When Scratch Studios announced in July that it was taking one of their female artists, SSUE, on a tour of some popular but respected venues for live performances, many doubted because they have come to hear these yarns for years.
The artist being introduced is relatively new compared to the existing and established female acts.
What made many more skeptical is the fact she is an ‘untested’ figure on Ghana’s easy come easy go musical terrain where the survival rate of new acts is almost nil and that becomes worse when faced with concert goers and the critical unrelenting media which can praise you today and hang you tomorrow.
One therefore attended the shows with an open mind to watch what SSUE has to offer. One even becomes more apprehensive when it was decided on the posters advertising the various venues that she will share the stage with veterans and already established musicians such as Steve Bedi, Ben Brako, Gyedu Blay Ambolley among many others.
And it came to pass that SSUE’s first show was in upscale night club dominated Osu with hard to please clientele. On that night at Republic Bar, she came on stage to show what she’s made of on a night which featured a crop of Ghana’s emerging and established talented musicians and patrons.
On that bill were some fresh-faced musicians including Sophie Swaniker, a female guitarist who proved that her sonorous voice is that of an emerging but serious musician who can stand on her own on any stage in the world!
Then Kente! You cannot talk about reggae music in Ghana without mentioning this band which rendered songs from Steel Pulse and Bob Marley setting the stage for SSUE to come kill it with her own interpretation of Marley and some old school soul music coupled with Osibisa’s Fire. This was enough to show her mettle. Her introduction on stage definitely made a huge impression on the crowd that her subsequent shows were sould out.
Then it was +233 Jazz Bar and Grill, Accra’s most popular jazz venue where with ‘big boys’ like veteran Gyedu Blay Ambolley and saxophonist Steve Bedi she acquitted herself well. This show, as far as this writer is concerned, finally established her as one singer destined to rule and rock the scene for a long while.
The next stop was Alliance Francaise where alongside the Ananse Band and Skido, a kologo player from the north, she brought the house down with her matured presentation only to ‘kill’ it at Wanshi Garden. Performing alongside such heavyweights as Amandzeba, Obiba Sly Collins and Ben Brako, she proved that she is the rightful claimant to the title of hottest female diva on the musical circuit at this moment and will remain for a long time to come.
In a city that hardly hosts live shows, it was refreshing to see Scratch Studios pull out all the stops to prove that they have a credible act that can be compared to the best anywhere in the world.
