Kwadwo Bonnah: My sacrifices birthed my success

Many successful people talk about all the work they had to put in and the sacrifices they made to get to where they. They make it clear that huge sacrifices need to be made if we desire to be great.

However, not everyone is willing to go through the fire or make those sacrifices so their dreams may take longer to materialise but those who do are often rewarded with success.

That is the story of Starr FM’s Kwadwo Bonnah, the young man who in his desire to be a successful radio presenter, took time to listen to almost every top radio personality Ghana has ever produced for over a decade before even venturing into the profession.

“It has not been easy, I remember how I had to stay up late in the night and listen to almost all the radio gurus back then just to learn how they do things. I listened to Tommy Annan Forson, Bola Ray, KKD, Komla Dumor, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Jon Germain etc, because I needed to learn.

“There were times I could go without food because I didn’t want to miss a particular programme on air. It hasn’t been an easy journey but I think now I would say my sacrifices are paying or have paid off. Today, I am gradually becoming one of the most talked about young radio presenters. I have sacrificed sleep, happiness, relationships etc. to be here today,” he told Graphic Showbiz in a recent chat.

Fortunately for Kwadwo Bonnah, he had the backing of his family so it didn’t matter how long he had to wait, they were patient.

“My daddy always made me listen to the news on the radio, read newspapers especially Daily Graphic and watch GTV news always which also aroused my passion for media so though it took a while, they were patient and believed in me,” he disclosed.

Kwadwo Bonnah

Now Kwadwo, known in the media space as K Bonnah, is living his dream as the host of the late-night show Drop Off on Starr FM. The show airs from Monday to Thursday between the hours of 8 and 10 p.m.

Speaking on his experience, he said, “it has been great and I love every bit of it, the feedback from my listeners and rating on the market are very encouraging.”

Before Starr FM, Kwadwo had a stint with Class Media Group and how he got there is quite an interesting story.

“I walked into the office of the then CEO of Class Media Group, Nana Apeanti, telling him about my interest in working with his firm and all he said was bring your CV tomorrow and let’s work. That is how I joined Class FM.

"Desmond Lamptey was very helpful in those days; when I started Class FM, I was on radio from midnight to 4 a.m., I would leave the house at 8 p.m. and get to the studio at 9 p.m. and wait till midnight before coming on air. I used to walk from Accra Mall to Roman Ridge on a daily basis,” he revealed.

Sharing his experiences in the media, the graduate of the University of Ghana, Legon recounted that, before he started radio, he felt it was just about playing songs, talking and getting paid with a fat cheque.

“I was totally wrong, to begin with, if you are looking at getting rich, then radio isn’t the profession for you. Trust me, the pay isn’t that good. Again, before I come on the radio, I do a lot of research before I open the microphone.

“It’s not just about the songs, people need to be educated and entertained differently and how do you do that every day? You need to bring something different, it demands a lot of work. Kwadwo Bonnah is a name today, tomorrow a legend; I am a young man on a mission.”

He says, though attaining success has been his dream it has affected his social life. “My life is all about work now, from 6 a.m. to midnight every weekday and emceeing on weekends, I have few friends and I hardly make time for family,” he stated.

Born to Mr. Sampson Bonnah, who works with COCOBOD and Sarah Abena Dufie, a professional teacher, Kwadwo had his primary education at Holy Child School, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and continued to Opoku Ware School for his secondary education.

K Bonnah is also an events MC

Whiles in Senior High School, K Bonnah became the Entertainment Perfect due to his passion and love for creative arts. He graduated from the University of Ghana with a Degree in Economics and Information Studies.

Not only is he a radio fanatic, he has a thing for football as well. “I am a lover of football and I am a Liverpool fan. I have also hosted a sports show before but that was during my university days and I had a stint with Luv FM in Kumasi; a big thank you to Austin Woods for putting me on air those days.”

Aside giving his audience a cozy night on the Drop Off show , K Bonnah doubles as the Marketing Manager for Pinkberry Ice cream company, Doughman Foods (doughnuts and Burgers Company) Gummy Bears, FulBeli Pork Foods and is an MC too.

Advising the youth, he said, “Have patience, be persistent, and never stop learning. This should help. The rest are subsets.”