Dare Me To Speak English-Bisa Kdei

Until late last year when hiplife artiste, Bisa Kdei,
spoke in English on Joselyn Dumas’s The One
Show programme on Viasat 1, many people,
especially those who had heard him speak
impeccable Twi, assumed that he could not speak
English.
The musician said he faced a lot of
embarrassment during media interviews at the
time his Azonto Ghost song became popular. In
almost all the places he was invited to, Bisa Kdei
told Showbiz, from English-speaking radio
stations to television stations, he was welcomed
in the Twi language.
“It was funny, however, how English-language
radio stations quickly changed the language to
Twi just to make me feel comfortable because
they thought I couldn’t speak English. ”Presenters
from YFM, Citi FM and Joy FM, who interviewed
me would regularly start their interviews in Twi
before I told them I preferred to speak in English”,
he said.
“I have received a lot of bad comments on my
Facebook page from my fans telling me to
educate myself in English. But I knew that was
because no one had heard me speak English in an
interview”. Bisa explained to Showbiz at his
Shortcut Studio located in Santa Maria, Accra.
According to Bisa, after he uploaded some videos
of interviews he had done in English on his
Twitter and Facebook pages, many of his fans
and friends began sending him positive messages
with many of them congratulating him for being
fluent in both English and Twi.
“I decided to prove to all those doubting my
capability that I am not an illiterate. For Christ
sake, I am a graduate of Accra Technical Training
College. The fact that I never spoke English in an
interview or replied comments asking me to speak
English did not mean I am an illiterate”. Bisa
stated.
Bisa whose real name is Ronald Kweku Dei
Appiah, started his music career as a rapper in a
group called BISA (Boys In Serious Action). He
later decided to embark on a solo project when
he found out he could do better in singing.
Movie producer Afra Marley who spotted the
talent in Bisa introduced him to his other
colleague and that was how Bisa’s success story
began.
Bisa has done soundtracks for movie producers
such as A.A Productions, Paul Gee, Miracle Films
and Pat Thomas. However, it was the movie,
Azonto Ghost, that brought him into the limelight.
Asked how he comes by the lyrics of the songs
he does for movie production houses, Bisa
revealed that he first takes a look at the movies
and then puts the lyrics together.
After his Azonto Ghost song became a massive
hit, the 27 year old musician released hit singles,
Metanfo, Over, Madanfo and Love Letter before
finally releasing his maiden Thanksgiving album
that has 16 songs on it.
According to Bisa, he stands for good music.
“Some musicians do music for the fun of it, but I
always try to tell a story that people can relate
to. Ever since I began playing music about eight
years ago, I have told touching stories of
everyday life through my music,” Bisa said.
Last year, he was nominated in the category of
Best Hiplife Song at the Vodafone Ghana Music
Awards and also had four nominations at the
MTN 4syte Music Video Awards in the categories
of Best Storyline Video, Best Hiplife Video, Best
Hiphlife Video and Best Discovery Video.
Currently Bisa Kdei has six nominations in the
upcoming Vodafone Ghana Music Awards. He was
born on March 19, 1986, and hails from Larteh, in
the Eastern Region.