The biggest news in the entertainment world was the African-American legendary blind singer Stevie Wonder being granted Ghana citizenship on his 74th birthday in Accra by President Nana Akufo-Addo. To give the story my personal angle, I bring you a flashback of my rare face-to-face meeting with Stevie Wonder when he first visited Ghana in 2007. It was published in this column on April 7, 2007. I also bring you Stevie Wonder’s speech shortly after being conferred with Ghanaian citizenship. Let’s start with my wonder story:
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Listening to his music is sheer ecstasy. Watching him perform on stage is magic. But meeting him face to face is heaven.
In Ghana to cover the 50th Independence Anniversary of that country, I met the wonderful Stevie Wonder face to face.
I was at the Castle Osu in Accra waiting to meet President Kufuor one evening in March when my Ghanaian friend Mahmood of the Ghana Information Ministry, asked if I had ever met Stevie Wonder and wondering whether I would like to meet him.
I wondering: Do you mean Stevie Wonder of Ghana? Or do you mean the real Stevie Wonder, the blind Motown musical icon, the “Master Blaster” whose unique voice and heavenly songs rocked the soul music world with classic albums like Inner Vision, Fulfillingness First Finale, Songs to the Key of Life, and many more?
The last time I saw him on stage was in Lagos, in 1977, when he came to perform at the Black Festival of Arts and Culture, otherwise called FESTAC 77. He was then young and slim and thin, sitting by the keyboard and belting out hits like My Cherie Amour, You Are The Sunshine of My Life, Superstition and other hit songs of the era.
Do you want to meet Stevie Wonder? I thought it was all a joke. But to my greatest surprise, the real Stevie Wonder suddenly came into the room, sandwiched by two people. It was unmistakably him. Except that he had ballooned into a really big man. Like a new big Barry White of blessed memory.
Oh, my God! I screamed. It was unbelievable. Nothing had prepared me for this. Not even meeting the great Nelson Mandela filled me with so much ecstasy. I was simply delirious, rapturous, blissful. I embraced him. I shook his hand. I wanted an interview. But the people around him would not want him to be interviewed. But they allowed a picture with him. This is the picture you are looking at in this column.
But then, I didn’t give up. How can I meet Stevie Wonder and not get a story? That would be a journalistic failure on my part. So I went about finding out what Stevie Wonder’s mission to Ghana was.
One man who helped me out was Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, the Chief of Staff to President Kufour. He told me: “You saw the two ladies Stevie Wonder came here with. They are the children of our former Prime Minister, Dr. Busia. One of them is an actress in California. She is a very good friend to Stevie Wonder.
“Stevie Wonder said he was invited here by former President (J.J. Rawlings). It is his first time of coming to Ghana. And when he came, he felt like he belongs here. Jokingly, he said he was going to have his DNA tested to find out whether he is actually from Ghana.
“He asked President Kufour to invite him and the President invited him to be part of the 50th Independence Anniversary which he accepted. Yesterday, there was this Busia Foundation, where they showed a film of the former President and he was there. And he sang there. He is also thinking of organizing a memorable sort of concert here.
“So, he came here as a visitor. He says he is partly Ghanaian. That is what he was saying. So he has come back to his ancestral home and also to join us in the celebration. And he is still thinking of coming back.”
Ladies and gentlemen, that is all I can report on my encounter with one of the musical legends and heroes of the world. A man who did not allow his handicap to handicap him. A blind man whose music opened our eyes. A blind man who led us on a musical journey through the uncharted musical terrain of the heart.
And I really felt honoured in his royal company. It is one of those memories that live long with you forever. Like the music of Stevie Wonder.
STEVIE WONDER’S GHANA-CITIZEN SPEECH
I first of all give my praise to God. Since a little boy, I always believed in my heart there was nothing impossible. The spirit of the most high our God. In the years, since about 1972, I talked about coming to Ghana to work with the tsetse fly and sleeping blindness. I talked about it when I had my projects: Talking Book and Innervisions. I talked about Ghana throughout my years. Over fifty years, I talked about being a citizen in this country. The truth is, as now a Ghanaian citizen, I am committed to being a part of fulfilling the dream that we’ve had for so many years of bringing people of Africa, those at the diaspora, United States, Caribbean, all of the people together. Because as I have said for many years, the only way the world would come together, is that we unite as united people of the world. So living in America, I started, but I am not done. I am here to do this, to bring us together, all people of all nations. Because I know that we are the original people of the planet. So it is only fitting for us to bring our children together. All of them. All of the colours and all that. I wish I have never seen the colours but I have seen the colours of people (in) the heart. And I am wanting us to come together as one people. It is not impossible. As I did believe there would be someday a national holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King, I do believe that we would have a united people of the world.
Mr. President, I thank you for your heart. For understanding that the only way that the world can move forward is that we come together as one piece to do so. I celebrate that spirit. What is unfortunate is that too many people are too blind to see it. But I, with complete inner visions, I know that it is just a heartbeat away. I thank you.
