Ghanaian gospel musician and senior police officer, ACP Kofi Sarpong, has recounted how his journey into music began at the age of 12.
Speaking on The Career Trail program on Joy Learning TV and Joy News, ACP Kofi Sarpong revealed that his passion for music was discovered early in life when he joined his church choir at age 12.
“I was a chorister at the age of 12. I was a very good alto singer,” he recalled.
The gospel musician explained that although his musical abilities were evident from a young age, the opportunity to pursue music professionally only came much later in life.
He narrated that after returning from a peacekeeping mission in Sudan, a matron from the 37 Military Hospital who had encountered him during the mission invited him to her church.
“One Christmas, we decided to host our senior officers during a peacekeeping mission in Sudan. When we returned, this woman, who was a matron at 37 Military Hospital called me one Sunday. I was already in church, but she asked me to come to theirs. They were having a harvest. As soon as I arrived, they introduced me and asked me to sing, which I did,” he narrated.
ACP recounted that following his performance, a young man approached him with an offer to record him, but he declined, explaining he was then a Deputy Superintendent of Police with no intention of pursuing music professionally.
“After singing, this young man approached me and asked if he could get few minutes of my time. In fact, I needed to go back to my church because I was on program. Then the young man said he wanted to record me. I told him I was a police officer and wasn’t ready for that,” he recounted.
According to ACP Kofi Sarpong, the young man did not give up. He sent a 70-year-old man to his office to plead on his behalf, but he turned down the offer again.
“I was in the office when an elderly man of about 70 years came to me to tell me that the young man had told him to come and plead on his behalf, so that he would oblige to his proposal. But I told the man, that would not be possible. I am a police offer and a commissioned one at that,” he explained.
He continued that he even declined again during the young man’s second visit, urging him to support others who were actively seeking producers.
“I asked him why he wouldn’t help those who are carrying their demo CDs and looking for producers, instead of me. But he said, ‘Papa, you don’t know me, but I know you. I’ve seen you from afar, and I want the world to see what you have. So please give me a chance,” he said.
Following that interaction, ACP Kofi Sarpong decided to seek official permission from the Ghana Police Service by drafting a letter to the then-Inspector General of Police (IGP), although unsure of what the response would be.
To his surprise, the IGP approved the letter and gave him the greenlight to pursue music.
“The IGP minuted the letter when I presented it to him. He then directed me to send it to the IGP Secretariat, which I did. I came back to my office. Within 20 to 30 minutes, she called that I should come. I met her at IGP’s corridor, she was holding the file. Then she said, IGP had a meeting with his members and approval had been given,” he disclosed.
According to him, when he informed the young man that official approval had been granted, he visited his office that same evening with an organ, and also, accompanied by renowned musician, Akwaboah Jnr.
“That evening, they came, ready to record. The first song we learnt was, ‘Ayeyi Ndwom’. It was written by Akwaboah Jnr,” he stated.
The collaboration opened the door to the creation of an album, which included about four songs, one of which was written by Ghanaian musician OJ.
“On that album, he gave about 4 songs. And there is another song on it that people love, ‘First Love’ OJ gave me that song,” he shared.
He mentioned that the release of the album was met with great enthusiasm, especially as the public learned that the man behind the songs was a police officer.
“When the song dropped, people were asking who was behind it and all that. In fact, one person who actually made it blossom was Former Deputy Minister for Tourism. Hon. Okraku Mantey. He is someone who doesn’t like piercing voices. So he was looking for the person, especially when he also came to find out the singer was a police officer,” he noted.
ACP Kofi Sarpong expressed immense gratitude to the young man who introduced him to the music world and to Akwaboah Jnr. and OJ for their unwavering support.
He acknowledged that without their help and also, the support of his colleagues in the police force, he might never have had the chance to pursue his musical passion.
“All these guys led me to the studio and directed me. They helped me a lot. I have 3 albums and 3 singles,” he acknowledged.
Looking ahead, ACP Kofi Sarpong is excited about the future of his music career.
“We have already worked on about six new songs, including four with Na’cee, and we’re planning a massive concert to showcase everything we’ve been working on,” he announced.
From a young chorister with a natural gift for singing to a celebrated gospel artist today, ACP Kofi Sarpong’s journey is a powerful reminder of the importance of following one’s passion. His story shows that even the most unexpected opportunities can lead to remarkable success, as long as you are open to embracing them.
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