No pressure to maintain my dad’s legacy — Gyakie

Having a parent who has left a great imprint on the music space is a huge burden to carry as an offspring and that is the tight spot celebrated Highlife musician Nana Acheampong of Lumba Brothers fame is probably putting his daughter Gyakie in.

For one who was exposed to music at an early stage, Gyakie is now living her dream of doing music commercially and though the weight of expectations is huge, the singer says she doesn’t feel pressured to keep her father’s legacy alive.

“I’m proud of my dad’s exploits but I don’t think I’m competing with him or trying to maintain his legacy. I don’t want to feel that pressure or weight in my young career because I want to progress at my own pace.”

“Besides, my dad has left a legacy. He embarked on a journey and successfully set the pace for others to chart. I am embarking on a journey as well and hopefully, make my own impact so there’s no pressure at all.”

“I know some people have raised the bar high for me because of daddy but I have already set the bar high for myself because of the music I have done and not because of my father,” she told Graphic Showbiz.

Gyakie, who is currently promoting her song titled Forever, describes herself as an Afro-fusion artiste.

She is currently studying International Business at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and even though she is still in school, she pointed out that she has her father’s blessings to pursue her music.

“I have my father’s blessings. He appreciates the path I have chosen and has been my number one motivator encouraging me not to give up. He always tells me that my only language should be winning and that is why even with my busy school schedule, I’m still doing music,” she stated.

Having had her own experience, Gyakie, whose real name is Jacqueline Acheampong, said she had braced herself to overcome the difficulties that limited female acts.

According to her, she had observed how many female acts such as Raquel and a host of others have faded out, a common occurrence that she attributed to the low support they got.

She indicated that she intended to stand out by sticking to her versatility and staying unique.

“The music industry needs attention. There are so many talents out there creating beautiful records that would put Ghana on the map but the attention is one-sided, thus other acts do not get the enthusiasm to do more,” she noted.

In August 2020, Gyakie dropped her debut project, a five-track EP titled Seed and it explores diverse genres to reflect her musical quest of finding and staying true to herself.

Gyakie is signed to FlipTheMusic Record Label and she told Graphic Showbiz that apart from her dad, she admired the music prowess of Bisa Kdei.

“My dad talks about how proud he is of this new generation and the kind of music that is making waves now. Personally, I admire Bisa Kdei because he has stayed true to Highlife and deserves commendation for that,” he stated.