Steve Bedi, Others Perform @ Dream Child Concert Tonight

The Dream Child song, which seeks the accelerated socio-economic advancement of the African child through investment in education and empowerment of the African child by governments, corporate bodies and civil society, was launched a few weeks ago.

The ‘Dream Child African Renaissance Project’, which is spearheaded by ace highlife musician, president and founder of the Highlife Institute, Ben Brako, in collaboration with Scratch Studios, was established to raise money for several charity causes. The lyrics on the track Dream Child, among other things, highlight the resilience of the African people over the years and the attitudinal change needed for development.

Steve Bedi, Others Perform @ Dream Child Concert

This project in itself featured various African artistes who came together to work on a common goal- to foster love and unity for global advancement. The ‘Dream Child Project’ brought together over 25 top African musicians with international stature. They include award winning musicians such as Hugh Masakela, Pat Thomas, Shasha Marley, Obour, Wutah, Carlos Sakyi, Bessa Simons, Amandzeba Nat Brew, Nana Fynn, Paulina Oduro, Gloria Dwamena, Noble Nketia, Ackah Blay, Osei Tutu, Ishmael Koranteng, Shabo, Steve Bedi, Freeman, Paulette, J Martins, Nadjat and many others. Proceeds from sales of the Dream Child single will be channeled primarily into charity projects, particularly the Korle-Bu Children’s Clinic headed by Dr. Welbeck, and for absolute credibility, KPMG has been tasked to manage the funds to ensure maximum benefit to the children.

The Dream Child song, written by Brako, will keep the audience spellbound with its fusion of African rhythms and other global sounds, which Scratch Studios calls SYNCHOS (Synchronized Soul). The lyrics are inspiring, encouraging the African child to “Dream Deep, and Leap Deep”, despite the several negative factors that militate against its progress. In addition, the Highlife Institute and Scratch Studios have teamed up to organize a live musical concert which will feature all the musicians involved with the charity single, plus others. This concert, which will take place later this year; will be used as an opportunity to undertake a civic education exercise on how to behave in the event of a disaster.

In a related development, Scratch Studios, which has a state-of-the-art recording studio with facilities that meet international standards, has put in place experts to train singers, instrumentalists, sound engineers, and equip industry practitioners with vital knowledge about music and copyright issues through the organisation of seminars and workshops.

The Chief Executive Officer of Scratch Studios, Kofi Amoakohene, who is eager to help develop the music industry, told BEATWAVES that his outfit is ready to contribute towards the changing trend of Ghanaian music by providing top quality services, including recording facilities for audio and video productions, rehearsal rooms, instruments and a 400-seater venue for live performances. He noted that Scratch Studios, situated next to The Guest hotel in East Legon, has become the meeting place for Ghanaian superstars; from musicians to filmmakers, sound engineers and music business tycoons.

Source: Ghanaweb.com

Steve Bedi Meets Teddy Osei Of Osibisa

Steve Bedi’s subtle blend of soul, swing, traditional Ghanaian and African sounds fused with his jazz style of saxophone playing is a welcome and refreshing contribution to Ghanaian music.

Teddy Osei acknowledges Steve Bedi as a world class Jazz musician. Teddy gives his word to assist Steve all the way and plans to arrange for him to play at the world renowned Jazz Café in London, which has hosted a number of top Jazz musicians of the world.

Steve Bedi develops genuinely exciting African Jazz rhythms which are appealing to most Europeans, and a level of play that’s comparable

Steve Bedi and Teddy Osei of Osibisa Band

to Jazz music legends of America. Steve Bedi is the most sort after saxophonist in the country to date and has performed and collaborated with legends like Hugh Masekela, trumpet virtuoso and music legend, Isaac Okyerema Asante, master African percussionist and Wutah, to mention a few. Steve is to release his debut music album titled ‘Syncos Jazz’ in January 2011.

It will be produced by Nana Kofi Amoakohene, CEO of Scratch Studios Entertainment. Scratch Studios is a multimedia production studio for live music recording, films and events management.It is located at East Legon, Accra, adjacent the Guest Hotel, Near the American-House Roundabout. The label is in talks with the management of the jazz club, Plus 233, to host Steve Bedi, who performed alongside Osibisa on December 30 at the same venue....

Source: Daily Guide Newspaper

NEWSPAPER COVER STORIES

'Saxing' it up

In Ghana, the talent and works of instrumentalists often go unappreciated. Music lovers easily heap praises and adulation on vocalists. But there are quite a number of people who are well-gifted with various instrument types. Steve Bedi is one of them. Steve is a saxophonist who has worked behind the scenes with many artistes.

You may have seen him on television doing a solo on the ‘Mentor’ stage, blowing out a saxophone version of ‘The storm is over’. Steve, grew up in Denu, a small town in the southern parts of the Volta Region and he was considered by some as an oddity. The last of eight children, he is the only one in the family who took to music. Thus, his family was unsure of the direction he was headed.

Steve Bedi

He started playing the trombone when he was just nine. He got attracted to the sounds of a brass band and decided to sneak out of home and listen. That was just the start of young Steve’s music career. “I think I was born with music, I loved the sound of music”, he says. “Anywhere I hear that they were playing something, I quickly ran there and listened. And I had the urge to play something, some instrument.”

A slight chest problem nearly halted his progress. This resulted from playing the trombone constantly; his lungs were too young for the exertion required to play that instrument. Despite a stern warning against playing the instrument, after a month he couldn’t hold back the temptation and promptly continued. He played the trombone for over a decade and moved to the saxophone when he joined the Navy somewhere in 1998.

He decided to change from the trombone to the saxophone because almost everyone on the band was playing the trombone. After a lady taught him a few keys, he just picked up from there. After eight years of service, he felt he could not compromise his music career for the military. “My dad was in the military and I always looked up to him,” he says. “I felt I needed to get a feel of it as well. But I realized that music was what I wanted to get into.” While in the military, his love for music was so strong that he actually skipped certain duties, just to play at a gig or do some quick studio recording and got punished for it.

The military’s music school taught Steve the theory of music and since then, he’s learnt a lot more for himself. “Now the instrument is my girlfriend,” he says. “I feel good when I touch her, I feel good when she makes good sounds. It’s like some kind of connection with the instrument. It’s almost spiritual.” That’s deep. Steve’s love for the instrument has earned him gigs with Rex Omar, Kojo Antwi, Nat Brew, Hugh Masakella, Kwabena Kwabena, Kontihene, C-Zar, Noble Nketia and a lot more.

Internationally, he’s played in France, South Africa’s Joy of Jazz Festival, on the same stage as Dave Koz, Diana Reese, and Jeffery Osbourn. What he terms his “final point” in his career as a saxophonist is “to reach that height as a sax player where I can be on the same stage with the jazz musicians that I have learnt from over the years…to be a part of world history, not only Ghana history.” Steve is currently recording an album that should be completed before the year ends. “I want to cut across borders,” he says.

Source: Ghanabase.com: Winifred Mensah

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