By Elizabeth Larkwor Baah
Tema, Nov. 5, GNA – Scores of mourners have touted the late musical legend, Alfred Benjamin Crentsil, known in showbiz as A. B. Crentsil, as an innovative and creative songwriter.
The mourners, in their tribute at the final funeral ceremony of the musical legend, described him as a musician with a revolutionary characteristic, who challenged Ghana and the world through music, set the pace and moved outside the box to produce songs “which people love to hate.”
The funeral rights for the late A. B. Crentsil was held at Tema Community Eight, Number Two School Park on Saturday.
The Right Reverend Samuel Ofori Akyea of the Bethel Methodist Church, Tema Community Eight, in a sermon, described A. B. Crentsil as a ground-breaking and imaginative songwriter and musician who needed to be celebrated.
Taking the scripture from Psalm 90, Rev. Akyea said the Bible compared life on earth to temporarily living in a foreign country and noted that one’s homeland is heaven and urged humans to yearn toward building mansions in heaven.
He said there was more to life than just a few years of living on the planet and acquiring things on the earth and said it was only one’s relationship with God that would last.
Some other dignitaries that graced the ceremony were former President John Dramani Mahama, Mr. Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Trade and Industry, some MUSIGA members, and a large contingent of family members and a cross-section of the public.
A. B. Crentsil died on July 13th, 2022, leaving behind nine children and 28 grandchildren. and a spouse Mrs Elizabeth Crentsil.
He was born on January 15, 1943, at Prestea in the then Western Region, and had his formal elementary school education at the Bedu Addo Methodist Primary and Rev. Cleveland Middle Schools.
After his middle school education, he was apprenticed as an electrician, following in the footsteps of his father.
He, however, abandoned the training and channeled all his energies toward his interest in music and pursued it as a career.
He mastered the rudiments of guitar playing and readied himself to play in live bands, with a profound gift of music composition and vocals.
A.B. Crenstil joined his first band, ‘Strollers Dance Band,’ which was based in Takoradi, in 1968 and subsequently played in other bands such as ‘Lantics’ and ‘El Dorados’ at Aboso.
He was a founding member of the ‘Sweet Talks Band’ which was based at the ‘Talk Of The Town Hotel’ in Tema Community Two, alongside seasoned musicians such as Mr. Smart Nkansah, the late Jewel Ackah, and Pope Flynn.
He formed his own band, the ‘Ahenfo Band’ in 1982 and has 25 albums to his credit, with some of his hit songs being ‘Papa Samo’, ‘Landlord Abodwese’, ‘Devil’, and ‘Osokoo’.
The late musician worshiped with the Bethel Methodist Church at Tema Community Right.
GNA