I was with Kweku Manu during his heyday as his Manager/Friend. Those were the good times when everywhere we went, Kweku was mobbed by a crowd, especially in the Ashanti Region.
Kweku took over from Agya Koo. Within two years, he featured in more than 100 movies, mostly playing the lead role. If Agya Koo got older folks interested in Ghanaian movies, Kweku brought in a lot of students, especially at the universities.
His term, “Am kiss you, am love you, woy3 me taste,” was the street slogan at the time.
When Kweku launched his first album at the Cultural Centre, I co-MCed with Afia Schwarzenegger. Kumasi was turned upside down. The Cultural Centre was filled to capacity, and the after-party at Fox Trap Night Club overly stretched the venue. Kweku was that big, and the calls for roles were endless.
When we organized tours for his music, everywhere we went, we were mobbed.
I first saw Lil Wayne at the launch of Kweku’s album. He was dressed like a local comedian and created some funny scenes at the venue. He made people laugh, but we didn’t have any clue that he was the man going to take Kweku’s place.
Kweku took Lil Wayne, recommended him, and in no time, it became Kweku and Lil Wayne as an unstoppable duo.
Then in no time, when Kweku moved out with Lil Wayne, the attention was shared on the street. Then one day, Kweku went out with Lil Wayne, and the mob went after Lil Wayne. At that moment, it was obvious the baton had shifted.
In no time, Kweku was sidelined through the usual Kumawood tactics of giving a dog a bad name and killing it. No producer wanted to work with him.
This is where most people go down and never bounce back. Kweku told himself that he wouldn’t let his name fade.
He reinvented himself, started his YouTube channel, and in no time, his channel was a major newsmaker for the Kumasi industry.
Kweku didn’t let the frustration of being sidelined make him bitter and idle. He kept finding ways of putting his destiny in his hands and remained relevant.
We all have a duty to fight against going down when the pendulum shifts against us by using legitimate alternative avenues.
I can say for a fact that Kweku Manu has made more money outside movies than he did during his movie time. He championed this YouTube drive in Kumawood and showed that there could be life beyond and after movies.
This is a beautiful story of how not to go down, a story of resilience and self-reliance.
Kweku could have sat back and blamed others for his plights; he could have chosen self-pity, but he decided to put his destiny in his hands.
Life won’t always be rosy. The good days could go bad; the rich man could lose his wealth. The question is, how do you fight back when life takes a turn at odds with your good times?
Go the Kweku Manu way; don’t waste time crying over spilled milk. Find alternatives and keep fighting.
It is one thing to fall, it is another thing to stay down. While no one can controls the fall sometimes, everyone has the ability to rise up if the fall is approached with the right mindset.
If you don’t know how, you can learn a thing or two from Kweku Manu.
By Kofi Kyei