For years, millions of Ghanaians watched Ghana’s Most Beautiful without knowing that one of the traditional songs that became closely associated with the celebrated cultural pageant belonged to Northern Ghanaian musician Michael Adangba .
Now, nearly 20 years later, the Kasem music icon has finally been given the opportunity to officially compose a new theme song for the TV3 programme in collaboration with Ghanaian singer Enam, a moment his management describes as both emotional and long overdue.
Speaking in an interview, Adangba’s manager, Wenawomeh Aborah revealed that the musician’s original song had been adopted by the programme years ago after it caught the attention of producers because of its powerful cultural message.
According to him, the song was originally written to promote the culture of Northern Ghana while drawing attention to the devastating effects of climate change and indiscriminate tree felling.
“The song was already in existence before Ghana’s Most Beautiful started using it,” the manager explained. “It talks about the destruction of the environment through the cutting down of trees. At the beginning of the song, when he says “Bangawego”, it is a cry to Almighty God, asking for intervention while also urging people to stop destroying nature.”
He disclosed that when TV3 first began using the song, there was confusion over its ownership, with some even believing it belonged to a Malian artiste.
“At one point, they thought it was by a Malian singer until we reached out to let them know the song actually belonged to Michael Adangba. After that, it was taken off.”
Years later, the broadcaster reconnected with the musician, this time inviting him to create an original composition for the beauty pageant.
“For us, this was something we had been looking forward to,” the manager said. “When they contacted us to collaborate with Enam and compose a new song, we gladly accepted because Ghana’s Most Beautiful shares the same vision we have, promoting Ghanaian culture and tradition.”
He described the opportunity as a significant milestone, saying the programme has consistently celebrated the country’s rich cultural heritage, making it the perfect platform for Adangba’s style of indigenous music.
Adangba’s performs predominantly in “Kasem”, the language spoken by the Kasena-Nankana people in Ghana’s Upper East Region and parts of southern Burkina Faso. His manager said choosing the language has always been intentional.
“Kasem is his native language, and that’s the culture we want to project. Singing in Kasem allows him to preserve and showcase our traditions through music.”
While many listeners may not understand the language, he explained that Adangba’s music explores universal themes that resonate across cultures.
“He sings about everyday life, love, politics, social issues and the experiences of ordinary people. The difference is that he tells these stories in his traditional language.”
The collaboration with Enam marks a full-circle moment for the veteran musician. After watching one of his songs become part of one of Ghana’s biggest cultural television programmes for years, Michael Adangba has finally received official recognition, not just as the voice behind a familiar sound, but as the composer entrusted with creating its next musical identity.
