By: Jonathan Thompson
Legendary Highlife icon Alfred Benjamin Crentsil, popularly called AB Crentsil has passed on.
The news was confirmed this morning on social media and tributes have been pouring in from Music Stars who saw the 79-year-old legend as an inspiration to the young and old.
In this report GBCNEWS takes us through the life and work of the late AB Crentsil.
Alfred Benjamin Crentsil Jr was born in Prestea in the Western Region in 1943.
When he was a pupil at the Takoradi Methodist Primary and the Rev Cleveland Middle School he was identified and became proficient in playing the guitar and singing along when playing it.
After his middle school, he worked as an electrician and played music with some bands such as the Strollers Band owned by one Kwesi Donkor, El Dorados band as well as the Sweet Talks – which he jointly led with Smart Nkansah in the 1970s.
He also worked with the Ahenfo Band. He composed and produced hit songs from the 1970s down the line.
One of his greatest and most popular songs when he started his music career was “Anyen” which is a Fante word for “Witchcraft”.
AB Crentsil is also well known for churning out controversial songs. One of such is “Moses”, a song which uses the Biblical story of Moses and how he divided the red sea with his rod as an allusion for sexuality between couples.
Though an old gun in the game of music, AB also loved working with the youth and became a big supporter of the new trend of Ghanaian music which is now hip life which he described often as too energetic for a man of his age.
He even did a collaboration with past MUSIGA President, Obour titled “Juliana”.
Mr. A.B. Crentsil won lots of awards both locally and internationally including the Fontomfrom Evergreen Award, which is given to musicians who have consistently stayed in the business for more than 20 years.
A.B. Crentsil has paid his dues to the Ghanaian music industry and lived to see three generations of different Ghanaian music trends which are highlife, burger nightlife and hiplife.
AB is gone but his legacies will continue to reign.
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Ghanaian Highlife legend AB Crentsil dies aged 79
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