BIGSONG:
Philipa Baafi is a renowned Ghanaian gospel musician. She came out with her maiden album, Nyame Honhon Sane, in 1999 just after she had completed Senior Secondary School. In 2002, and released another album, Mogya Nakasa, and followed it up with Okyeso Nyame, in February 2004.She released her fourth album, Go High, and it has received a lot of airplay. The New Patriotic Party, NPP even adopted Go High, the title track for campaign purposes.According to Philipa, who started singing at the Bantama Methodist Church in Kumasi, she discovered her potential at the tender age of nine. At that age, she did not confine singing to her church alone. There were times when she went to other churches in Kumasi and its environs to do some renditions.She continued singing, this time in a more polished and captivating style when she entered the St. Monica’s Secondary School at Asante Mampong in 1996.After her senior high school education, she enrolled at the FC Institute of Beauty Therapy to study Physiology and Anatomy. On completion, she proceeded to Cologne, Germany, to pursue a diploma course in beauty therapy for three months.According to her, her childhood dream was to become a medical doctor but that ambition was jettisoned very early in her life when she lost both parents in quick succession. She is hopeful of going back to school, especially after she had received assurances from her husband who had promised to support her to fulfill her childhood dream.At the moment, Philipa doubles as a gospel musician and a beauty therapist. She has two shops in Kumasi and several assistants who help her in her work.Philipa was born in Kumasi on May 15, 1980, the first of three children born to Ms. Grace Acheampong, a trader, and Mr. Akwasi Baafi, who was domiciled in Germany, both of blessed memory. She started school at the Kings International School, before continuing at St Monica’s, where she was the Girls’ Prefect, the President of the Scripture Union, and the Science Club.Philipa is full of gratitude to her aunt, Ms. Felicia Acheampong, who took care of her and her two siblings when their parents died. She has gospel divas, Amy Newman of Ghana and Rebecca Malope of South Africa, as her local and international role models, respectively. She worships at the Calvary Baptist Church at Adabraka in Accra and she is grateful to her numerous fans for their loyalty.
