The feeling is almost surreal. I started out as a fan, a seeker playing with rhythms, jumping hoops through time and piecing stories of lives together with little or no intentions of becoming the best and the number one in a space of 5 active years. For any romantic looking to woo and win over a heart, you start with the work, you put in the most that you can and do your very best to do all the right things, say the right lines and most important of all, be yourself without apologies. This is how my love affair with music started.
The fact that life stories could be told in the space of 3 to 4 minutes drew me in but what made me fall deeper was the feeling and sensation that subduing even the toughest person when the right melodies are stroked together at the right time gave me. I appreciated that music was a defining part of our existence as humans and no matter how far we reached; it was what told us about our past through memories; it inspires our present with thoughts of possibilities and guides our futures with thoughts of what is to come. It is the single most important element of our culture that continues to make sense although, ‘artiste come and go, talent fade and burn’, there is a constant that never changes, and that is music feeding the soul.
In the early days of my relationship, it was all about the laughter and the joy of playing at friends’ drink ups. The excitement that spread across their faces as I moved from Asem’s ‘Give me blow’ to Okyeame Kwame’s ‘Wo so’ was all that I looked out for. With each song I dropped, there was a special sort of ‘wow’ that moved from the corridor of the room to the balcony and that was enough to keep me going. The story continued from there with a party after the other and becoming the resident DJ for EchoHouse who have been with me every step of the way. Knowing that there will always be a bunch that will have your back no matter what, understand your flaws, appreciate your contribution no matter how small it is and bless you each day with criticism is more than I could’ve asked for. The family for which I’ve built myself and grown along with, EchoHouse and Starr FM have redefined love and support. These are the people who have made me understand ‘blood makes us related, loyalty makes us family’.
In the midst of all the chaos, fun and becoming the life of the party, the group that has kept me sane, grounded and in tune with the mission from day one has been the fans. Those who believed and argued in my favor and tuned in each day to hear me play from 3 to 7. These are the brothers who understand my hustle and the sisters who cheer on the timeless ode of ‘hard work pays’.
For the Old Gees who inspired my growth and helped with my progress, thank you for carrying the torch this far. Thank you for making fading, piecing and slicing of songs appealing enough for my passion and carving a path for my generation and bunch of artiste to believe it was possible. Without your hard work, commitment and dedication, ‘Best DJ of the Year’ would have been meaningless.
As I sit to write this love letter, the beautiful voice, the thumping beats and the punchline by punchline that guided and provided meaning to my madness is what has given me the confidence to talk about my beautiful imperfect relationship. I know the going is going to get tough but with me forever committed to music, “I’m not asking for much but just a couple of forever”.
Thank you.
Kofi Amoako, DJ, Lover, Dreamer and Believer
