Ras Opoku says ‘Jah Will Be There’
The type of songs that Germany-based Ghanaian singer/composer Ras Opoku cherishes offer positivity, character enhancement and inner pride, elements that catch your attention on his new ‘Jah Will Be There’ album.
Along his D’Jah-Nerations band, the 10-track collection retains a general reggae feel but still dives into a fusion of grooves as Ras Opoku’s way of expressing togetherness for people from everywhere.
There are infusions of Highlife, Rock, Jazz, Afro-beat and traditional Ghanaian rhythms that all merge to make ‘Jah Will Be There’ an appreciable item for people with varying musical leanings.
Singing in English, Twi and Pidgin, Ras Opoku reminds everyone that there are repercussions for the actions we take, and, therefore, the need to be cautious and conscious in all deliberations.
On the title track, for instance, he cautions world leaders to be genuine in dealings with their people. ‘No More Sorrow’ is Afro-Beat flavoured and Ras Opoku rides on that, in Fela Kuti style, to say the masses won’t forever just sit and suffer the indiscretions of rulers.
On the ‘Smile’ track, he encourages all that, despite the hardships, it was still necessary to wear a smile and keep pushing on. He preaches peace in personal relationships on ‘Yenka No Bokoo.’
The ‘Jah Will Be There’ album is scheduled to be available on all major digital music platforms by the end of June. Ras Opoku is expecting a positive response to the material due to the quality of the production and the wide palette of rhythms it presents.
“Fans in Europe who have not seen me at festivals and in the clubs for a while keep asking when I will be back on the live circuit. I have explained that it was taking a bit of time to put a new album together for them. Now that it’s done, we will reach out,” says Ras Opoku.
One of the places he definitely wants to reach out to is Ghana. Though he has a firm grounding in Europe and is not widely known in Ghana, he believes it’s time to personally and physically introduce himself to music-loving Ghanaians.
“We’ll see what happens by the end of 2026. I’m in touch with acts like Queen Asabia and Kenteman, Rocky Dawuni and Bongofari for a project to be called ‘The Smile Festival’ in Accra and some regional capitals.
The idea is to eventually take the festival to Europe sometime after the Ghana run,” states Ras Opoku, who is also known as The African Teacher.
He has a style of sometimes pausing during song presentations to talk about the African essence and the need to hold on to the positive aspects of our uniqueness.
That’s what prompted sections of the European media to start referring to him as The African Teacher.
To Ras Opoku, Africa has a lot of positive messages for the world and his ‘Jah Will Be There’ album is just a bit of his contribution to the whole discourse.
