Kumawood actor Kwadwo Nkansah, widely known as Lilwin, has recounted his early days in filmmaking, arguing that some of the productions he starred in gained major popularity largely because of their soundtracks.
Speaking in an interview with ZionFelix, he insisted that, in his view, no movie soundtrack in Ghana has matched the level of success achieved by songs tied to his films.
He pointed to tracks like “Metanfo” and “Big Boy Weezy,” saying their success was closely linked to his influence in those movies, which he believes also helped shape his rise in the industry. According to him, those songs have become so associated with him that audiences respond more strongly when he performs them.
“Jackson’s movies are the only ones whose soundtracks have become hits. Songs like ‘Metanfo,’ ‘Big Boy Weezy,’ ‘Azonto Ghost,’ and others are hits. The world has not seen a movie with a soundtrack that has become a hit like mine.
“It was after these soundtracks that Bisa Kdei professionally started making music. Nothing like this has ever happened in Ghana, where a movie soundtrack becomes so popular that both the young and old can sing it,” he said.
Lilwin also reflected on how those productions influenced other musicians, mentioning Bisa Kdei as an example of an artist whose career, in his view, was shaped by the era of film soundtracks he helped popularise.
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He went on to argue that Bisa Kdei’s decision to step away from movie soundtracks was a missed opportunity for the industry. He believes continuing in that space could have strengthened both the music and film sectors.
“I would say God used my blessings to also favour Bisa Kdei. He rose at the same time I was also coming up as a movie star. When we were acting in ‘Azonto Ghost,’ I used one of Gasmilla’s songs to dance. But after the movie, the producer told us the charges were too high, which is how Bisa Kdei came into the picture.
“He wasn’t supposed to stop doing soundtracks. He stopped because many producers were approaching him, and instead of focusing on the big producers, he decided to stop entirely. He shouldn’t have stopped,” Lilwin further stated.
