Renowned Ghanaian highlife and reggae musician Nana Fynn has shared the bizarre yet fascinating creative process behind one of his biggest evergreen songs, “Menkoaa.”
Speaking in an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with media personality Kafui Dey, the veteran singer-songwriter and producer revealed that he had to completely empty his bedroom of all furniture before he could find the inspiration to finish the track.
According to Nana Fynn, the idea for “Menkoaa” first came to him in a hotel room in Takoradi while he was promoting his debut album. At the time, he wanted to write a bold, “boastful” love song—a track for people who were so confident in their partner’s affection that they weren’t afraid to brag about it in public.
Despite the strong concept, the song remained unfinished. Nana Fynn shelved the idea for nearly 18 months, explaining that songs are like “spiritual seeds” that wait for the right time and environment to grow.
When he finally decided to revisit the song as he transitioned into writing more Fante records, he hit a creative wall. Determined to unlock the hit he knew was hiding in the melody, he woke up one morning and followed a strange impulse to clear out his entire living space.
“I took out my chair, two chairs from my visitors. I took out my mattress—the feeling wasn’t coming,” Nana Fynn told Kafui Dey. “I took out the bed itself, the wooden structure.”
His family members watched in confusion as he hauled his furniture outside without uttering a word, wondering what had gotten into him.
Once the room was completely bare—leaving only his fixed piano inside—the magic happened. Stripped of all distractions and alone in the empty space, the creative block disappeared, and the rest of “Menkoaa” came pouring out.
True to his signature style of prioritizing sweet melodies before penning lyrics, Nana Fynn crafted the song’s infectious rhythm before taking the demo to legendary sound engineer Zapp Mallet, who laced the track with the iconic octave keyboard line that fans still love today.
Enjoy full interview below Renowned Ghanaian highlife and reggae musician Nana Fynn has shared the bizarre yet fascinating creative process behind one of his biggest evergreen songs, “Menkoaa.”
Speaking in an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with media personality Kafui Dey, the veteran singer-songwriter and producer revealed that he had to completely empty his bedroom of all furniture before he could find the inspiration to finish the track.
According to Nana Fynn, the idea for “Menkoaa” first came to him in a hotel room in Takoradi while he was promoting his debut album. At the time, he wanted to write a bold, “boastful” love song—a track for people who were so confident in their partner’s affection that they weren’t afraid to brag about it in public.
Despite the strong concept, the song remained unfinished. Nana Fynn shelved the idea for nearly 18 months, explaining that songs are like “spiritual seeds” that wait for the right time and environment to grow.
When he finally decided to revisit the song as he transitioned into writing more Fante records, he hit a creative wall. Determined to unlock the hit he knew was hiding in the melody, he woke up one morning and followed a strange impulse to clear out his entire living space.
“I took out my chair, two chairs from my visitors. I took out my mattress—the feeling wasn’t coming,” Nana Fynn told Kafui Dey. “I took out the bed itself, the wooden structure.”
His family members watched in confusion as he hauled his furniture outside without uttering a word, wondering what had gotten into him.
Once the room was completely bare—leaving only his fixed piano inside—the magic happened. Stripped of all distractions and alone in the empty space, the creative block disappeared, and the rest of “Menkoaa” came pouring out.
True to his signature style of prioritizing sweet melodies before penning lyrics, Nana Fynn crafted the song’s infectious rhythm before taking the demo to legendary sound engineer Zapp Mallet, who laced the track with the iconic octave keyboard line that fans still love today.
Enjoy full interview below
