Moko Bɛ is like ‘love at first sight’— Nii Okai

Was one of his usual dawn walks on the beach of Eldorado Hotel in Cotonou, Benin, when Gospel singer, Nii Okai, decided to have a conversation with God.

The gist was about how Nii Okai was full of gratitude to God as well as how amazed he was of God’s faithfulness in his life.

While pondering on how life would have probably been meaningless and empty but for his total dependence on God, Nii Okai started meditating about the nature of God. 

Of course, as a Ga man, the only words that he could utter after moments of deep thoughts about God was Moko bɛ, which literally translates ‘there’s none like you’ in his language.  

But how does he tell the world about his ‘revelation’ of God’? The answer is Moko Bɛ, a song which didn’t only announce Nii Okai to the big stage of Ghanaian Gospel music scene but also propelled him from obscurity into the limelight.

For 20 years since December 2003 when Moko Bɛ was launched at the St Paul’s Methodist Cathedral in Tema, Nii Okai who is founder of Harbour City Mass Choir has been trumpeting the message. 
And it doesn’t look like he will stop singing Moko Bɛ anytime soon.  

Moko Bɛ  @ 20

Already, Nii Okai born Ernest Nii-Okai Okai has announced a grand Moko Bɛ celebration concert slated for Sunday, September 17, 2023 at the ICGC Zoe Temple in Tema. 

The announcement was made during a press launch held at the Medical Training and Simulation Centre of the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), Legon on Thursday, August 17, 2023.

He also revealed that as part of the celebration, there would be a ‘20 hearts campaign’ to fund heart surgeries for 20 needy persons. 

In a recent interview with Daily Graphic, Nii Okai shared ‘behind the scenes’ story of Moko Bɛ ­­­­­which has not been told in 20 years.

“Moko Bɛ simply dropped into my spirit after one of my usual dawn prayer walks on the beach of  Eldorado Hotel in Cotonou, Benin. I receive several songs during the period in similar fashion and I still do till today.

“But I will say that when it dropped in my spirit, Moko Bɛ can best be described as ‘love at first sight’. Everything about the song caught the attention of listeners and viewers alike, distributors and promoters, the saved and the unsaved, and the rest they say is history. 

“So I started rearranging existing music and realised I had the gift. Though I had earlier composed a few songs, Moko Bɛɛ became the defining moment for me as a gifted songwriter and producer.

“I received the verse and chorus first, taught the Harbour City Mass Choir and we started experiencing the tangible presence of God whenever we got to minister it.

“I eventually wrote the bridge and coda of the song when it was time to record it for my maiden album. It was co-produced by Koda and recorded live and in a number of studios for overdubs.”

“We launched in 2003 and worked on the video in early 2004 with Phamous People (Gerald OGEE Gyimah). We eventually worked on the Twi version and shot another video with Nana Asihene,” he said.

In the last 20 years, Nii Okai has mentored several of the current ministers and music directors including Eugene Zuta, David Osabutey, MOGmusic, Kofi Karikari, Naa Mercy, Glenn Barnes, Evangeline Gbenartey, Dani Makafui, among others.

A number of his mentees will support him at the scheduled Moko Bɛ @ 20 celebration concert later this month.

“I am humbled to have nurtured many gifted minstrels over the past two decades who are currently taking the world by storm with their music and I’m excited to share the stage with them come September 17 in Tema where it all began,” he noted.

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Nii Okai who is fondly called Ataa Nii by close associates and friends describes himself as a renowned leader and visionary in the Christian community.

He founded Nii Okai Ministries, International House of Virtue (The iChurch), Saving Hearts Foundation, Harbour City Mass Choir (co-founder), Christian Music Association Ghana (founding leader) and  Hephzibah Summit (Convenor).

 He is a multiple award-winning artiste with eight inspiring albums including, Moko Bɛ, Worshipful, Hymnz Unlimited, Holy Writings, Saving Hearts, Yesu Hi, Revive Us (live in Canada) and Revealing Jesus. He is the author of a book, Losing My Isaac.

 Over the course of his music career, Nii Okai has been awarded with the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards’ (VGMA) World Bank Award for Music for Development; 4Syte TV’s Best Gospel Video; Kingdom Legends 2013; Christian Community Music Awards’ Most Wanted Timeless Song; The Song Writer’s Pen’s Song Writer of the Year 2022.

 Nii Okai’s love for singing and music began early in his childhood; a gift which developed and became full blown during his days at Mfantsipim School and later at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, where he directed three choirs and produced an album and an anthem. 

He also excelled in the corporate world until mid-2010 when he left his role as the Manager for Service Excellence and Corporate Affairs at Standard Chartered Bank, to pursue what he says is a “divine calling”.

He holds a Master of Arts in Mission and Theology from the Akrofi-Christaller Institute, Akropong-Akuapem; a Bachelor of Arts in French and Economics from KNUST, as well as a professional proficiency in French (D.E.L.F & D.A.L.F.).

Expressing his views on the current state of the Gospel industry, Nii Okai, who is married and a father of three told Daily Graphic the sector has seen lots of positive growth and exposure. 

“I believe there’ve been a lot of positive growth and exposure. This is not devoid of the usual challenge of competition and factions, stemming in part from the acute support available and excesses of social media,” he stated.

In his concluding remarks, Nii Okai encouraged new entrants not to seek fame. 

“You don’t have to be like everybody else. If you seek fame, you will fail, if you seek faithfulness, you will succeed. If you invest in others on behalf of God, He will eventually invest in others on your behalf,” he noted.