Tema Youth to challenge the status quo at TYES15

TEMA YOUTH EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT 15 is by far the biggest motivational and inspirational gathering in Tema. It brings together youth from all over the city and beyond, equip and empower them to succeed. Only in the second year the maiden edition saw over hundred young people from schools, churches and social clubs as participants; some of who are doing well in different spheres of life currently.

This year's edition under the theme "CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO" is aimed at helping the youth to explore career opportunities and reduce unemployment in the city. It is also aimed at challenging young people to take full responsibility for their growth and development.
With confirmation of participation from schools, churches and individuals on the rise daily it is of no doubt that this edition is going to be bigger and better. It has attracted support from prominent individuals in the city most especially Hon. ISAAC ASHAI ODAMTTEM; METROPOLITAN CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF TEMA.

Some topics to be treated include career excellence, leadership, entrepreneurship, starting right, financial management, social capital and personal development. Speakers include Conrad Kakraba, Jeremiah Buabeng, Benjamin Ashitey Amarh, Cephas Adjei Mensah, Davis Kwabena Borti and Joseph Bright Tay(host).

We can't afford to perform below the bar, we are challenging the status quo to transform Tema, Ghana and Africa at large.

Date: 10th October, 2015
Venue: Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Emmanuel Congregation, Tema New Town.
Time: 10 AM.
TYES15...... challenging the status quo.
Come one, come all to be inspired and empowered to succeed. See you there!!!!!

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Capability the engine

If you are not new to my ramblings about performance, then you probably already know what role occupation plays in the quest for maximization of existence or peak performance for that matter. In uptimetrics, we describe it as the vehicle that must transport the agent to the set destination. From a practical viewpoint, destination is the goal a person sets for their existence (it is the ultimate determinant of a maximized existence). It answers the question; what one thing must you achieve for you to say you have given your best in life.

The description of occupation as a vehicle automatically proposes the need for an engine; a vehicle cannot move without a source of energy. That engine is capability. Capability for our purposes can be said to have four main cylinders—Talent, Skill, Interest and Traits. It is when these cylinders are well aligned and are all firing at their full capacities that the vehicle moves at full power. The importance of firing at full power is based on the premise that time is the only known unit for measuring existence and maximization of existence relies heavily on its optimum use.  

What you do + Quality(quality+quantity) of what you do / the length of Time in which you do it =Performance

Ok don’t let the math frighten you. I am not good at it ether. This simply means you have given it your best possible shot. The extension of this formula is the comparison to the best in the field but I shall desist from exploring that since that discussion is beyond the scope of this article. I am actually avoiding the Ecclesiastes 9:11 fanatics…for now. ;)

As a general rule however, the faster the vehicle the more likely it is for the goal to be reached and the less the time this is likely to be done in. Since one does not have the luxury of eternity, at least in this existence as we know it, it counts that you take the time factor into consideration and this depends directly on the power of your engine—capability. What can you do in a day? Not many of us have answered that question but a careful analysis will reveal that it is that simple answer, too often very hard to produce that will shape your whole existence.

Anyway, as you may already know, a well-oiled, well-functioning engine is critical for overall performance. Yet it is not the only determinant. It must be steered in the right direction and stopped when necessary. These two elements ensure that the capability engine remains an asset. A high performance vehicle is a death-trap without a good breaking and control system. There is an axiom for this; Great power must come with great responsibility. But that’s not the end of the story; there are also matters regarding weights or baggage (how much you are carrying along) which must be shed so the power of the engine is allowed to be what it really is. 

For a deeper understanding you need to read my theoretical foundation of peak performance which unfortunately is being rewritten at the moment—sorry. Stick around long enough and I might just give you a copy. In the meantime, spend some time thinking about your engine and how it is influencing your vehicle towards the possibility of maximizing your existence. #spidup

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Dimensions of GOOD

Many are the thinkers who have treated good as an idea. The conclusions have not always been the same (You know how philosophers are). This is strange given the fact that good is an idea we deal with in every day activity—it is also what we all claim we represent. The consensus appears to be that; it is relative and only determined by the context of particular circumstances. What may be good for the goose may not be good for the gander after all. And what may be good today may not be good tomorrow. But don’t let me rock the boat too hard.

Think about this for a second; a person seeking justice will be very quick to point out that what is good for the goose is good for the gander and he may be right. But he will say so only because it helps his cause—it preserves his existence in one way or another. A person who is actually in the wrong, will refer to a judgement in his favour as good—it helps his cause. So in a typical scenario of opposing forces, there might be different definitions of what is good as it will be dependent on the cause it helps (in Plus-Thinking, we explore this notion in more detail). This may perhaps be the reason utilitarians turned to the idea of the general good i.e. that which promotes the larger cause of society though at the expense of one of its sub-components. This means a sacrifice of the individual for the larger good (perhaps that rings a bell).

While I personally like the idea of the general good, many of the scenarios that result from it are nothing short of petrifying. But I am digressing again aren’t I; the point of this article is to find a more humanly digestible understanding that can be applied in your daily activities as you map your way to high performance in your occupation and larger existence.

There are two levels to good which must be complied with if your output is to qualify as good. First is your very person; a good person is likely to produce a good product. This is based on the presumption that, a good person has good intentions and therefore creates good products. A beneficiary will describe your output as good because it helps their cause. But the question that arises is; is their cause good? The answer to that will be a resounding yes if we presume that the beneficiary is a good person who has good intentions. So that the goodness of the product is not simply because it serves a purpose well but more because the purpose it serves is good. We have seen that the larger good—the good that benefits the larger society is the ultimate good that must be aspired to. So that if the product meets the needs of the larger society is some way, it will be because it was put in place by a good person who by our understanding is good only because he has the needs of the larger society at heart even at the expense of his comfort.

Now, let’s not get carried away with the utilitarian thinking of which I am not exactly an aficionado by any stretch of the imagination. I am more the God kind of guy who, instead of saying larger good, will be happier placing God (the repository of all good) in the center of things much to the displeasure of one Richard Dawkins. If God is the repository of all goodness, then we must see how complying with his interest is what makes a good person who of necessity will put out a product that must meet the God standard. In effect, the single goodness of God when accepted makes a good person who puts out a good product that meets the need of the larger society.

We have seen from our research at the CSD that the high performing individual is a certain kind of personality with specific character traits (I shall treat this thought in more detail in a coming paper) which is akin to those proposed by scripture. Indeed we are yet to encounter any religion or spiritual path for that matter; that does not advocate goodness as the best way to exist. They all seek to develop devotees into such a personality. This substantiates the fact that any maximization of existence must begin with goodness and that the degree of goodness in that order determines the extent of the maximization of existence.

The high performing individual is a good guy. The better you are as a person the better your output and the better your life will be—all things being equal. It will be difficult to describe something as best without first passing it through the good stage. Be good at what you do but also do it for a good reason because you are a good person. After good comes better and best #spidup

If you Know anyone who is good at what they do, nominate them for the SPiD-UP high performance recognition program and we will reward them on your behalf.

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A clandestine mission

I am a regular guest on interview panels. Not because I am an HR expert of any kind or am I? My mission on these panels is more of the clandestine kind. Recently I was guest on one of such panels when a young lady walked in. She and the job on offer were more like plug and socket if you like— the perfect fit. I have not seen that in a long time and I began to wonder if the hand of God was at work in this young lady’s life. Well I could not think of a better explanation for such a mystery.

First of all, only seven out of the twenty applicants showed up on time… (Well you have to make room for the African mean time AMT) so no surprises there. Three were badly dressed rendering useless the host’s effort to impress them by choosing a three star hotel’s conference room complete with all the goodies—I did enjoy the earl grey tea.  Somehow the “you never get another chance to make a first impression” message has not reached some. More work to do motivational speakers.

With a guy like me on the panel, the gate just gets much narrower. Not that I ask the most questions, sometimes I never say anything at all as I feed off the question of the well… experts. My mission is to identify the performance conscious and the most purposeful people among the lot. And when I do ask a question, it will be trying to find the connection between the job being applied for, the applicants own life aspiration and their understanding of how the job in question can help them achieve their life goals.

Making performance consciousness and purposefulness the key, everything else kind of falls in place. You see, a person will place great importance on the task or event at hand only if they see how their larger existence depends on it. Such persons will treat the job with great importance and give their best, not because they like the job but because they see it as an opportunity to get what they really want and everyone wants something. One applicant was honest when she said;

“I need this job because it will help me pay my way through school and feed my self until I can get the job I really want”.

No! That’s not a slap in the face, it smells of purposefulness and integrity—the two are often allies and find a resting place among the many traits of the performance conscious individual. So what’s my point? Too many people have misaligned the life aspiration and the current objectives. Most are not even sure where they are on their timeline and this for me indicates purposelessness which disqualifies the individual as performance conscious. Since there are no businesses out there that do not want high performance, this is increasingly becoming a matter of concern. 

As we know, high performing individuals make high performing organization and the latter in turn make high performing nation and this is how we can make a high performing continent. Only two persons qualified for the job from my performance consciousness and purposefulness point of view. To learn more about performance consciousness and purposefulness, you are already in the right place. Attend a SPiD-UP® workshop, read a book or keep snooping around this website and your life will never be the same. Have a high performance day.

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Team SPiD-UP at Rebrand15

BKC Consulting with his #TeamBKC took the event a notch up this year and I was glad to have been among the audience.  I have missed previous editions but this time I decided I needed some lessons in branding. Sometimes you think you know something until you meet the people who actually know it. The experience was a very good one for me and most likely for everyone who was there.

In attendance was the peerless Okyeame Kwame who spoke to the audience on the topic online branding. Now you will think this surprising if you haven’t met Okyeame Kwame. Together with his wife they run a branding company called firm bridges. This chap knows something about almost everything and branding is certainly one of his strengths. In fact my discussions with him led to some major adjustment to the SPiD-UP® brand. That’s the depth of Okyeame Kwame and he appears to have that effect on most people he meets.

Linda Narh (from an unnamed bank) who spoke on corporate branding and rebranding was more on point than one can be imagine as she walked the crowed through some of the key concepts before answering questions even beyond the topic under discussion. Then there was ML Brookshire who side-stepped the consumer branding topic that she was to speak on to give us a life transforming rendition of her life story. This is a story everyone must hear and we are currently pulling all strings to get an interview with her for your benefit.

BKC was at his personal best on the topic; reputation management and personal branding as the likes of Scofray Nana Yeboah, Emmanuel Woyome, Jeremiah Buabeng, Ekow Mensah, Dennis Gawuga, Slorm Alfred Betepe and Benjamin Gregory Aggrey featured in discussions on career and branding respectively. If I were you, I will be at the next rebrand which if my math is correct, will be christened Rebrand16 and more than likely be held at the Airport West hotel with more powerful topics and personalities. See you then!

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CXC finally releases Street Smart Selling

The Customer Experience Consortium (CXC), a business consultancy specialising in the training of sales and customer service staff is organising yet another exciting training seminar for businesses all over the country.

The STREET SMART SELLING SEMINAR (LEVELS 1 & 2) is facilitated by renowned sales and service coach, J. N. Halm, the author of the very popular “CUSTOMER ROMANCE” book, supported a cast of seasoned trainers and consultants. It is a must-attend for all sales and marketing professionals who seek to master the art of selling.

This training seminar will empower sales and marketing staff with the necessary strategies, skills and techniques to better sell their products and/or services.

After this seminar, you will close more deals and make more money!  

Some of the modules to be treated include:

• The Service-Dominant Selling Approach: What is it?
• Service-Dominant Selling and the Performance Theory
• Mastering the Sales Process
• Smart Prospecting Strategies that get great results
• Presenting Solutions: How to Tell a Good Story
• Closing Deals as a Service-Dominant Seller

Further Details:

Fees: GH¢ 199.99 for One Level  GH¢ 350.00 for Both Levels
 (Includes TUITION, CERTIFICATE, COURSE MATERIALS, LUNCH, etc.) (Special discounts for group registration)

Venue: Sunlodge Hotel, Tesano - Accra                    
 Date: 19^th September and 26^th September, 2015                   
Time: 9:00am-3:00pm                                    Call: 020 758 5171 / 030 3939453

                                                                           

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Motivation VS Inspiration

Do you find some things really effortless and other things needing you to push yourself, and really focus on staying on task to complete?... You do. Everyone does from time to time, in one sense or another, but why? What's the difference?

Simply defined, motivation is driven from external forces- like expectations, deadlines, goals etc. Something that you don't intrinsically have, or are driven for example you need to be 'motivated' to do it, whether you motivate yourself, or you have someone else motivate you, like a coach or mentor or friend or lover etc.  Inspiration comes from within, and is much more powerful as a driver for behavior and ultimately results, yet inspiration &/or motivation alone don't equal results without action.

How many times have you had a fleeting moment of inspiration? An idea that at the time you had it, stirred up a deep positive feeling inside you, and in the next instant it was gone! Vanished into the depths of your biological filing system, no matter how hard you tried to recall it, you just couldn't, and the harder you triedthe harder it was to recall, until you just moved on.

One of the biggest keys to a fulfilled life is to act on your inspirations, like the great artists, engineers, architects, authors, thinkers, doers, leaders & changers of our time did and do. All of these people were driven not by motivation, but by inspiration, or in other words their ultimate purpose, the thing that no one told them to do, and everyone said they would never be able to do.

If you get a bucket and put one crab in the bucket, the crab will crawl out of the bucket. The crab is instinctually inspired to get out of the bucket and back to the ocean floor, where it knows it belongs and loves to be. BUT, you put two crabs in the same bucket and neither crab will get out....true story. You see, every time one of the crabs gets inspired enough to escape the limitations of the bucket, the other crab will reach up and pull it back down... 

So what is your purpose? What inspires you? Which is normally the point where a person will say either "I don't know" or they'll say what inspires them, followed by all the reasons they can't do it, based on the size of their bucket and all the crabs out there that keep them in the bucket. 

Inspiration doesn't have to mean changing the world, or going into business, or anything for that matter, it means what ever it means to you, whatever it is that provides you with real fulfillment. I have friends that are inspired to live very simple lives, completely off grid, and I can tell you they are happier than most other people that need to be continually motivated to do something that doesn't inspire them, but "pays the bills", but you can find inspirations in your everyday movements... if you look for them!

The bucket is your comfort zone. Your limiting beliefs about the world and what is possible, and the crabs are the external things that limit you (money, relationships, government, opportunity, privilege etc.) 

When things seem impossible think about this. The Earth is 4.6 billion years old.
If you scale this to 1B:1, or in other words down to 46 years, then the human race has been here for just 4 hours & The Industrial Revolution began just 1 minute ago!

Forget about what you think is possible, and start to think about what inspires you. Steve Jobs once said "I want a phone with one button..." and everyone said he was crazy - to which he replied "the people that are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that do"

Step out of the bucket and into life, and if you have crabs, ask a coach for some inspirational crab removal cream...

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This article was contributed by John Fell. For more about the author click the link below; Click here

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SPiD-UP® Performance Recognition Program Activated!

It is a known fact that there are countless unsung heroes around the world who’s efforts in their daily occupations have very significant impact on their environment. Yet they do not receive any recognition for their hard work. Indeed there cannot be enough award programs as we know them; to accommodate the many people who are making change and brightening their little corners. According to president of CSD-Africa and projector director of project SPiD-UP®; Markus K. Katey, the SPiD-UP® recognition program was created to meet this very important need.

According to him, the objective of the project is to help in the quest for a performance conscious continent and one of the ways to encourage people to strive to be their best as a way of life is recognition. It is therefore unfortunate that very few out of the many who are really doing great work get recognized. He said it is also a known fact that many of the awards schemes around are not authentic enough and therefore there is a need for programs like this one. He insisted that the program is different from any award scheme in that, it is not industry specific and literally everyone qualifies to be nominated. It will then be up to the SPiD-UP® team to examine the nominee and ascertain whether they are in fact high performing individuals in their occupations.

He added that the project hopes to recognize and award 10 nominees every month across the continent and encourages everyone to take the opportunity to nominate people who are demonstrating high performance in their work. He stated; “If you appreciate someone’s work whether an individual or organization, or perhaps impressed with a product, you have an obligation to nominate them just as you must speak up when you believe they are under-performing. Together we can get the whole continent performing.”  I would like to encourage organizations to outsource their recognition programs to us as all they then have to do is nominate and sponsor staff members. We will take care of the rest and arguably give the nominee more than employers possibly can.

Nominations can be made on the project website; www.spid-up.com by literally anyone. Nominees will be screened and awarded in compliance with the terms and conditions (available at spid-up.com). It is indeed a commendable effort and the SPiD-UP® and CSD Africa team deserves our support. The project is currently recruiting sponsors. Get more info http://www.spid-up.com/p/recognition.html

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Different or Attention Seeking Disorder (ASD)

A few years ago, I wrote a rather long article that got me into a bit of trouble. It was titled; the demons that haunt originality. I have since been trying to develop it into a book, I have titled “down Demon Avenue”. But this hasn’t been as easy as I thought with the myriad of other books waiting to be completed. God is in control. The purpose of that article was to treat the idea of originality that in my opinion many people only make an attempt at; but never really attain. This is a tragedy of the serious kind. It got me into trouble because I mentioned the names of specific individuals as examples to bring my point home. I shall now attempt to make a similar point under a cloud of all the ambiguity I can muster at the inimical expense of my innate need to say things exactly as I see it.

Because the idea of originality is too broad for the purpose of this article, I shall focus on the idea of difference (being different and making a difference) which as far as I can see, is an aspect of the originality discussion. Nature itself thrives on diversity. We see the manifestation of this in the many different varieties it has of each entity. There are many different species of apples as there are of oranges. A larger variety is the citrus family and the much larger fruit family—yet they form a unit that integrates with other units to make a larger unit. No aspect of nature is without this diversity and no where do they not unite in one way or another. Yet it is the unity of this diversity that makes nature what it is in a plug and socket manner. What kind of life will this be if all the fruits were the same and had the same properties? So that nature needs this heterogeneity that it will unite into one working unit with many different players. Any attempt to deprive it of this difference is error. Let’s put that in the bag for now.

With the forgone as a premise therefore, we must see why it is required by nature that every one of its constituents be different, unique and original no matter how apparently similar and nature indeed makes the so by default. To be different therefore, one only has to simply allow the different and original that one already is—we have seen this in performance theory as a necessary ingredient.  The challenge most people have starts with the attempt at being different. Often when a person decides of their own accord to be different, they are forced to think up ways in which they can appear different from everybody else. This is not very difficult to achieve as a simple thing as walking around without shoes in a society where wearing shoes is the norm can make one significantly different in the immediate environment. Yet when we look far enough, we will quickly learn that there are others who already walk around without shoes. At that point what seemed different begins to lose its authenticity and starts straying towards normal in a certain sense. Walking around without shoes can easily be replicated by literally everyone. It is a falsity then to think that is how one is different from others. It is a learnt and created difference. It is attention seeking that became necessary because one somehow learnt that you can gain attention by being different. When it wears out, one will have to think up other ways in which they can be different.

For this group that tries to be different, they are often not very conscious of the effect of their actions and its consequences. What is most important to them is to gain the attention that being different or being seen to have challenged the status quo brings. It is a need being met by any means necessary and this is not different from a person who decides to rob others so he might feed his children. A musician who decides to perform stark naked in front of an audience will gain some attention no doubt. Possibly even world-wide fame and some have done that. However, we will have been attracted by a naked body or eccentric behavior and not great music. So perhaps this individual is not a real musician—his authenticity as a musician is then challenged by his own need to be different. His attempt at being different is actually a retrograde of civilization as we know it. Man left the walk-around-naked zone thousands of years ago because we decided that wearing clothes and shoes was the better option as far as our need for continuous improvement goes. As a matter of fact, all those who have made a difference did it with their clothes on. There is nothing special then about the act itself as it can be replicated by anyone and therefore not that different in essence. That which is different in essence cannot be replicated by another. Put that too in the bag.

Difference; when allowed to be what it is; brings humanity to a new level of progress its seeds rests within everyone. It is running the same one hundred meter sprint that many have ran for a millennia and bringing something new to it. Win it ahead of the elite, break the record and stand out. Be known as the only man who ran a sprint and actually slowed down in order to make room for a future breaking of your own record. A feat like this one can barely be achieved by simply showing up naked on the tracks. It is only with a certain capability (a unique combination of talent, skill, traits and interests) possessed by one person only. Of course the one who shows up naked will be remembered as the only one who showed up naked but that is as far as he will go. Should he break away from the pack and win the race by a significant margin, he would have made a real difference. However a person who has the capability to break records barely thinks about ways in which he can be different—he is already different.

My second concern is those who say that their life mission is to make a difference in the world. Fantastic! But they must by their occupation improve some aspect of our existence and be of benefit to many and not so much themselves. Benefit for the self is what most people do and hence we cannot claim difference when we do the same. It means going out there to do something phenomenal that inspires someone to do something too. Most importantly the conditions of others must change for the better because of something you did. So that beneficiaries can look at their situation at some point and say to themselves, I am different now because of something Mr. X did. Or perhaps an aspect of the world changed for the better because of something we have done. When we can make this happen, we can say that we have made a difference. It is for this reason that the expression change-maker can be equated to one who made a difference.

In conclusion, we should see that merely choosing to be different will not necessarily help us make a difference. To make a difference therefore, one has to just remain different. Simple as this is, it has eluded many. They therefore look outside of themselves for the solution to being different. This can only be described as a tragedy. The need to be different is ASD (Attention seeking disorder); it can be treated. Go make a difference with your already different self. #spidup
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We are glad you stopped by. You may download your free copy of the Peak Performance Scrapbook here http://www.spid-up.com/p/books_19.html, its our gift to you

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Africa calls through Black I

The review section of project SPiD-UP® helps to expose and promote great accomplishments by individuals and organizations who consciously and unconsciously pay attention to quality thereby bringing us all to a new level of development. We are especially interested in those that promise to push the set limits and take their vocations to the next level. This is based on the premise that; the world is the way it is because of what we have all done and not done. A better world therefore, is only possible with better performing individuals and organizations. To us at SPiD-UP®, quality equals high performance. It is when expectations are exceeded in a positive direction. In that spirit, we deem it fit to recognize a great piece of work delivered to us by Black I (AKA Nii Quarcoo) a Ghanaian reggae musician based in Atlanta, USA.

I personally chanced upon Black I’s work a few years ago when I heard a song titled “Tiniini kwano” on radio gold. I was quickly taken by the melody, arrangement and delivery. It was by all standards an outstanding piece of work. At the time I couldn’t figure out who the artist was as the presenter made no attempt at enlightening his listeners whatsoever. It will take a few years before I will meet the gentleman who will claim ownership of that outstanding piece of work. His proof ; a well packaged CD titled “African skies”  which represents his depute album. “Tiniini kwano” (“The right way” in Akan) which speaks from the very soul of Rastafarianism; reverberating the need to travel the right road by the guidance of God himself was the number 12 of the 13 track album. Anyone who has lived in Ghana long enough will understand the timeliness of this call. The focus of this article however, is another offering which is not even on the African Skies Album.

Our many conversations (primarily driven by my ever probing curiosity) will land me in the musical goldmine of works that are to constitute the many albums he plans to release in the next few years both on the local and international scenes. Among the many great songs I heard, one stood out: Africa Calling. The song featured a fellow reggae artiste Jah Hem a Bahamas born asset who’s vocal excellence is easy to confuse with that of reggae titan; Jah Cure. Those familiar with the work of Jah Cure will have an idea of what Jah Hem adds to the song as he opens with the unforgettable hook that is bound to leave even non-reggae fans asking for more. The song was recorded in Atlanta where Black I has worked extensively with ace producer Kaddafi to create masterful works of art in the reggae/dancehall genre.

The unusual thing about Africa Calling is the distinctly world famous Ghanaian Yaa Amponsah highlife guitar work that forms the base of the clearly unmistakable Jamaican dancehall rhythm. It is an enigmatic blend of Africa and the Caribbean. The song promises to redefine what Ghanaian dancehall is and provides answers that are certain to put critics in their place with its sheer authenticity.

It is nature’s way; that every now and then something comes along that redefines the thoughts of the day and takes the world forward one step. For dancehall fans and all concerned, this could be the one song that sets the trend that Ghanaian and indeed African reggae dancehall must follow. Fusing highlife with reggae is not exactly a new idea as many prominent reggae musicians such as Peter Tosh, Buju Banton and Ziggy Marley have experimented in that area; yet this one brings the whole idea home to where it really belongs. We rate Africa calling a five star high performance product and encourage you too, to put more effort into whatever you are doing. So this world can improve because of you. Like I said, the world is the way it is because of what we have all done. #spidup

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