From a tough background to becoming a ‘Rockstar’ -The story of Kuami Eugene
Eugene Kwame Marfo, who goes by the stage name Kuami Eugene, is a high-life and afrobeat singer-songwriter, signed to Lynx Entertainment.
He emerged as the New Artist of the year at the 2018 Ghana Music Awards and a year later, he got an impressive seven nominations, going on to win three of them. In that same year, he also won the Most Promising Artist in Africa at the AFRIMA Awards.
Kuami Eugene went a step further in 2020, winning the ultimate prize in Ghana music, the Artist of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards. He also won the High-life Artist of the Year.
Appearing on the Springboard, Your Virtual University, he told the host, Rev. Albert Ocran, that growing up, he always knew he would do music.
“I knew I was definitely going to do music because I had the gift for it and when I sang, people were like wow,” he stated.
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Read: No jinx with VGMA win - Kuami Eugene
Early life
Kuami Eugene, who also goes by the name “The RockStar,” said he grew up from what he described as one of the most rowdy environments in the country, Fadama.
He said growing up at Fadama was very tough, with all the gambling, hardships, crime and rowdiness around.
“Growing up was very tough but I was raised by a strong mum who made my business her business and this was what helped me. She always taught me to put God first and man will follow and the second one was to make everything work that is if it can work.
“The house that she is living in now, she started investing in the house with GHȼ15 and today she owns it. This really inspired me. If she can start a whole house with GHȼ15, it means if I start something and I believe it is possible, it can be done,” he explained.
Read: No artiste worked harder than Kuami Eugene last year - KK Fosu
First encounter with music
He said his first encounter with music was at the Presbyterian Church at Fadama.
“I am a Presbyterian and we had something among our presbytery where musical groups in the church went to one church and we would all sing and my locals was one. I was performing and it was so nice and people were happy to the extent that the stage collapsed.
“It started from there and I got very popular from there and was invited to churches to perform and that helped me leave behind the ghetto life at Fadama,” he stated.
MTN Hit maker
Kuami Eugene noted that his breakthrough happened when he took part in the MTN Hit Maker competition.
He said although he got to know about the competition two years earlier, he wasn’t ready and was too young at the time so he had to wait for two more years before entering.
“We saw it on TV and I was 17 years old then so I had to wait two more years to prepare myself very well for the show. I went for the auditions, I was picked and the rest is history.
“God being so good, I finally met my label after the competition and they made a lot of investment for me and I am here today,” he narrated.
He said he had his first hit song ‘Angela’ under the label at the age of 19 years and that was the turning point in his career.
“‘Angela’ was the turning point in my life and it made me who I am. Somebody had to fly me all the way to the UK to come and sing ‘Angela’ for his wife at their wedding and it was an amazing feeling,” he noted.
Writing with pain
Kuami Eugene also revealed that he wrote his hit song ‘Wish me well’ out of pain.
“I sat down and wrote that song because of what I was going through that moment. It was my first confrontation song. After releasing ‘Angela’, people started saying one hit wonder boys, they will come and go right now. I then did ‘Confusion’ and they were like that’s it, he doesn’t have anything else left.”
“I heard people say that on radio and TV. I later did ‘Adwenfie’ and others and thought people will stop saying that but it continued so I sat down one day with pain and it was one of the few times I had pain while writing a song,” he disclosed.
10 Lessons and quotes from Kuami Eugene’s story
1. Growing up; I grew up in a tough neighbourhood dominated by social vices.
2. Role model; my mother is my biggest role model and the greatest influence on my life; from my faith to my career, character, philosophy, and even my lyrics. She prayed for me, disciplined me and, till today, always encourages me.
3. MTN Hit Maker; This is what brought me to light.
4. Turning point; the hit song ‘Angela’ was my turning point. That song made me a household name.
5. Composition; Music comes naturally. I play several instruments and compose under different circumstances.
6. Responsibility; I think deeply about my lyrics. Every music I put out there has a message.
7. Evangelist; music is a more effective means of evangelism than any other channel. I see myself as an evangelist spreading good morals.
8. Ruthlessness; the music industry is unkind and does not tolerate or forgive your vulnerability. The higher you go the more pressure it puts on you.
9. Industry evolution; in my early days, I hire big equipment to do anything. But now, I can do everything, including recordings, on my tablet. Easy access to music also means you need incredible talent, solid networks or divine favour to stand out.
10. Contentment; I feel special and always bless God for making me who I am. My greatest fear is to wake up one day and no longer be Kuami Eugene.