The then manager of late Hiplife/Ragga/Dancehall legend Terry Bonchaka, Reagan Mends has shared a remarkable tale from the late musician’s performance at Aki & Pawpaw’s concert at the National Theatre in 2003.
In a social media post, Reagan Mends recounted how a woman, who had experienced amenorrhea for four months, reportedly began menstruating again after witnessing Bonchaka’s daring stage entrance.
The late hiplife icon descended from the National Theatre’s upper level using an Adisadel College cloth.
According to Reagan, the elder sister of the woman told them after the concert backstage that the stunt triggered the physiological response
Read the full post below
The year 2003 was a watershed moment for the Ghanaian entertainment industry. The year witnessed both triumphs and tragedy.
For avid followers of the showbiz scene, attending events at the National Theatre was paramount, and Terry Bonchaka was a consequential attraction.
Terry Nii Okang-Adjetey, popularly known as Terry Bonchaka, was a Hiplife/Ragga/Dancehall legend. Although his commercial career spanned less than 3 years, his impact was immense.
A master of stagecraft, Terry Bonchaka elevated his performances to an art form. Beyond his inestimable energy, dynamic pace, and ostentatious costumes, his histronic stage entrances were legendary.
Patrons would arrive at the National Theatre and other event centres hours before showtime, eager to witness these expositions.
After capitulating fans at shows like “A Night with the Stars” and “Spacefon Legend Night,” his status as the ‘King’ of stage performance was further cemented at the concert of Nollywood legends Aki & Pawpaw in 2003.
The show, organised by former manager of Ghanaian super songstress Becca, Kiki Banson was met with many tumultuous controversies.
In this episode, I will detail five controversies that marked late music icon’s performance at the most prestigious concert in that year.
CONTROVERSY NUMBER 1
A week before the “Aki & Pawpaw” show, Terry Bonchaka was scheduled to perform at the launch of the legendary Hiplife/Hip-hop group VIP’s “Ahomka Wom” album at the National Theatre.
It was a Saturday. The original plan was for him to make a dramatic entrance by descending from the top floor of the theatre.
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As his manager, I routinely assessed the crowd and atmosphere upon arrival at each venue before Terry’s performances to ensure the stage entries were appropriate for that specific audience.
Upon entering the sparsely attended auditorium for the VIP launch, I concluded that a conspicuous stunt would be ill-suited.
No disrespect to legendary VIP, but even though ‘’Ahomka Wom’’ is still one of the biggest songs in Africa, the launch was a flop. The National Theatre was not even half full.
Given this, I persuaded Terry to postpone the stunt for the “Aki & Pawpaw” show. The Nigerian actors, then at the peak of their popularity, were making their Ghanaian debut, thus it was a guarantee that the National Theatre would be filled to the brim.
Remarkably, this was the only time Terry agreed to change his plans without argument.
CONTROVERSY NUMBER 2
The day of the “Aki & Pawpaw” show arrived. During the soundcheck, our initial plan was for Terry to jump from the top floor onto the stage without any safety equipment. ie, he would hold the metal rail, then descend.
Ironically, Highlife legend Slim Busterr, our “godfather,” advised against this. The Highlife legend suggested that late Hiplife/Dancehall Star should descend with a rope instead.
Considering Terry’s bulky stature, I opposed using a rope tied to the metal rail. I was scared it might slip.
After our usual exchanges, we decided on a cloth. We needed a long piece of fabric, so I called my mother and my late sister on the phone to request their pieces of cloth. I wanted to get a tailor to combine their cloths to make it longer.
Just as I ended the call, I remembered Terry sleeps in his old Adisadel College cloth, which was sufficiently long, so we consented to its use.
CONTROVERSY NUMBER 3
As soon as we arrived at the National Theatre for the actual show in the evening, I quickly climbed upstairs to tie the cloth to the metal rail
Normally, Terry’s stage entrances involved dimming the auditorium lights, but such a stunt required full illumination.
Dressed in elaborate African attire, designed by award-winning fashion designer Te_bilazuu, when the MC announced his name, the light technician on duty mistakenly turned off the lights.
I rushed backstage and landed a forceful uppercut on the technician. In a frenzy, I delivered several hefty blows to the middle-aged man for turning off the lights.
That was the extent I could go to ensure Terry Bonchaka’s stagecraft was executed without any blemish
CONTROVERSY NUMBER 4
With the lights now on, the audience eagerly awaited Terry’s descent. But there was a problem; his costume was not properly secured, and he was searching for me to fix it.
I was positioned behind the PA system, ensuring that the DJ, Papa Sly, played only approved music. He became exceedingly frustrated. Eventually, a helpful individual assisted him in adjusting the costume.
After a tense three-minute wait, Terry, while standing on the top floor shouted, “Watch your back!!” The audience looked up to see him descending with the cloth, eliciting screams. Even the police officer on duty also screamed like a baby.
A few hours before the show, I psyched Terry up by saying:
“We are not going to compete with the other artists on the bill. We are competing with the audience. We have to ensure they receive value for their money, so just land safely. If you land successfully without even performing the actual routine, we’ve won.”
The stunt was perilous, but the late first National Hiplife Champion landed flawlessly after 30 seconds. The landing was so successful that you may think he rehearsed.
CONTROVERSY NUMBER 5
His triumphant landing prompted me to kiss his fiancée out of sheer joy. Yes, I gave his fiancée a ‘wet’ kiss out of joy. She was standing behind me. Terry then took the stage
He performed songs like “Gbeebi Akley” (Ghana Ladies), “Puulele,” and “Zoozey.” That was the day he ground pepper on stage as part of his performance.
It was the first time I witnessed so much money being sprayed on an artiste during a performance. Bola Ray was among those who generously contributed. The media mogul rained over GHC500 on Terry – back then, over his inconceivable performance.
During Terry’s final set, while he was performing “Zoozey,” I rushed to the stage to collect the money. Even though some photographers had already collected a large portion, I was able to gather nearly GHC70
He was displeased that I had allowed the photographers to collect the money. I explained, ‘Were you expecting me to leave Papa Sly who could’ve disrupted your performance with unnecessary mixes? Was the show not more important than the money?”.
As we argued backstage, two sisters approached us. The elder sister, after eulogising Terry’s magical performance, said, “My sister has not had her period for nearly four months. We planned to visit the hospital on Monday, but the anxiety of watching your stunt has triggered her menstruation… How much do we owe you?”.
It sounded strange to us, but the elder sister quickly quipped, ‘Oh, you don’t believe it? Let me show you her stained underwear.
She was ready to show us the stained underwear but I prevented her. We exchanged numbers. They wanted lunch with us the following day, but the rest is history.
A few months later, the most tragic incident of that year happened: Terry Bonchaka died in a car accident on the Legon-Accra Mall stretch.
Watch excerpts of his stage performance below
