A social media conversation has emerged regarding Ghana’s ‘Dancehall Queen’, with responses ranging from Mzvee to Ebony, Shege, Abrewa Nana, AK Songstress, and Fantana.
While a lot of women have contributed to the amplification and commercialization of the reggae/dancehall genre, Kaakie has cemented her place as the Queen of the genre. To understand why Kaakie is the only answer, one must follow her journey through reality show days, signing, winning awards, and her role in the dancehall revolution.
Real name Grace Kaki Awo Ocansey, Kaakie is undoubtedly one of Ghana’s gems as far as our music is concerned. She was always around music before she entered into the music industry. One of the key moments in her rise to fame was when she joined one of the nation’s earliest music reality shows, Stars of the Future.
The show played a huge role in her development as an artist, as it trained her in her performances and other technicalities as an artist.
Just like her, the show had been a starting point for other acts in the country like Wiyaala (Noella at the time), Efya (Jane at the time), Irene Logan, Niella, Krymi, and a host of others who either got elevated into mainstream stars or branched into other things. Despite not winning the competition, Kaakie’s talent caught the eyes of several industry folks, including legendary producer/engineer JMJ, who would partner with reggae/dancehall artist Samini to sign Kaakie to Xtra Large Music.
Kaakie gained popularity with her debut single “Ewo,” which became a groovy riddim. The song’s popularity led to other acts, including Stonebwoy and Samini, creating renditions of the song. The label’s push for the female dancehall artist led to Kaakie’s rise to a household name in the genre. Her voice, image, personality, and drive complemented dancehall music, making her one of the few women doing it well in Africa. Kaakie’s chemistry with JMJ was a match made in heaven, and their productions complemented her best. The duo had one of the best runs for an artist, dropping hits like “Too Much,” “Toffee Pon Tongue,” “DC Tun Up,” and “Koom Koom Cha.” She collaborated with artists like Ghetto KB, Sarkodie, Samini, and Edem.
She shared the stage with some of the biggest names in world music, including Mavado, Keri Hilson, Demarco, Busy Signal, Bow Wow, and other acts. She would become the first female dancehall artist and the only one to win a reggae or dancehall category at the VGMA. She would also pick up other awards like Best New Artiste and Female Vocalist at the VGMAs and Bass Awards, and earn a nomination for Most Gifted Ragga Dancehall Video at the Channel O Africa Awards 2013.
Kaakie’s exceptional career in a male-dominated genre laid the foundation for other female dancehall acts to build their careers. Although not the first female to create a dancehall song, she was the first to dominate the scene in the country. Artists like AK Songstress and Mzvee embodied the genre, but none had an album like Kaakie’s “KaakitUp.” Mzvee’s “Re-Vee-Lation” is considered up there, but her time as a dancehall artist was short-lived. It would however be dishonest to dismiss the contributions of other women like Mzvee, who played a significant role in the genre.
In 2013, Kaakie won the award for best reggae/dancehall song, leading to a nationwide battleground and the Dancehall Revolution. This amplified the genre and artists like Samini, Stonebwoy, and Shatta Wale. The amplification of the genre created more opportunities, leading to the breakthrough of other dancehall acts like Epixode, Rudebwoy Ranking, Rashid Metal, Vybrant Faya, Massani, Mzvee, and AK Songtress. Kaakie’s time in the music industry may have been short-lived, as she is pursuing a medical career. But her contribution and impact should not be swept under the carpet. In a short time, she amplified dancehall from a female perspective and proved that despite the genre being male-dominated, females can also make it their own. More women would come through the scene, and some would outdo what Kaakie has done. But even in such moments, Kaakie would forever be the blueprint.
A social media conversation has emerged regarding Ghana’s ‘Dancehall Queen’, with responses ranging from Mzvee to Ebony, Shege, Abrewa Nana, AK Songstress, and Fantana. While a lot of women have contributed to the amplification and commercialization of the reggae/dancehall genre, Kaakie has cemented her place as the Queen of the genre. To understand why Kaakie is the only answer, one must follow her journey through reality show days, signing, winning awards, and her role in the dancehall revolution.
Real name Grace Kaki Awo Ocansey, Kaakie is undoubtedly one of Ghana’s gems as far as our music is concerned. She was always around music before she entered into the music industry. One of the key moments in her rise to fame was when she joined one of the nation’s earliest music reality shows, Stars of the Future. The show played a huge role in her development as an artist, as it trained her in her performances and other technicalities as an artist. Just like her, the show had been a starting point for other acts in the country like Wiyaala (Noella at the time), Efya (Jane at the time), Irene Logan, Niella, Krymi, and a host of others who either got elevated into mainstream stars or branched into other things. Despite not winning the competition, Kaakie’s talent caught the eyes of several industry folks, including legendary producer/engineer JMJ, who would partner with reggae/dancehall artist Samini to sign Kaakie to Xtra Large Music.
Kaakie gained popularity with her debut single “Ewo,” which became a groovy riddim. The song’s popularity led to other acts, including Stonebwoy and Samini, creating renditions of the song. The label’s push for the female dancehall artist led to Kaakie’s rise to a household name in the genre. Her voice, image, personality, and drive complemented dancehall music, making her one of the few women doing it well in Africa. Kaakie’s chemistry with JMJ was a match made in heaven, and their productions complemented her best. The duo had one of the best runs for an artist, dropping hits like “Too Much,” “Toffee Pon Tongue,” “DC Tun Up,” and “Koom Koom Cha.” She collaborated with artists like Ghetto KB, Sarkodie, Samini, and Edem.
She shared the stage with some of the biggest names in world music, including Mavado, Keri Hilson, Demarco, Busy Signal, Bow Wow, and other acts. She would become the first female dancehall artist and the only one to win a reggae or dancehall category at the VGMA. She would also pick up other awards like Best New Artiste and Female Vocalist at the VGMAs and Bass Awards, and earn a nomination for Most Gifted Ragga Dancehall Video at the Channel O Africa Awards 2013.
Kaakie’s exceptional career in a male-dominated genre laid the foundation for other female dancehall acts to build their careers. Although not the first female to create a dancehall song, she was the first to dominate the scene in the country. Artists like AK Songstress and Mzvee embodied the genre, but none had an album like Kaakie’s “KaakitUp.” Mzvee’s “Re-Vee-Lation” is considered up there, but her time as a dancehall artist was short-lived. It would however be dishonest to dismiss the contributions of other women like Mzvee, who played a significant role in the genre.
In 2013, Kaakie won the award for best reggae/dancehall song, leading to a nationwide battleground and the Dancehall Revolution. This amplified the genre and artists like Samini, Stonebwoy, and Shatta Wale. The amplification of the genre created more opportunities, leading to the breakthrough of other dancehall acts like Epixode, Rudebwoy Ranking, Rashid Metal, Vybrant Faya, Massani, Mzvee, and AK Songtress.
Kaakie’s time in the music industry may have been short-lived, as she is pursuing a medical career. But her contribution and impact should not be swept under the carpet. In a short time, she amplified dancehall from a female perspective and proved that despite the genre being male-dominated, females can also make it their own. More women would come through the scene, and some would outdo what Kaakie has done. But even in such moments, Kaakie would forever be the blueprint.
