Daddy Lumba Finally Laid To Rest

Highlife legend Charles Kwadwo Fosu, known as Daddy Lumba (DL), was finally laid to rest at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.

On Saturday, December 13, 2025, estimates suggested tens of thousands of mourners including government officials, traditional leaders, and Ghanaian music stars, gathered to pay their final respects. The Baba Yara Sports Stadium was transformed into a majestic, yet sombre, assembly ground.

The casket carrying the body of the ‘Highlife King’ lied in state, allowing the public to pay their last respects. The atmosphere was heavy with sorrow, punctuated by traditional dirges and emotional performances of Lumba’s classic hits like Yentie Obiaa.

The funeral took place only after a last-minute development at the Accra High Court. Maternal relatives of the late musician had earlier sought an injunction, arguing they were excluded from the planning process led by the family head, Kofi Owusu.

Initially, the court granted the injunction but later required the applicants to deposit GH₵2 million to cover costs in case the funeral was canceled. When the applicants missed the payment deadline, the injunction was lifted, clearing the way for the final rites.

Lead counsel for the defendants, Dominic Osei, described the court ruling as a relief.

“Prolonged litigation around a deceased loved one was painful and unnecessary,” he said, urging Ghanaians to attend the funeral and celebrate Daddy Lumba’s life. He called on fans to set aside personal differences and come together in honour of the music legend.

The legal drama highlighted the tension between statutory law and traditional Akan customs, which usually give authority over a funeral to the maternal lineage. Despite the disputes, the funeral has gone ahead, reflecting both the family’s wishes and the nation’s respect for the icon.

Meanwhile, Ghanaian MC and creative personality David Adjei Frimpong, popularly known as MC Portfolio, criticised the absence of one of Daddy Lumba’s surviving spouses, Akosua Serwaa, calling it a “cultural blunder.”

Speaking on Starr Showbiz with Feeling Daddy on Starr 103.5 FM on December 13,  he emphasised the importance of a surviving spouse’s presence in Akan funeral traditions.

“And also, to see that one of the survivors is completely absent from the whole funeral, that is… this is weird… I mean, culturally, I don’t know how culturally. Because obviously, we have always said that the Kuna [Widowhood right] goes beyond the sharing of properties or claiming of spousal, whatever,” MC Portfolio said.

He explained that surviving spouses are expected to be actively present from the moment the body arrives until the end of the funeral.

“Your presence is equally as essential as the arrival of the body… at the time people are showing condolences till the very time the whole funeral has been dropped. So, for her [Akosua Serwaal] to be missing in action at around this very important moment, I don’t know what tradition is based on,” he added.

Describing her absence as more than a personal choice, he stressed it contravenes Akan cultural norms.

“Your absence is culturally… a cultural blunder. Your absence connotes something that is against Akan tradition. Irrespective of how you may disagree, one thing is, your Kuna [Widowhood] right is a must,” he said.

He added that while the family’s decisions govern the funeral, respecting cultural responsibilities is still important.

Born Charles Kwadwo Fosu, Daddy Lumba’s influence on Ghanaian music is immeasurable. He began his career with the Lumba Brothers duo in the late 1980s and released over 30 albums, winning multiple awards along the way.