When it comes to Reggae, Lagazee is King on the Ghanaian media airspace
As a teen King Lagazee said he was mesmerised by Jamaica’s reggae and dancehall music and sound system culture.
Today, he is one of Ghana’s prominent media personalities and sound system selectors, and he has made it his mission to consistently promote Jamaican music for the past two decades.
His Lagazee Sound International Crew, which comprises five other members, has been influential in keeping the sound system culture alive, having competed in several sound clashes. King Lagazee is also a four-time Reggae/Dancehall DJ of the Year winner in the annual Ghana DJ Awards.
“My love for reggae and dancehall music developed at a very tender age, because my father always played music by artistes such as Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley, and Ghana’s Roots Anabo [a reggae band] in our home. So I picked up the vibes from there, but it became stronger when Steve Allen came from the UK to Ghana in the 90s and introduced me to Bass Odyssey sound videos on JVC cassette, and my interest for reggae dancehall and sound system culture kinda escalated,” King Lagazee told the Jamaica Observer.
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King Lagazee is presently an on-air presenter at Ghana’s Hitz 103.9 FM radio, where he hosts the weekly show Yaad Settings on Sunday nights. He also works in television as the presenter of an entertainment magazine show, where he has interviewed a number of Jamaican acts, including Morgan Heritage, Rock Dawuni, and African dancehall acts Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy.
“Artistes like Papa San, Stitchie, Bounty Killer, Ninja Man, Shabba Ranks, Sizzla, Capleton, Luciano, and Buju Banton were the ones who inspired me and reinforced my appreciation for Jamaican music,” said King Lagazee.
He continued, “I see reggae and dancehall music to be African music more than Jamaican music, because Jamaica is Africa out of Africa — reggae, and for that matter dancehall, because it is the base for all genres of music.”
Born Isaac Ago Tetteh Monney, King Lagazee is from the municipality of Shai-Osudoku, which is in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.
Among the radio and television outlets he has worked at are Sunme FM and Radio 2 (both in Koforidua), and Hitz TV, Capital TV and Care TV.
He described the reggae and dancehall scene in Ghana.
“The reggae, dancehall scene in Ghana is very huge with the likes of Stonebwoy, Shatta Wale, and Samini, etc. We have a lot of Jamaican artists who are making major impact in Ghana like Buju Banton, Sizzla, Luciano, Freddie McGregor, Vybz Kartel, Mavado, Bushman, Masicka, Dexta Daps, and Popcaan,” said King Lagazee.
Source: KEVIN JACKSON / Jamaica Observer
Oral Ofori is Founder and Publisher at www.TheAfricanDream.net, a digital storyteller and producer, and also an information and research consultant.
