Bernard George Kobena Brako, known professionally as Ben Brako (born 20 May 1952), is a

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

ian highlife artiste. He rose to prominence in the mid- to late 1980s, with the release of his first solo studio album, ''Baya'', which he also produced and wrote, in 1987.

Early life

Brako was born on 20 May 1952 in

Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...

, Ghana, but grew up in his mother's native

Cape Coast Cape Coast is a city, fishing port, and the capital of Cape Coast Metropolitan District and Central Region of Ghana. It is one of the country's most historic cities, a World Heritage Site, home to the Cape Coast Castle, with the Gulf of Guinea ...

with his seven siblings. He took an active interest in the music and entertainment world at a very young age, but took his formal education very seriously. Brako began performing for live crowds in 1960, and in his own words he has "been performing ever since..."

Education

Brako had his secondary education at St Augustine's College in

. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian national public universities. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the Br ...

, and he also obtained and BA (Hons) in Media Communication Studies from the

University of East London , mottoeng = Knowledge and the fulfilment of vows , established = 1898 – West Ham Technical Institute1952 – West Ham College of Technology1970 – North East London Polytechnic1989 – Polytechnic of East London ...

(1994).

Achievements

Brako's single titled "Shame and Scandal" topped the Global Music Charts at number 1.

References

Ghanaian highlife musicians Living people 1952 births St. Augustine's College (Cape Coast) alumni {{Ghana-bio-stub