{"id":100452,"date":"2022-03-03T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/?p=100452"},"modified":"2022-03-03T10:38:48","modified_gmt":"2022-03-03T09:38:48","slug":"kuami-eugene-rock-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/kuami-eugene-rock-star\/","title":{"rendered":"Kuami Eugene the rock star from the black star"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">If you go to any Accra nightclub on a warm Friday evening, you will without a doubt hear a Kuami Eugene song. His music often plays at nightfall, as it is perfect to set a relaxing and exciting mood to your tiring end of the week. With a tempo a bit lower than the usual Nigerian bangers, catchy romantic melodies, sweet lyrics and a touch of blissful highlife, his tracks naturally impose a gentle, romantic yet fun vibe. Expect the crowd to know every word: for the last five years, the singer has been leading the new wave of Ghanaian mainstream music, hit after hit. You will also recognize his signature sound with the tagline \u201crock star\u201d, that he uses in almost every song. \u201c<em>I think \u2018rockstar\u2019 came to me when I released my third song after I was signed to my label<\/em>\u201d, he smiles, live from Ghana<em>. \u201c\u2018Angela! That song gave me national recognition. I was all over the place, rocking everything (laughs).<\/em>\u201d What is Kuami Eugene\u2019s definition of a rockstar? \u201c<em>It\u2019s not the rockstar that comes with a guitar, tattoos, and ripped jeans\u2026 My kind of rockstar is about my story. The rocks on one side, because I come from the rocks, I come from hardship. And coming from the rocks, I became a star. That&#8217;s what made me the rock star that people talk about.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:49px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Kuami Eugene - Angela (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/USpOqBa-kMY?feature=oembed&#038;autoplay=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>Kuami Eugene &#8211; Angela (Official Video)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Through rock or not, it is clear that Kuami Eugene is a star. Songs like \u201cAngela\u201d, \u201cWish Me Well\u201d and \u201cBoom Bang Bang\u201d all stand at millions of views and streams, similar to the number of followers across social media. Aged only 25, the man has already released two commercially successful albums, <em>Rockstar <\/em>in 2018 and <em>Son Of Africa <\/em>in 2020, which put him on top of the highly competitive Ghanaian music industry. An icon for the youth, when he\u2019s not on national television, he stirs up crowds of thousands of teenagers. Yet, when we chat, he is comfortably installed in his car somewhere in Accra, sitting alone at the wheel; fame and success don\u2019t seem to impress him that much. A trait that probably comes from the fact that even before being a singer, young Kuami Eugene was already a rockstar. \u201c<em>I\u2019ve always had it in me<\/em>\u201d,<em> <\/em>he chuckles<em>. <\/em>\u201c<em>Everywhere I would go, I would pick up the microphone and sing Chris Brown. I was popular locally before I got signed to a record label. I was even playing shows for money when I was in high school! I just needed an opportunity to bring my music to the public.\u201d <\/em>However, at home, Kuami was a different person, much \u201c<em>calmer<\/em>\u201d: \u201c<em>I was raised by parents who monitored me on everything. Where I go, what I do, how I talk&#8230; I come from really humble beginnings.<\/em>\u201d Yet, they didn\u2019t keep him from listening to <a href=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/tag\/sarkodie\/\">Sarkodie<\/a>, Shatta Wale, Samini, <a href=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/tag\/davido\/\">Davido<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/tag\/wizkid\/\">Wizkid<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1010\" height=\"1240\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00004.jpeg-1010x1240.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00004.jpeg-1010x1240.jpeg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00004.jpeg-759x932.jpeg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00004.jpeg-661x812.jpeg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00004.jpeg-465x571.jpeg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00004.jpeg-375x460.jpeg 375w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00004.jpeg.jpeg 1242w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2016, Kuami decided to step up his music game by enrolling in MTN Hitmaker, a music reality show known for \u201cgiving a platform to upcoming artists\u201d. Kuami did get a platform, but unfortunately lost to another singer named Kelvin, which had him finish third overall. However, he did get home with a win that evening. \u201c<em>The owner of my label was on that show, and he came to me and told me \u2018you have something special in you. Let\u2019s come together and show the world what I am talking about\u2019. That was something that stayed in my mind when I went home after the show. Yo, I have something and I\u2019m so glad someone finally understands what I have and what to show to the public. He brought the contract and I signed it!<\/em>\u201d Alongside his label Lynx Entertainment, Kuami quickly coined his very specific blend of Afrobeats, Afropop and highlife, tailored for nightclubs, weddings and radio, which brought him so close to the Ghanaian youth. \u201c<em>My country inspires me through my audience\u201d<\/em>, he says<em>. \u201cMy fanbase in Ghana is something I don&#8217;t want to lose. I don\u2019t play with that. I need to remind my fans daily that I love Ghana so much. I\u2019m here because they started supporting my music before the rest of the world.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, it is not because he loves his culture that Kuami Eugene is closed to the idea of going international. Indeed, the Ghanaian singer was actually on one of the biggest songs on the planet in 2021: CKay\u2019s worldwide famous \u201cLove Nwantiti\u201d. The video for his remix with Kuami and <a href=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/joeboy-somewhere-between-beauty-and-magic\/\">Joeboy<\/a> currently stands at more than 200 million views. \u201c<em>So when I first heard the song it was not even that big<\/em>\u201d, he recalls<em>. <\/em>\u201c<em>CKay was a new artist, I was out there and Joeboy was out there. I initially went to the studio with another artist named <a href=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/blaqbonez-interview\/\">Blaqbonez<\/a>, and he was on the same label as CKay. I did the feature for Blaqbonez, and CKay was like, \u2018I\u2019ve got a song and I\u2019ll be pleased if you\u2019d like to do a verse on it\u2019. It was a nice song, so I did it! We shot the video in Lagos, and a year later, the song is EVERYWHERE in the world, every corner! I told my manager, \u2018in this world, you don\u2019t know who is gonna blow.\u2019<\/em>\u201d The song now resonates all over the planet, on which Kuami gives a shout out to his country: \u201c<em>come make you shake it for Ghana\u2026<\/em>\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the huge exposure of \u201cLove Nwantiti\u201d, it appears to be central for Kuami to remain relevant locally, at all costs. After asking why, the businessman showed his stripes<em>: \u201cRegardless of whatever happens, we get most of our money in Ghana<\/em>\u201d, he explains<em>. <\/em>\u201c<em>There are some endorsement deals in our country. International companies that come to settle in Ghana are gonna ask who is the biggest here. And I want them to hear Kuami, Kuami! When you come to Ghana, I\u2019m on a billboard, I\u2019m on radio, I\u2019m on TV and it\u2019s because I am what people locally want. I don\u2019t want to leave, go international and lose what I have here. I need to figure out how to combine both and how to gain from both sides.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1010\" height=\"1515\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00002.jpeg-2-1010x1515.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100455\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00002.jpeg-2-1010x1515.jpeg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00002.jpeg-2-759x1139.jpeg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00002.jpeg-2-2048x3072.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00002.jpeg-2-1440x2160.jpeg 1440w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00002.jpeg-2-661x992.jpeg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00002.jpeg-2-465x698.jpeg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00002.jpeg-2-375x563.jpeg 375w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image00002.jpeg-2.jpeg 3456w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Gaining from both sides was the objective behind <em>Afro Highlife<\/em>, the five-track EP he released last year which pays a clear homage to Ghana\u2019s musical heritage. Once again, Kuami is not shy to speak about business: \u201c<em>The whole point of <\/em>Afro Highlife<em> is to dive into the Afrobeats market as well, but then again not go too far from what we\u2019re doing: highlife music. I don\u2019t want my people to be now saying \u2018oh, Kuami is now selling out. He\u2019s trying to make music internationally and not focus on us anymore\u2019. The project actually pleases everyone. Internationally and locally.\u201d <\/em>He smiles when I ask him about any parallel between the 1970s and 1980s highlife singers, and the contemporary Ghanaian and Nigerian superstars. \u201c<em>We don\u2019t do the kind of music they do anymore. There is more heavy bass now, there is more electronic, the beats and the rhythms are different. I mean, we need to change it because the world is evolving. But besides that, I think the similarities between what we do and what they used to do is the lyrics. Lyrics are just words and language. And we say the same things they used to say.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another similarity could be the constant dialogue between Ghana, Nigeria and the United Kingdom, very present today as it was already 60 years ago. This is something Kuami is also maintaining, currently getting ready for a show in London with his label mate <a href=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/kidi-forever-a-golden-boy\/\">KiDi<\/a>. \u201c<em>London! I\u2019m super excited about it<\/em>\u201d, he says with the biggest smile<em>. <\/em>\u201c<em>I can\u2019t wait to be there. It\u2019s just amazing. So many times we went to London to support people or to appear at shows, but this time we\u2019re organizing this on our own. I\u2019m so excited about this. It&#8217;s going on well and I hope from there we get more shows! From the UK we get to France, from France we go to the US, and from there we go everywhere, because that\u2019s the goal we\u2019re hoping for. Worldwide domination!<\/em>\u201d World, get ready for your first ever Ghanaian rockstar&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Kuami Eugene - Fire Fire (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TGcQx2Qc9xQ?feature=oembed&#038;autoplay=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>Kuami Eugene &#8211; Fire Fire (Official Video)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A highlife singer, an Afrobeats star and a pop icon, Kuami Eugene carries the flag of Ghana high. Known as the \u201crockstar\u201d of his country, his next move is world domination. PAM spoke with him live from Accra.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":100453,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7833,7835],"tags":[20359,5431,41198],"location":[7994],"yst_prominent_words":[8403,39185,8505,8414,8933,25096,8402,9006,8438,8619,10078],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100452"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100452"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100452\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100452"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=100452"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=100452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}