“Celebrate Them While They’re Alive” – Amandzeba Pays Tribute to Daddy Lumba

Renowned highlife icon Amandzeba Nat Brew has urged Ghanaians to honor and appreciate their legends while they are still alive, following the passing of music legend Charles Kwadwo Fosu, popularly known as Daddy Lumba.

Speaking in a heartfelt tribute, Amandzeba reflected on Lumba’s extraordinary impact on highlife music and Ghana’s cultural landscape. He lamented that such recognition often comes posthumously, when it can no longer be truly appreciated by the person being celebrated.

“Don’t wait until they are gone to celebrate them,” Amandzeba stressed, noting that Daddy Lumba had carved a unique space in Ghanaian music history, with songs that transcended generations and became the soundtrack to life’s most significant moments—from weddings and funerals to everyday gatherings.

Rather than focus on mourning, Amandzeba encouraged the public and the music industry to view this moment as a celebration of Lumba’s remarkable legacy. “We should not mourn; we should clap for him, because his labor has not been in vain,” he said.

He also touched on the irony of how praise and admiration often surface more fully only after someone’s death. The highlife star recalled previous false rumors of Daddy Lumba’s death, some dating back five or even ten years, and shared that he too had been the subject of such hoaxes. “I’ve ‘died’ twice, according to rumors,” he said with a hint of humor.

Despite these experiences, Amandzeba expressed gratitude for still being alive and active in music and hopes that Daddy Lumba’s contributions will continue to be acknowledged not just in death, but as a lasting legacy in Ghana’s cultural memory.