Born on August 30, 1970 in Accra, Ghana, Diana Hopeson is the last of seven children born to Francis Arhin and Ms. Hannah Amoo, who hail from Awutu Breku in the Central Region.
She attended Bubiashie Cable and Wireless Primary School from 1976-1978, Eaton Preparatory School from 1978-1982, and successfully completed the Winneba Secondary School both ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level from 1983 – 1990.
Her professional musical career skyrocketed immediately after school although she was very active with music and other cultural activities during her school days.
Her special interest was singing, dancing and acting but most of all as a dedicated Christian, she loved to sing gospel music.
It was, therefore, no wonder she went straight into professional singing after leaving college and came out with her first album in 1991 titled HE IS LORD.
Music Life
The success of this debut did really propel her in becoming one of Ghana’s most popular gospel musicians. She followed it up with another release in 1993, YE YI W’AYE DAA.
That album included titles like Winner, Gyina Pintin, Onyame Ye Odomfo etc. and till today, these songs which became instant hits have become unmissable tunes in any gospel activity in Ghana.
She released yet another album in 1994, YESU MO and followed that up in 1995 with IF JESUS SAYS YES…. and like the previous releases, the latter became an instant hit too, becoming the slogan in the Christian circles.
Blessed with the charm and charisma, she has through her music been able to touch the hearts of many in some parts of the world.
In the company of her first husband, Rev. Samuel Akiwumi, she toured all the regions in Ghana singing the gospel and preaching the word of God. The late Rev. Samuel Akiwumi was an evangelist with the Assemblies of God Church.
In 1993, she won the Best Gospel Music Award from ECRAG in Ghana. She received a fax message of recommendation from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for her music being one of the best from Africa and a possible feature on their network broadcasts.
Attending a very important Women’s conference organised by the 70/70 club in Nigeria, the star reception she received was a proof that her popularity had in no doubt spilled over into Nigeria.
She was later featured on BBC for music in Africa, a 45 minutes interview. To climax her international reputation, she successfully toured parts of Europe and performed in various grand churches in Holland, France, Germany, Belgium and Britain.
She remains one of Ghana’s most powerful female stage performers and is in no doubt loved by her audience wherever she performs.
In 1997, the music star came out with her 5th Album on both on Cassette and CD entitled ONYAME ASEM SE… This was her third CD and was recorded in Holland at the A.I.P.P Studios, engineered by Sloopy Mike Gyamfi – This album is a true representation of what she stands for.
The first track opens up with a praise song and flows into a very authentic highlife medley of three songs in the second track. Sang in Ebo, Yoruba, Awutu her mother tongue and English she demonstrated here her talent as a multi–linguist which has become a unique feature in her music.
The third song on the Onyame Asem Se album is in Ewe, titled Akpe. This song, which is a modern combination of Reggae and African music, breaks down halfway into a soulful Twi verse of a thanksgiving to God.
Other songs on the CD worth mentioning are Odo Ben Ni, Agyenkwa Hene, Wo Din Ne Wo Honam Se, Okamafo and of course the title song Onyame Asem Se. These are all original materials written by her, sponsored by Animco Shipping under the A.I.P.P. label.
The rest of the songs on the CD are Danase and I Know which are public domain songs of worship.
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THE AFRICAN QUEEN OF GOSPEL
The release of ONYAME ASEM SE brought a very notable change in her life. Despite a crises in her marriage, during the time of release of the album, the gospel song bird kept singing and ministering to the churches.
She toured Nigeria, Lome and South Africa. Indeed Jesus sailed through the storm with her.
On the 4th of April 1998, she was awarded the Most Outstanding Personality in Gospel Music in Kumasi, a King David’s award. Her second invitation to Togo did not only reveal the success of the ONYAME ASEM SE album but also her acceptance and success of being multilingual.
Her 6th album EBESIMEYIE was released in 1999 under Despite Music followed by KOSO ABA, the 7th Album, in 2001. It was released under the GMF record label.
The song got a Ghana Music Award nomination in 2001. Other albums are Africa America in 2003 followed by HALLELUYAH, YEDI NKUNIM on CDs and cassettes in 2006 as well as a live musical performance dubbed A Nite with Diana on VCD in 2006. She released an Aseda EP in 2018.
Diana released her Current new album HOPE VOLUME 1 in September 2020 when she celebrated her 50th Anniversary.
This Golden Jubilee Album has eight beautiful tracks including ‘Your Name Be Praised’ featuring Nii Okai, Pastor Helen Yawson, Anuonyam and the LIC Choir and produced by Jerbbete Studios and engineered by Jervis Jokoto at Adentan.
‘Woenuonyam’ which featured Eugene Zuta is also a Jerbette Production. ‘Aseda Remix’ Featuring Okyeame Kwame was produced by Emmanuel Cobbold and engineered by Kaywa in Tema with the vocal recordings done in Title Tracks Productions, South Odorkor.
‘Silent Night’ adopted Christmas carol sung in English and Ewe was recorded at the Braindrain Studio and engineered by Vinny Kay.
2021 RELEASES
The first single for 2021 is Mandaana (My Lord & Saviour), a reggae song in Grune (Frafra) language set to be released on March 15, 2021, in all digital stores including Aftown in Ghana.
In Mandaana, she tells her listeners that “there is no name that can be compared to Jesus, Jesus is our saviour and Lord.”
It will be followed by more singles in April; Ubanghiji (My Lord) sung in Hausa and Halleluyah sung in Twi and English.
Also ‘Spontaneous Worship and Covid-19 Prayers.’ As Ghana’s favourite songbird, she is ready to dish out more music this year.
INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Educational background
Winneba Secondary school for O and A Level.
Advanced International Certificate Course of IP Panorama Multimedia Contents of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO); World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Korean Invention Promotion association (KIPA).
She has benefitted from the U.S. Department of Commerce Commercial Law Development (CLDP) IP Programs (CLDP) in Africa.
She is a graduate of the Christian Leaders Institute, she is also a graduate of University of Ghana’s School of Performing Arts, Youth with a Mission (YWAM)’s College of Arts and Sports of the University of the Nations (UofN), Kona-Hawaii, USA and MPhil from the University of Education, Winneba in Guidance and Counseling.
Some old Project songs
During the HIV AIDS pandemic years, she was instrumental as an executive of MUSIGA in creating an HIV Aids Awareness Musical Stop Aids, Love life an all-star song in 1999.
Another song to deal with the stigmatization of HIV AIDS patients titled Reach out with Compassion also an all-star production was released in 2002.
She was featured on the Save The Child with Music. Since Ghana moved into Constitutional rule, she was instrumental as an Executive of MUSIGA in organising National Peace Concerts and Annual National Thanksgiving Musical Concerts in all the regions of the country from 1994 to 2007.
Church
Diana worships at the Fountain Gate Chapel, Life Pastures, East Legon with her husband Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Hopeson as Guest Ministers and they are blessed with a son.
Shows and Awards
- 3Music Awards – One of the Women Trailblazers in the Ghana Music and Entertainment Industry
- Celebrity Philanthropist Award 2019
- Guest Judge Celebrations TV3 Accra 2019
- Judge and Patron for UGCY Ghana 2018
- Judge for Destiny TV Destiny Star Program 2017
- Judge for TV Africa Amazing Kid Program 20′
- Judge for Coca-Cola Hit Single Competition 2011.
- Women in Creative Industry Honors. Feb 14th 2011
- Ghana Music Awards. Planning committee member from 2000 to date
- Guest Judge for TV reality Show. TV3 2008
- Vodafone Ghana Music Award 2012 MUSIGA Merit
- Central Region Music Awards 2008
- Grand Medal Award from the National Honors Award 2007
- MTN Ceval Award 2007
- Ogun Beads Award 2004
- Ghana Gospel Music Award 2003 Special Award
- Ghana Music Award Nominee for Best Gospel 2002
- King David’s Award Most Outstanding Female Personality 1999
- ECRAG Award for Best Gospel Music 1993.
