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Queen Asabia Cropper

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The Queen of highlife music
Queen Asabia Cropper
Background information
Birth nameEugenia Asabia Cropper
Born
Accra, Ghana
OccupationSinger / saxophonist
InstrumentSoprano saxophone
Years active1975 - present

Eugenia Asabia Cropper popularly known as Queen Asabia Cropper is a Ghanaian female highlife singer and saxophonist.[1][2][3] She wears the kente headgear (headwraps). Her grandmother and mother gave her the patterns for these in 1975.[4][5] She created the Mt Kilimanjaro,[4] Afajato kloyo and Yogaga styles.

Early life and career

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Queen Asabia Cropper and Kenteman
Queen Asabia and Kenteman

Queen Asabia Cropper was born, raised and educated in Ghana. She studied fashion design and painting from her mother and coach. Her mother and grandmother gave her the head gear patterns. She is the twin sister of Kenteman who is a bassist, multi-instrumentalist and music director.[6] He introduced her to music.

She learnt how to play the piano, acoustic guitar and soprano saxophone at a young age. She was taught by her brother, Kenteman and coached by Sammy Lartey Snr and Tex Korley also coached Queen Asabia Cropper. In the 1970s, they made a team where they both played for Sweet Talks and Black Hustlers Band in Cote D'ivoire.[7] In 1979, Black Hustlers Band leader - Smart Nkansah and Agyaaku, a vocal singer left the band living Eboni records -- Black Hustlers Band members - Queen Asabia Cropper (singer / saxophonist) Kenteman - bassist - Pope Flynn (singer / saxophonist) - Alfred Young (lead guitar) - Alex Abito (drummer) - Max Cozy (Keyboard).[8] Wamaya was recorded by Abdoulaye Soumare of Eboni Records headed by Director Gerald Theus,[9] Amadou Doukoure and Linda Farmer in Côte D'Ivoire. The Eboni records band, Black Hustlers backed Mory Kanté's album N'Diarabi[10] with Kenteman on bass guitar.

Queen Asabia Cropper collaborated with Sam Managuana and Jimmy Hyacinthe on the album Sam Asabia[3] in 1982.

Honors and awards

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In 1984 Queen Asabia Cropper won a gold disc from Daniel Cuxac, the international music executive producer and director of Disco Stock International Cote D'Ivoire. During the Union of Radio and Television networks of Africa (URTNA Awards) in 1993, Queen Asabia Cropper and her brother were honored as cultural ambassadors of Africa. She was also honored as the 'Queen of Highlife Music'.[11] The print that was named after Asabia Pangne de Asabia.

In 2019, she was honored at the 2019 edition of the Rhythms On Da Runway fashion show by KOD's Nineteen57 for her contribution to fashion in Ghana.[11][6] She was also honored by MUSIGA Presidential Grand Ball. She received the Music Industry Heroes Award in the second edition of honoring music legends in Ghana.[12] Queen Asabia and her brother Kenteman received the lifetime achievement award honored by the Musicians Union of Ghana.[11]

Queen Asabia Cropper and Kenteman were honoured when their mentor Agya Koo Nimo played the acoustic guitar on the wamaya album in 1981.[13] Queen Asabia was the artist of the year and self titled album Asabia was chosen as the album of the year in then Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana (ACRAG) awards 1985.

1983 was the giving birth of kente print in Cote D'Ivoire. A print that was named after Queen Asabia Cropper, Pangne de Asabia which means - Asabia's Cloth or Asabia's trademark uniform. Queen Asabia Cropper and her brother and mentor Kenteman, have projected and promoted Ghana's kente cloth to the globe for four decades. In the 1980s Queen Asabia Cropper and Kenteman duo had established themselves as Ghana’s music ambassadors to the world and their distinctive kente costume nicknamed pangne du Asabia had found many followers globally. Admirers of their kente concepts of togetherness and love of people of all nations of the world include the Empress of African music (Mama Africa) – Miriam Makeba and renowned heads of states and presidents.

In 1984 she was crowned the 'queen of Highlife' at the Ghana National State House.[14]


Discography

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  • Torwia
  • Inamosi
  • Wamaya[1][15]
  • I Love So Much

Further reading

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  • Rhythms On Da Runway spotlights Queen Asabia, Kenteman
  • "Queen Asabia Cropper: The woman who broke the music glass ceiling". Myjoyonline. 8 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Photos: Older artistes must support young ones - Asabea Cropper". MyJoyOnline. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  2. ^ "Asabea Cropper For 'Della For Womanity Concert' Tomorrow". DailyGuide Network. 2019-09-13. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  3. ^ a b "Asabea Cropper for SSUE's Signature Concert". MyNewsGh. 2019-07-25. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  4. ^ a b "Mama Zimbi learned Kilimanjaro headgears from me – Asabea Cropper". Ghana Songs. 2018-08-14. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  5. ^ "Older artistes must support young ones—Asabea Cropper". Graphic Showbiz Online. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  6. ^ a b "Asabea Cropper, Kenteman To Be Honoured". New Ghanaweb. 2019-07-31. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  7. ^ Discogs, Discogs (1978). "The Black Hustlers".
  8. ^ Discog, Discog (1978). "Black Hustlers band". Discog.
  9. ^ Rugoff, Lazlo (2021-04-08). "Ivory Coast group Eboni Band's 1980 Afrofunk and soul LP reissued". The Vinyl Factory. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  10. ^ "N'Diarabi". 1983.
  11. ^ a b c "Asabea Cropper, Kenteman To Be Honoured". DailyGuide Network. 2019-07-31. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  12. ^ "Asabea Cropper, Kwadwo Akwaboah, Pat Thomas, 3 Others To Be Honoured At MUSIGA Presidential Grand Ball". NY DJ Live. 2019-04-05. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  13. ^ "Discogs". 1984.
  14. ^ Asabia and E.T Mensah the queen and king of highlife. Ghana: People's Daily Graphic (published 1984). 1984-10-02. p. 3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  15. ^ Collins, John (1992). West African Pop Roots. Temple University Press. ISBN 978-0-87722-793-9.
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