Legendary Ghanaian high-life artiste, Alfred Benjamin Crentsil professionally known as A. B. Crentsil has passed away at the age of 79 on Wednesday after a short sickness.
A. B. Crentsil was touted as a part of the big three Ghanaian contemporary vocalist to grace the World music scene and won many awards including the “Fontomfrom Evergreen award, a special honor bestowed upon a musician with 15–20 years of continuous music experience.
He was the leader and owner of the Ahenfo band after his stints with the “Sweet Talk” band with Smart Nkansah. He’s noted for some hit songs including “Moses”, “Atia”, “Juliana” and “Obi ba wiase”.
Biography
Alfred Benjamin Crentsil Jr was born in Prestea, Gold Coast (present-day Ghana), to the late Alfred Benjamin Crentsil Sr and Esi Yaaba in 1943. He was always known as AB junior until his father died in 1984 when he assumed the AB Crentsil name without the junior. His primary and middle school education was the Takoradi Methodist Primary and Rev Cleveland Middle School respectively. After his middle-school examinations, AB worked as an electrical apprentice under his father, who was Works Superintendent of the technical branch of Ghana Railways at Takoradi.
While in middle school, Crentsil was introduced to the guitar by Mr. Thedoh. Crentsil became proficient in playing guitar and started singing along when playing it. He was simultaneously working as an electrician and playing with the Strollers Band owned by one Kwesi Donkor. Crentsil has played with the El Dorados, the Sweet Talks – which latter group in the 1970s, under the joint leadership of Crentsil and Smart Nkansah, were the resident band at The Talk Of The Town Hotel in Tema, with Crentsil as a lead singer and then finally the Ahenfo Band.
Crentsil opened a 16-track recording studio in 1990.“ Devil” is among his bbest-known songs.
Crentsil continued to release new albums and won the accolades that are awarded to top musicians in Ghana. As he always says: “When burger highlife came and everybody loved it, we all joined the train because we also wanted to make some money, but one that I realized is that, highlife will always be the original form of music for Ghanaians and we will always come back to it.”
