diversity of Northern Ghana is enormous, be sure to have an idea of the different ethnicities you will encounter.
What to consider before you travel
While Northern Ghana is generally safe. There are incidents of robberies, ethnic conflicts, and the likelihood of getting lost. You’ll need to consider personal safety, health, and the safety of your personal belongings.
You may consider using a tour guide for ease.
Also, where possible, you should consider travel insurance.
Knowing about local laws and customs would also come in handy. Most people in Northern Ghana still hold traditions in high regard. Knowing the above will help avoid being offensive to locals. For example, learn how to wear hats in Tamale.
You should also ensure you have all necessary vaccinations, such as yellow fever, a malaria vaccine, and any others.
If you are not like me, you’ll try to avoid street food and sachet water.
As a personal preference, I always carry a first aid kit with painkillers, medications for malaria, something to help with stomach aches, and any other essentials that can come in handy. I do so because there are many places where access to healthcare is a nightmare.
Before your trip, keep copies of your travel documentation, passport, and all other necessary documents with someone before you leave.
Be sure to have a reliable means of communication.
You will also want to know the weather conditions before you set off. Northern Ghana generally experiences a dry season and a rainy season. The rainy season can be a hindrance in accessing several places. Thus, knowing the weather pattern will help you avoid getting stuck on your journey.
Have a fair idea of nearby medical facilities close to your locations.
If you prefer driving, it is worth knowing the road conditions. You can also hire a local driver who knows his way around.
Finally, you’ll need a list of emergency contacts. That list should include your country’s embassy, local authorities, and insurance provider.
With the above done, you can enjoy that lifetime thrill of traveling through and around Northern Ghana.
Tips for the actual journey
You would also do well to seek permission before taking pictures.
Be aware of your surroundings, avoid displaying valuables, and avoid too many distractions.
Use reputable transport and accommodation services.
You may want to prioritize traveling during the day instead of just at night.
Where the services of a guide is needed, be sure they have a good reputation.
Keep valuables safe by ensuring they are in secure places.
Don’t stand out. In many places, criminals target people who they know are not indigenes or locals. So, while it may be evident that you are a tourist or traveler, do not exhibit any naivete to attract attention.
Always be hydrated and well-rested.
While on the journey, stay connected to someone at home or with other companions. Check in regularly to let them know you are safe.
Listen to local advice. Paying attention to advice from local authorities and experienced people.
As you journey with an open mind, be prepared for emergencies.
In all of it, trust your instincts.
Who are the Bulsa Ethnic Group?
Be culturally sensitive; respect your hosts.
Your journey is to experience diversity on many fronts. From culture to landscape, you will encounter different things. To fully enjoy the hospitality in all places, you must be culturally sensitive and respectful.
Your cultural preferences must not become the reason you trample on other people’s cultures. How people dress, hand gestures, and how to address the elderly and chiefs are very important on trips like this. Also, you should try to know what aspects of your culture may be offensive. For example, it is culturally unacceptable to wear footwear before many chiefs. The use of the left hand in greetings or gesturing can also be offensive. Once you respect the culture of the people, you will earn some love from the locals.
Stick to your plan.
While traveling alone can sometimes offer the will to make detours, it is best to avoid such unplanned changes to your itinerary. This is because you may not have been adequately prepared to visit other places. Travel and enjoy the beauty of your destination and journey; don’t outdo yourself with extra stops.
Remember to always have your emergency contacts at hand. See you around!
Here are some tourist attractions you may be interested in:
Khaya is Language AI that helps translate and recognise speeches. Checkout it out for Northern Ghana Languages. It may just save you a lot of talk-time.
Fancy Gadam has once again mesmerised fans with an impressive accompaniment to his song “If”. The ‘explicit’ song performed over an endearing beat is a danceable song through which the artiste cautions his partner against not climaxing during a sexual encounter. While the subject matter may be controversial, the musician minces no words in expressing the importance of intimacy in a relationship.
‘If’ is the latest song from this prolific hitmaker from the Northern Regional Capital of Ghana.
Who is Fancy Gadam?
This musical enigma was born Mujahid Ahmed Bello on January 1, 1988, in Gurugram, a town in the Northern Region of Ghana. He eventually picked up music as he encountered more and more of the music culture of his ethnicity. As a young man in contemporary times, a fusion of his nature and trendy sound would urge him to stand out and do music professionally.
Fancy-Gadam—IF
The young Gadam completed both his Basic School and Secondary School in Tamale, the Capital of Ghana’s Northern Region. The hurdles associated with accessing higher education did not affect his love of music; thus, when the opportunity presented itself, he pursued it. From participating in talent shows with his dance and musical prowess, he honed his talent and became ready for mainstream music. Music Industry insiders in the Northern Region saw his potential and pushed his craft leading to a breakthrough as a musician.
Despite making Waves in the Northern Region, the release of “Total Cheat” which featured Sarkodie was the defining moment for Fancy Gadam. The amazing musician was already known to be the only artist who was filling up stadia and any venues he held events. Interestingly, most of such events were hosted and headlined by himself.
‘Total Cheat’ coincided with one of those stadia-filling moments, making Fancy Gadam a sensation across Ghana. After riding on the back of that song to nationwide recognition, he released more chart-topping songs including “Customer,” “Concrete,” and “Sofo Moko,” and several others.
His musical style is unique. He fuses Afrobeat, Dancehall, and ethnic Dagomba vibes to offer something refreshing for music lovers.
Fancy Gadam‘s story is one that inspires; talent, perseverance, and dedication remain the key to his success.
His Most Popular Songs
This incredibly talented artiste has several songs that have dominated the airwaves. In Ghana and Beyond, some of his songs are seen as what describes his stature. Notable among them are the following;
1. “Total Cheat” ft. Sarkodie: This undoubtedly is the biggest song. It is what propelled him to the rest of Ghana and the world. Many argue, there might never be another song that big from him.
2. “Customer” ft. Patoranking: This also topped the charts, and was Fancy Gadam’s first international collaboration.
3. “Concrete”: This song proved that the artiste didn’t always need a collaboration to prove his worth.
4. “Sofo Moko”: This was also a furtherance of his stature as an artiste.
5. “Yaka Chana”: As an artiste whose musical influences include his cultural heritage, he used this to project and celebrate his traditions.
Fancy Gadam has many more hit songs, however, the above standout in his career per thesavannaonline‘s analysis.
Fancy Gadam is a renowned musician from the Northern Regional Capital of Ghana.
![Winning [Remix] (Dr. Pushkin, Budukusu & Wyldthang) - LYRIC VIDEO](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PC1oSIeJ4QU/hqdefault.jpg)
