Ghanaian entertainment burst its riverbanks in the 2000s. The music industry gave us many classic songs, Events and tv programs. On television, we had the AlloBuzz Show hosted by Jon Germain. MusicMusic, then hosted by Bola Ray, was a weekend favourite. Many of these shows and programs have rebranded or repackaged to favour shifting audiences. But the Advertising Cycle on MetroTV has stayed constant and true even after of two decades.
MetroTV’s Advertising Cycle is a program that plays current Ghanaian chart music while also advertsing products and services. The moment you heard the iconic opening intro of strings you already knew what time it was: Advertising Cycle time.
Long before access to internet in Ghana or Youtube, the best place to see the latest music videos had to be Advertising Cycle.
The Adversting Cycle playing all those songs on rotation probably made some of the musicians of the 2000s household names. We had Ofori Amponsah, Daasebre, Becca, 4×4 and even Castro, of blessed memory, among the Ghanaian music greats that had their videos played on the show.
Since we are feeling nostalgic this week we figured we would take you on a journey down memory lane as well.
Here are 10 songs from the 2000s you probably remember thanks to Advertsing Cycle on MetroTV.
1. Kofi Nti. featuring Ofori Amponsah, Barosky, KK Fosu – Rakia
This song was the absolute jam. When it was dropped you already knew what time it was: get to stepping on the dance floor. Kofi Nti and Ofori Amponsah are without a doubt absolute High Life legends. This song was the official traditional wedding anthem. You just had to profess your love.
2. Kojo Antwi – Tom and Jerry.
Kojo Antwi is one of Ghana’s national treasures. His catalogue alone may be enough to fill this entire list of nostalgic songs. The video for his hit single Tom and Jerry was a favourite on Advertising Cycle. And seeing how creative he was with using puppets we wholeheartedly agree as to why.
3. Mzbel – 16 years
The Queen of Hiplife came onto the scene with a bang when she dropped this. The song was very catchy and the message of the song even better. Mzbel put out awareness on paedophilia and girl-child sexual abuse at a time when Ghana needed that message across.
4. 4×4 – Shaka Zulu
Fresh boy chupachops in the house. You had to be there. What a time to be alive. The location, the choreography, the make-up, everything! *Chef’s kiss*
5. Becca – Daa ke da
If Ghana ever had Pop then Becca had to be the artiste to bring it. Her climb to the entertainment scene had it’s controversy but she muscled through and gave us the hit single that would become the soundtrack for Shirley Frimpong-Manso’s Scorned movie.
6. Rex Omar – Abiba
Part of the iconic trio NACOREX, Rex Omar dropped this Highlife gold tune to set off almost every night at the club. And the video? Well, you be the best judge of that.
7. Tic Tac featuring Samini – Kangaroo
Oh my days. This song and it’s videos was such a hit that it even had a video sponsored and directed by Channel O. Talk about iconic. Tic Tac and Samini made a motivational anthem with this one.
8. Bollie – You May Kiss Your Bride.
https://youtu.be/lz-sVGOwxIE
Advertising Cycle played this song so hard. Before Reggie and Bollie became the duo we know today they were solo acts. Bollie’s music video enacted a wedding which had him foregoing his own mother’s funeral for his wife’s wedding. Guess he had warped priorities.
9. Bradez – Simple
Bradez were the profilic duo that gave us the hit single Simple and 419. Advertising Cycle did us the favour of rotating this artistic music video which had graphic design fonts and a gorgeous video vixen.
10. VIP – Ahomka
By far the biggest export out of Ghana. This song propelled the Ghanaian music beyond its borders. And positioned VIP as the iconic trio that Ghana will never forget. It is labelled as Highlife but for us we think this song was the first of Ghana’s House music.
