Friends, I love reggae music, and I believe most of you do too. I want you to put on your dancing shoes and let’s dance to the tune of “Chant a psalm a day” by Steel Pulse. To refresh your memory, Steel Pulse is a roots reggae musical band from the Handsworth area of Birmingham in England which has a large number of Afro-Caribbean, Indian and other Asian migrants. They were the first non-Jamaican a musical group to win the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.
Yea mehn, let me join Steve Nisbett, Steel Pulse’s drummer on the drums, as I treat you to a spot of hot roots reggae music. Feel free and blow away your bluesy feeling: Cha, cha, Cha, cha, cha, kirenkeken,
Rejoice, rejoice
Good tidings I bring you
Hear ye a message to you my friend
Voices cry invoke your angels
When pressure drop it cannot conquer dread no
So blow away your bluesy feeling
Spirits say take the world off you shoulder
One foot in the grave is a foolish step to take (dancer)
Who sow in tears shall reap in joy
Wise man doctrines assure your safety
No more stumbling block back stabbers get down
To the righteous revealed
The secret of the scriptures
The wicked dem portion is vanity
Disciples of Lucifer
In your hands lie your destination
The book of true life you hold the key
Mystical powers to you unfold
Seek ye the half that has never been told
Get behind me satan (in this ya Armageddon)
I’ve got chant
Chant a psalm a day.
I want to chant chant a psalm a day
I got to chant chant a psalm a day.
Moses he did chant chant
Samson he did chant chant
Elijah he did chant
I want the whole a we fe chant chant
Solomon he did chant chant
His father King David chant chant
John the Baptist chant chant
I want the whole a we fe chant chant
Chai, reggae musicians and innuendos, smh (shake my head). Did you hear them? They mentioned “Disciples of Lucifer”and said back stabbers must get down. Kikikikiki, who are the Disciples of Lucifer and back stabbers they are referring to? Keep your answers oo, I didn’t mention Yaanom oo. Please I don’t want trouble.
Nevertheless, what fascinates me about the lyrics is the line, “who sow in tears shall reap in joy”. Ghanaians are sowing in tears amidst untold hardship and painfully waiting for Mahama in December 7.
To emphasis my point, and show evidence of hope, I wish to continue with the listing of some of the good things President Mahama did for this country, and this time around, I want to touch on some achievements in an area that not too many people know much about.
Ghana like most of her sister countries is experiencing severe sea erosion problems at some parts of her 580-kilometre coastline. These have produced very damaging effects on tourism, fishing and other economic enterprises.
President Mahama’s government undertook a number of Sea Defence and Coastal Protection Projects to safeguard coastal communities against the vagaries of the sea.
These projects include: Sakumono Sea Defence Project in Accra where a total stretch of 3.5 kilometres was protected, Atorkor – Dzita – Anyanui in the Volta region with a total stretch of 1.5km, Ada Sea Defence Project of 10km stretch and the Ngyiresia Coastal Protection Project designed to protect the main Sekondi-Essipong road in the Western Region from erosion.
Others are the 23-million US dollar, 2.5km Nkontompo Coastal Works aimed at protecting life and development in the fishing communities of Nkontompo, Poasi and New Takoradi against wave impact as well as facilitating fishing activities; the 28.5-million dollar Aboadze Coastal Works designed to protect the Aboadze Thermal Plants as well as life and development in the Aboadze community against wave impact.
The rest are the 31.2 – million dollar Dansoman Coastal Protection Project in Accra, the objective of which is to protect life and development at Dansoman and its environs. Works under the 2km project entail the construction of an armour rock revetment; and the Mensah Guinea Sea Defence Project which stretches from La to Chorkor in the Greater Accra Region.
So, you see, the Changing Lives and Transformational vision of H.E. John Dramani Mahama was not only on course, but holistic. This is the reason why I keep saying that our love for him must be unrequited. Let’s help him to win the 2024 presidential election with majority seat in Parliament by chanting a psalm a day for him.
Please enjoy Chant A Psalm by Steel Pulse.
Anthony Obeng Afrane
