Indeed a second gear gives more speed and perhaps excitement than the first; and that’s exactly what Highlife great Bob Pinodo, gave music lovers who attended the second day of the Music of Ghanaian Origin (MOGO) Festival’s 3 Nights With Music Greats show.
The event, which precedes the MOGO Awards scheduled for March 5, prepares the ground for the main event, which climaxes the MOGO Festival, a Citi FM initiative.
Bob Pinodo, 71, took the baton from 81-year old Ebo Taylor, who performed on Monday, and took the show a notch higher.
With the help of the Executive Band, the man who has seven albums and boasts about having thirteen children, gave the audience a reason to spare two hours of their Tuesday night, even though they will leave for work on Wednesday.
The man, whose first album was released as far back as 1978, took the audience on a long-journey of a flashback into the past, shaking the grounds of +233 Jazz Bar and Grill, as the audience, both young and old, were forced on their feet.
Pinodo, whose exploits in the late 70s to 80s cannot go unnoticed by lovers of original Ghanaian songs, told Citi FM’s Kwadwo Akoto Boateng that although his father was a musician, he did not want him to go into pop music.
Having achieved great laurels in his genre of music mostly in Europe and America, Pinodo says many view him as a foreigner although he is a Ghanaian who hails from Winneba in the Central Region – arguably the home of Ghana’s highlife music.
Pinodo told Akoto Boateng that his real name is Robert Aidan.
“The name Bob Pinodo was given to me because of how I play the piano” he divulged.
Pinodo says he was inspired to sing more about love because in Europe and America where he harnessed his music career, “they always talk about love”.
About Pinodo
Bob Pinodo is one of Ghana’s foremost musical showmen, traveling around the country with his own variety show which featured dance, music, and comedy. He was awarded the Arts Council Award as the country’s most talented musician in 1969. Bob recorded his first LP in Germany in 1977.
Better known in his days as the “show master of Africa”, Pinodo rose to the pinnacle of his career with hit songs like “Disco Dance”, “Yesu ne m’agyenkwa”, “Love is Love”, “Girl with the guitar shape”, ”come back love”, “Africa”, “Darling” and “peep to see”, all on his “show master of Africa” album (attached).
The Album released by Essiebons Ltd. in 1978, had air play on the BBC, winning best album, best composition, best production, best recording and ultimately the album of the Millennium from the Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana (ECRAG) and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) respectively.
Like Ebo Taylor and others, Pinodo also had the privilege to teach music at the University of Education, Winneba.
K.K. Kabobo
The Nights with Music Greats ends on Wednesday March 2, with the ever-energetic and exciting K.K. Kabobo.
The MOGO Awards
Legendary Highlife musician, Amakye Dede, is expected to set the Alisa Hotel Ridge Arena on fire on Saturday March 5, when he takes his turn at the MOGO Awards.
The MOGO Awards climaxes the week-long festival. Amakye Dede is expected to give his best performance yet, after the recent fatal accident that killed his manager.
The ‘Iron Boy’ and his band would treat the audience to his collection of timeless hit songs on a night when musicians who have excelled in the past year would be honoured. Other great musicians to perform on the night include Bessa Simons, Ebo Taylor and Bob Pinodo.
Award Categories
MOGO Awards Awards to be presented on the night include the MOGO Artiste of the Year, MOGO Song of the Year, MOGO Best Song Writer, MOGO Best Performer, MOGO Best Band/Group, MOGO Best producer and MOGO Best Collaboration.
[contextly_sidebar id=”s9WWKe3Fn3lOT5v9m7dCYM3jidR4m82F”]The rest are MOGO Best Male Act, MOGO Best Female Acts, MOGO Album of the Year and the coveted and revered MOGO Lifetime Achievement Awards. In all ten (10) awards would be given out to deserving individuals and groups.
In addition, some outstanding legends, whose contributions to the Ghanaian music industry have brought great gains to the highlife genre, would be honoured with the lifetime achievement awards.
The MOGO Festival 2016 is powered by Citi 97.3 FM, sponsored by the National Lottery Authority and Rehoboth Properties and supported by Alisa Hotels and the +233 Jazz Bar and Grill.
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By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AfanyiDadzie