Contemporary Ghanaian gospel artiste, Cwesi Oteng, who has generated a lot of buzz on the Ghanaian gospel scene and beyond for his quality and very creative music, videos and live performances in recent times, over the weekend won the prestigious Video of the Year category at the 2012 Africa Gospel Music Awards held at the Hippodrome in London. The video that won him the award is the video for his current hit single, ?God Dey Bless Me?, which is the second prelude single off his highly anticipated Mercy Project album, scheduled for release in September.
The winning video directed by one of Ghana?s best video directors presently, Nana Kofi Asihene and his NKACC outfit, beat nine top videos by some of the prominent gospel artistes in Africa: ?I Go Dance? by Sammie Okposo (Nigeria), ?Halleluyah Hossana? by Patrick Duncan (South Africa), ?I Believe? by Rebecca (UK), ?One Man? by Pita (Nigeria), ?Senjela? by Dena Mwana (Congo), ?Dakita Tatu? by Daddy Owen (Kenya), ?I?m Walking? by Alemba & Exodus (Uganda), ?Yo ozali? by Makoma (Holland) and ?Song for Peace? by Nigeria All Stars. Cwesi, however, lost out to Emmy Kosgei in the Song of the Year category and Frank Edwards in the Artiste of the Year (West Africa) category.
This feat, notwithstanding, has come to add to the ever blossoming profile Cwesi Oteng has been building since 2010 when he decided to restructure his music and brand to have a uniquely African image that has a contemporary touch. The restructure led to the release of his ?Mercy (But for Your Mercy)? single, the first prelude single off his upcoming Mercy Project album, single plus its video that earned him three awards last year: Ghana Gospel Industry Awards New Artiste of the Year, Best Gospel Video at Vodafone-4Syte TV MVA and Best Lyrics for a Most Wanted Song in the Contemporary Gospel Music Awards plus nominations in the 2011 Africa Gospel Awards.
Sharing his thoughts on the award, Cwesi Oteng comments, ?I am very elated and humbled to have won the Best African Gospel Video with my ?God Dey Bless Me? video. My team and I set out to produce a masterpiece that will make a positive and strong statement for gospel music for that matter God and my country, Ghana. My joy is that by God?s grace we were able to achieve this. I am glad about the brand we are representing all over Africa and the world for the quality music and creative videos we have put out which are from Ghana. Rubbing shoulders with great gospel music artistes and brands from all over Africa and beyond is an elevation I owe to God, my music team Flo Riva Incorporated and band, management, Nana Asihene the director and all my fans especially all who voted. God bless you and may this win inspire all the young people who look up to me to pursue excellence especially when it concerns God.?
Other Ghanaian winners at the event include Sunny FM?s Fifi Folson (Radio Show Host of the Year), Sonnie Badu (Album of the Year & AGMA Trailblazer Award), Yaw Osei Owusu (Artiste of the Year US/Canada), UK-based P.K Boadi (Discovery of the Year) and John Mensah Sarpong (Contribution to the Promotion of African Gospel Music).
Cwesi Oteng is a young gospel recording artiste with a trademark fusion of urban contemporary music elements and African rhythms overlain by thought provoking inspiring messages. His ?God Dey Bless Me? song is the second prelude single off his much talked about Mercy Project album to be released in September. The hit song is receiving heavy rotation in Ghana and all over Africa breaking new grounds every now and then.
