Veteran Gospel minstrel, Diana Hopeson, says the gospel music industry has come a long way and that her creativity made her music unique.
She encouraged talented people who want to pursue the profession urging that veterans can provide mentorship and counsel them to remain in the profession yet maintaining that it is a prestigious business.
“But by God’s Grace, I brought some revival onto the gospel scene at the time. A song like ‘Onyame Ye Dumfo’ (God is our Graciousness) you know I played it reggae those days. We sang it in a praise form at Church, but the way I added the reggae brought another shift to it. A song like ‘Every Knee Shall Bow and Praise the Lord’ was sung the ‘church way’ but the way I played it reggae gave it another touch” she added.
The songwriter and singer were recounting her early days in the business on Original TV’s Adwene Pa morning show on Friday, June 18, 2021, noting that she gave her life to Christ at age fifteen.
“During those days when you look at the music scene in Ghana, there wasn’t a lot of recordings but when it comes to the gospel, SDA church and Prof. Kofi Abraham and then Calvary road which is now Joyful Way were the notable Groups at the time,” she said.
Diana Hopeson indicated that God transforms completely when he changes a man including the way he talks, his approach to life, and his future.
“And by God’s grace when God changes a man, He changes his speech and lifestyle and even his destiny. During those days I knew I will do God’s work and I knew I will achieve that dream by singing and so I was singing during school days” she added.
The former President of the Musicians Union of Ghana revealed that she was featured on national television at age thirteen when she was commenced singing at Winneba Secondary School.
She however indicated that her professional career in music began in 1991 with her first album.
“It’s been 30years since I came into the limelight but my first album came at the age of 23. Today people get surprised because they think I have aged because those days Mary Ghansah, Esther Nyamekye, and Amy Newman were the ones who were singing that I could say were my big sisters,” she stressed.
The charismatic songstress said the drive-in her music brought all the excitement such that persons who felt Christianity was a boredom venture suddenly felt revived to work for their maker.
She explained that the monopoly of GBC radio and television at the time limited the choices of viewers and listeners and that gave her good publicity.
“Those days it was only GBC that was there so all heard me and I thank God that I have been able to stay in the music profession apart from the fact that I release albums, I have also done administrative work in the music business and I have reached the business end. I thank God that it is a business that is progressive and so I urge all with the gift to sing if you are really serious about it. We can direct your footstep and you can remain in it. It is a job that glorifies you. It is a job that makes you travel across. Through music, I have traveled so many nations” she concluded.
By: Ernest Tetteh Kabu | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
