Kwabena Kwabena - "Aso" (examples & comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcase three videos of the Ghanaian Highlife vocalist Kwabena Kwabena's 2006 hit song "Aso". One featured YouTube video gives this song the title "Asor".

Information about Kwabena Kwabena, Examples of that song and selected comments from YouTube viewer comment threads are also included in this post.

[Update: February 2, 2016]:
From the comments quoted below I'm assuming that "Aso"/"Asor" is a Twi female name or nickname. I recall that in some Ghanaian Anansi folktales Kwaku Anansi's wife is name "Aso" and I found one reference to Anansi's wife as "Aso Yaa". I've learned that "Kwabena" means "male born on Saturday", "Kwaku" means "male born on Wednesday, and "Yaa" means female born on Thursday. However, I don't know what "Aso" (Asor) means in Akan. If you know, please add that information in the comment section below. Thank you, from Ataá Pánin Yaa Azizi (if I wrote that in the right order. I'm a female twin born first on a Thursday who has the personal name "Azizi".]

The content of this post is provided for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Kwabena Kwabena for composing and performing this song. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT KWABENA KWABENA
"Kwabena" is a Ghanaian day of the week name which means "male born on Tuesday". Click http://www.top-100-baby-names-search.com/ghanaian-baby-names.html for more information about Ghanaian days of the week names. Click http://ofmtv.com/akan/twi.html for a Twi dictionary.

From http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/people/person.php?ID=285
"George Kwabena Adu aka Kwabena Kwabena was born in Accra on 17th October 1978...

He started playing guitar and leading the church choir at age 14. He started his music career at Hush Hush studios, provide backing vocals for other musicians. He worked with artists like Tinny and A-Plus, and also did all the choruses on the "Sounds of Our Time" compilation.

His first album titled "Kwabena Kwabenaâ" took him seven years to produce. His popular Aso featuring Kontihene still remains a favourite for many Ghanaians. The song won him the 2006 Ghana Music Award for Best Male Vocal Performance and Best Song Writer. He has performed with international artists like Hugh Masekela and he has featured on more than 30 songs by other musicians. He released his second album in 2008 and is enjoying enough airplay."

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From http://people.peacefmonline.com/pages/musicians/kwabena_kwabena/biography/
..."His popular “ASOR” featuring Kontihene still remains the favourite of more Ghanaians.

“Asor” which was also the promotional track on his debut was done by the might Appeatus. That track really was a real inspiration that happened to a close friend.

Though his friend’s wife was not called Asor, he chose that name because it is a typical Africa name and easy to mention in terms of singing. He truly believed his album will really take him far and it did, winning him the best vocal performance and best song writer in the last Ghana Music Awards. He prays for the growing of the industry just because he knows that there are more talented people out there who if really taken care of will turn to be international stars."

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS:
Example #1: kwabena kwabena - Aso



LillmillY1, Uploaded on Nov 13, 2010

i´ve been searching for it for soooo long so i had the great idea to put it on myself =)
good right =D
-snip-
Selected comments
1.randomloves47, 2010
"I hear this song at Ghanaian parties all the time! I wondered who sang this song."

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Damilola Onamusi, 2010
"I'm Nigerian And I LOVE This Song Can Anyone Translate What Is Being Said Please"

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3. Reply
LillmillY1, 2010
in reply to Damilola Onamusi
"yes of course hes talking bout his girlfriend cause she cheated on him with is best friend. so hes tellen her he really loved her he gave her everything she wanted and all that but now he wants everything back and her out of his live. thats it actually can sombody translate it better i´m not sure if thats good lol"

4. Angie Darkwa, 2012
in reply to Damilola Onamusi
"basically he left his girl with his best friend to go on holiday and they cleaned his house out"

5. Oseik500, 2010
"Beautiful use of the twi language and twi idoims. We have such an expressive language; such a shame that most of us are too embrassed to speak, read or write it!"

6. asterisk848, 2012
"For shizzle to my rizzle this song is smoking hot .. U can tell the dude sang this song straight frm his heart & how he felt"
-snip-
I know that "for shizzle means "for sure". "My rizzle" probable means "my race" (i.e. "my people"). This is in a "pig Latin" language that has probably existed for some time but was popularized by African American Hip Hop artist Snoop Dog.

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7. TheGodloving, 2013
"this song made me feel special and and a bit o.O because im aso too"....

8. housemusic9005, 2013
in reply to TheGodloving
"Sorry to hear that you are a aso. I guess it makes you stronger they say but your right this is a top song. A true classic. I dont think it will ever get old and it is one of those songs that all age groups love. Big up kwabena kwabena!"

9. Shirley Ogoe, 2013
"i think this is the greatest highlife song!!! i love this too much!!"

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Example #2: Kwabena Kwabena - Performs 'Asor' @ Akwaboah video premiere | GhanaMusic.com Video



Ghana Music•com™, Published on Sep 29, 2013

Check out Kwabena Kwabena performing 'Asor' at Akwaboah's 'I Do Love You' video premiere.

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Example #3: Kwabena Kwabena - ASO [GHANAIAN MUSIC]



GHAfrica, Uploaded on May 20, 2011

PARTY JAM MUSIC - A lot of people's favourite from KK
-snip-
This sound file is the same as the one given as Example #1 above:

Selected comments
1. josh paajoe, 2011
"This song is one of the best Ghanaian songs ever it made history when it was released..pure highlife,palm-wine music ..Can't say much..Kwabena Kwabena is a living legend."

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2. MsFunsized, 2012
"im in love withis song i have no idea what they r sayin good good music and im from the islands so i know"

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3. Emmà Akuffo, 2013
"before Azonto, honestly, there were true music like this! thumb up if im not lying"

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EDITOR'S NOTES REGARDING THE SELECTED VIEWER COMMENTS
[Update February 2, 2016]
Note that selected comments from these examples' discussion threads are given under the video. These videos include ones that were previously included as well as additional comments.

These comments are given in chronological order based on their publishing date with the oldest dated comments given first, except for replies. However, the comments may not be in consecutive order.
I added numbers for referencing purposes only.
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