King Ayisoba, born Albert Apoozore in 1974 in Bongo Soe in the Upper East Region, is now celebrated across Ghana and abroad for redefining traditional Kologo music. However, his rise to fame is rooted in a life-changing childhood experience that combined an unexplained disability with a spiritual connection to music.
During his earliest years, Ayisoba could not stand or walk. His condition baffled his family, especially since he showed no signs of illness. Around the same time, he displayed an intense reaction to the two-stringed Kologo instrument owned by his grandfather. His family could not understand why an instrument attracted such deep, emotional behavior from the young child.
Everything changed when a travelling medicine seller from Burkina Faso visited the family. The man identified that the boy’s challenge was not medical, but rather a calling that needed to be fulfilled through music. At his suggestion, a small Kologo was crafted for the child — and within months, Ayisoba astonishingly began to walk.
His bond with the instrument strengthened as he joined cattle herders in the fields, entertaining animals and people alike with rhythms that captured attention. Soon, communities started inviting him to perform at weddings, funerals and social gatherings.
Seeking a larger stage, Ayisoba later settled in Accra to pursue music professionally. His turning point came through collaborations with Terry Bonchaka and producer Panji Anoff, leading to the release of his 2006 album Modern Ghanaians. The project produced the nationwide hit “I Want to See You My Father,” which secured him the Traditional Song of the Year award at the 2007 Ghana Music Awards, the same year Ghana celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Today, King Ayisoba has become one of Ghana’s most outstanding ambassadors of traditional sound, performing on major platforms locally and internationally. His journey, once threatened by mysterious adversity, is now an inspiring testament to how culture and destiny can shape greatness.
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