Awurama Badu (Ewurama Badu) was a
Ghanaian highlife musician born in 1945 and from Banko in the
Sekyere Kumawu District
Sekyere Kumawu District is one of the forty-three districts in Ashanti Region, Ghana. Originally it was part of the then-larger Sekyere East District, which was created from the former Sekyere District Council. Later, a large portion of the distri ...
of the
Ashanti Region
The Ashanti Region is located in southern part of Ghana and it is the third largest of 16 administrative regions, occupying a total land surface of or 10.2 percent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, however, it is the mo ...
. Popularly known for her stage performance and hit songs, she was a gifted and talented Highlife musician who had a breakthrough when the music industry was largely dominated by males with few females to fight for a place in the industry, according to "Bessa Simons" (Highlife musician).
Awurama has four children—two sons and two daughters.
Music career
Badu was formerly with the Ghana Police Band(known for their live band performances) before she established herself in the highlife music industry.
Her music career started at the time when women played little role in
highlife music. Her hard work paid off with scoring hit songs like "Medofo Adaada Me", "Komkom", "Emelia", "Odo Tie Me Nni Obiara" and "Obaatan Refre Ne Mma".
On December 5, 2015,
Action Senior High & Technical School as part of their 15 years of academic excellence honoured Badu in a special citation, the school extolled her astute qualities as a role model, musician and how her songs had helped shape society as well as educated people on some social vices.
Her continuous hard work and commitment to the music industry was rewarded by a non-governmental organization, Values for Life, founded by the former deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dzifa Gomashie in 2016 for her contribution to arts and music in Ghana.
Health issues and death
Her last public performance was at the 2013 edition of
Citi FM‘s night of
Music of Ghanaian Origin, held at the
National Theatre of Ghana
The National Theatre was opened in 1992 to spearhead the Theatre movement in Ghana by providing a multi-functional venue for concerts, dance, drama and musical performances, screenplays, exhibitions and special events. In Ghana, theatre as an art ...
.
In July 2017, Badu made her last public appearance when she attended the 2nd Annual General Meeting of
GHAMRO at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science.
Badu died at the
Effiduase
Effiduase is a town and is the capital of Sekyere East, a district in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The Effiduase is known for the Effiduase Secondary Commercial School now Effiduase Senior High School and effiduasi senior high technical school. ...
Government Hospital in the
Ashanti Region
The Ashanti Region is located in southern part of Ghana and it is the third largest of 16 administrative regions, occupying a total land surface of or 10.2 percent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, however, it is the mo ...
on Thursday, 26 October 2017. The cause of her death is not yet known but sources say the singer had been ill for some time. She was 72.
See also
*
Music of Ghana
There are many styles of traditional and modern music of Ghana, due to Ghana's worldwide geographic position on the African continent.
The best known modern genre originating in Ghana is Highlife. So many years, Highlife was the preferred mus ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Badu, Awurama
1945 births
2017 deaths
Ghanaian highlife musicians
Ghanaian women singers
People from Ashanti Region