Tagoe Sisters take baton as Mirror Model Mother 2023
The baton of leadership for this year’s Mirror Model Mother Project has been handed over to the Tagoe Sisters.The Mirror Model Mother 2022 was Rev. Mrs. Rita Korankye-Ankrah. The evergreen gospel duo who have dominated the music industry for the past four decades were unveiled last Sunday at the Oak Plaza Hotel, in Accra during the Mother’s Day Buffet Lunch organised by The Mirror brand.
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The Tagoe Sisters were carefully selected by a jury for their immense contribution in supporting the needy in society, orphans, multiple-birthed children and underprivileged mothers to be able to meet their socioeconomic needs.
Who are the Tagoe Sisters?
The identical twins are known in real life as Lydia Dedei Yawson (née Tagoe) and Elizabeth Korkoi Tagoe. They were born to the late Hammond Ayikwei Tagoe and Madam Theresa Aidoo on July 27, 1966. Their father comes from Korle-Wokon, a suburb of Accra while their mother is from Dunkwa-on-Offin in the Central Region.
Lydia is affectionately called Auntie Panyin while Elizabeth is known as Auntie Kakra. In 1983, the duo burst onto the gospel music scene and have never looked back. With their melodious voices, inspirational lyrics and good stage presentation, they have travelled the length and breadth of this country, as well as some parts of the world, propagating the Gospel through their sweet music.
The twins, who are very grateful to all their listeners and fans, told The Mirror how far the Lord had brought them. The Tagoe Sisters recollected how they started singing while they accompanied their mother to farm at Dunkwa-on-Offin when they were as young as five years. The younger of the two, Auntie Kakra, said all they did on the farm with their mother, Madam Theresa, of blessed memory, was to sing because they were too young to do anything, while the adults cleared the bush and searched for firewood. She remembered how they improvised with empty milk tins as microphones to sing all day till it was time to return home.
“Although we were very young, we used to back singers such as Felix Bell, Gee Man, among others, and Mr Picus Laryea, host of television programmes such as ‘Voices of Rhythm’ and ‘All Shades’ used to feature us on his shows in the 70's,” Auntie Kakra said.
“All we ever desire is to become relevant in society and use our songs to touch lives. It has not been an easy journey but we are proud of how far the Lord has kept us relevant in the music industry in the past 40 years and counting.”
When the duo were about seven years old, Auntie Panyin said, their mother brought them to Accra and enrolled them at the Alogboshie Primary School, near Achimota in Accra, for their basic education.
Being identical twins, they used to play pranks on people who could not tell them apart. Auntie Kakra reminisced about those times and said whenever she did anything mischievous, she pointed at Panyin, who also denied being responsible, making it so difficult for people to find out who actually was the more mischievous of the two.
All through their lives, Auntie Panyin said, the Lord had showered blessings upon blessings on them. They were adopted by the late Nana Wood Akumfi II, a chief of Saakyire in the Central Region, when he realised that their mother was a single parent.
After middle school, they enrolled at the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) located at Adabraka to learn fashion designing but they later abandoned it for singing.
Music Ministry
The twins joined the Open Bible Church International in 1983. While there, they met the Advent Heralds, an all-male singing group. They backed the singing group at crusades and anywhere it was invited to sing. This propelled them into another phase of their lives. Together with Hannah Tsia Mensah, they formed the ‘I am Three Sisters’ and were a great force behind the I Am That I Am Church.
The turning point in their music career came in 1985 when they met the late Rev. Francis Akwasi Amoako, Founder of the Resurrection Power Evangelistic Ministries, during a crusade. He saw the great talent they had and decided to take them under his wing to groom them.
“One day, Rev. Amoako told our adopted father about his plans to take us to Kumasi to groom us to become great musicians in future and he agreed,” Auntie Kakra said.
According to them, “Rev. Amoako, who later became our Spiritual father, taught us a lot and showed us the best ways to serve God. He taught us to rely and trust in God only, because human beings would always disappoint you but the Lord God is always faithful.”
Auntie Panyin said under the tutelage of Rev. Amoako, they toured most parts of the country, and overseas attending crusades and conventions where they propagated the Word of God through music and in no time, they had become the big and widely known Tagoe Sisters.
The duo released their first album titled “Nyame ye Kese,” in 1987 and it became an instant hit. The songs were written by Advent Heralds. Later, albums such as “Orekyekye” and “Stay In My Heart” followed respectively in the year 1988. Afterwards, they have released several well-known songs.
Unfortunately, in 1990 their spiritual father died in a fatal accident while they were returning from a crusade in Takoradi in the Western Region. Auntie Panyin also sustained serious head injuries and had to be operated upon about three times to restore her face.
“The death of our Spiritual Father was a big blow to us. We thought our world had come tumbling down. But, you know, Rev. Amoako had already prepared our minds about God’s unfailing love for us and the fact that He will never desert us and so we had to forge ahead, depending only on God. We thank God for preserving our lives till date,” Auntie Kakra recounted with great emotions.
“Thankfully, God brought Rev. Dr Thomas Harry Yawson into our lives and he became our songwriter and director,” they said.
Family
Touching on their family life, they revealed that Lydia got married to Rev. Dr Thomas Yawson, their songwriter and director, and together, they are blessed with three children while Elizabeth also has a child.
Foundation
The Tagoe Twin and Children Foundation was established by the Tagoe Sisters about a decade ago. The main objective is to support marginalised persons and families.
Throwing more light on the foundation, they explained that the foundation does its charity works across the country without any form of discrimination. “We believe in sharing with people the little we have. Therefore, all we ask for is constant prayers for our lives.”
“With the support of some individuals, corporate institutions and some churches we have over the years been able to lend appreciable help to some beneficiaries. Among them are the Mampong School for the Deaf, some orphanages across the nation, brilliant, needy students, individuals and twins facing health or financial challenges.”
The foundation has patrons and life patrons consisting of Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee, Rev. Christie Doe-Tetteh, Rev. Steve Mensah, Dr Gideon Titi-Offei, Prophet ElBenard Nelson-Eshun, Mr Richard Hlormador, among others.
Awards and recognitions
By dint of hard work, the duo have won several local and international awards. They include Best Gospel Album by Entertainment Critics & Reviewers Association of Ghana (1990 and 1994), Most Consistent Gospel Group by National Christian Awards Committee (1990), Best Gospel Artistes by Ebony (1996), Best Female Artistes by Ghana Music Awards (1997) and Best Gospel Album by Ghana Music Awards (1997).
In 1997, they won two Konkoma Awards for Best Female Artistes and Best Gospel Awards. They were also adjudged Female Music Group of the Year by Friends World Awards (1998), Music Video of the Year by Friends World Awards (1998) and Female Performer of the Year by Friends World Awards (1998).
