Rex Omar returns to music with Nhyira

Veteran musician, Rex Omar, has kicked off his audacious project to release a song every month for the next three years with a Gospel flavoured tune titled Nhyira which features Hiplife artiste, Trigmatic.

The initiative is part of a project by Rex Omar known as the Highlife Agenda to redefine Highlife music and preserve it as a wholly Ghanaian brand.

Nearly a decade ago, the man who brought us hit songs like Abiba, Maba, Di Da Da Di Di, Akoda Kitikiti and others took a hiatus from the music scene after complaining that it was no longer rewarding and he is returning with a song that will get people tapping their feet and singing along.

On the five-minute-long Nhyira, which was released on Sunday, Rex Omar proves that while he has been away for a while, he hasn’t lost his mojo. The song is heavy on instrumentals and has a Jazz vibe to it that is very appealing.

The opening 35 seconds gives the listener a chance to soak in the instrumentals before Rex Omar comes in singing about the blessings of God on a person’s life.

He sings about how when God blesses you, nothing the enemy does will get to you, how no weapon fashioned against you shall prosper and how God will honour you in the presence of your enemies.

In an interview with Showbiz on Monday, Rex Omar said he chose to start the project with Nhyira as a way of thanking God.

“I have been doing music for 35 years and when I look at where I’m coming from and where God has brought me, I felt it right to start with a song that expresses my appreciation to him. When God blesses you, you have to show appreciation.”

Trigmatic is at his best on the track as he also drops lines that keep to the theme saying all the enemy’s efforts to bring him down have failed.

Rex Omar, who is currently the Chairman of the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) also spoke to Showbiz about his bid to redefine Highlife music.

“Before our colonial masters gave our music the name Highlife, we had our own music like Adowa, Agbadza, Kpanlogo, Borborbor among others but because they couldn’t dance to these and they wanted something that will suit them, they called it Highlife.

“So now Highlife is a brand that is stuck to Ghana because we started it but what I am saying is that for us not to lose it, we should bring all our various traditional rhythms together under Highlife and redefine it once and for all,” he said.

Rex Omar said Highlife music isn’t dead but has evolved over the years which is not necessarily bad but needed to be redefined.

He also assured that he can sustain his ‘single every month for three years’ project because “while I was away from music, I was still in the studio recording although I did not release them. I have so many songs,” he said.

The video for Nhyira will be ready for release by tomorrow, April 20.