Nearly 80 combined years of gospel music ministry, captured in one iconic photo.
With over 37 years of ministry from Daughters of Glorious Jesus and more than 40 years from the Tagoe Sisters, this is more than a picture. It is a celebration of faithfulness, consistency, and generations of lives touched through gospel music.
The Tagoe Sisters
The Tagoe Sisters are an iconic, evergreen Ghanaian gospel music duo consisting of twin sisters Lydia Dedei Yawson (née Tagoe) and Elizabeth Korkoi Tagoe. Operating for over 40 years, they are recognized as legends who revolutionized the Ghanaian gospel music scene with their powerful harmonies, deeply moving lyrics, and distinct traditional rhythms.
Early Life and Hardships
They were born on July 27, 1965, to Hammond Ayikwei Tagoe and Theresa Aidoo. Their father hailed from Korle-Wokon, Accra, and their mother from Dunkwa on Offin. Raised primarily by a single mother in Achimota, Accra, they faced intense financial challenges. To survive, they hawked sugarcane and local snacks, and even worked as heavy laborers, carrying mortar and concrete blocks at construction sites.
While working on a construction site, their work ethic caught the attention of Nana Wood Ekumfi II. He was deeply moved by their plight, stepped in to help, and eventually became their adopted father. They attended Alogboshie primary and middle school, and briefly enrolled at the YMCA to learn dressmaking before abandoning it to pursue music.
Musical Beginnings
They discovered their passion for singing around age five while accompanying their mother to farms. They developed their vocals in the "I Am That I Am" church choir and later formed a trio called "I Am Three Sisters" with Hannah Tsia Mensah. Before focusing entirely on gospel, they worked as background vocalists for top musicians of the era, including Felix Bell, Gemann, and Sidiku Buari.
After Hannah Mensah relocated, the twins continued as a duo. In 1983, they joined the Open Bible Church International and backed a male group called the Advent Heralds. In 1985, they met Rev. Francis Akwasi Amoako, who became their spiritual leader and musical mentor. Under his guidance, they toured extensively across Ghana and Europe.
Written by the Advent Heralds, their iconic debut album, Nyame Ye Kese, was released in 1987, quickly followed by hits like Orekyekye and Stay In My Heart.
In 1990, tragedy struck when Rev. Amoako died in a horrific car crash while returning to Accra from a crusade in Takoradi. The twins survived the accident, but Lydia had to undergo multiple surgeries in Ghana and London to recover from her severe injuries.
Following the tragedy, Rev. Dr. Thomas Harry Yawson stepped in as their new songwriter and music director. He eventually married Lydia. Under his direction, they released massive hits like Manya Yesu (1994) and Anka Matete (1997), sweeping multiple Ghana Music Awards and ECRAG honors.
Daughters of Glorious Jesus
Daughters of Glorious Jesus is a music trio formed in 1989 by Cynthia Appiadu, Edna Sarpong, and Monica Owusu Ansah. Known for hits like "Anwanwa Do," they started as church choir members and became pioneering icons in African gospel music.
The group began in 1987 as part of the Resurrection Power and Living Bread Ministries choir under the late Rev. Francis Akwasi Amoako. They were formally established as a group after Rev. Amoako's passing, by Archbishop Akwasi Asare Bediako in 1989, receiving their name from their spiritual father.
They released their first album, Anwanwa Do, in 1990, which brought them instant nationwide fame in Ghana. This was followed by Mebo Yesu Din Daa (1992) and Mesom Awurade Daa (1994), earning multiple ECRAG awards.
Daughters of Glorious Jesus then released Asomdwe Hene and Ngyae Mpae Bo Da, which featured Sarpong as the lead vocalist. In 1996, they released the Asomdwe Hene album. In an interview in May 2019, they recounted how, before that album, they nearly died while on a crusade with Resurrection Power and Living Bread Ministry in Walewale in the then Northern Region. They nearly drowned in the Black Volta after a canoe they occupied tipped over; fortunately, they were saved by divers from a nearby town.
In 2000, the hit album Nea Yehu was released, earning the group nominations at the 2001 Ghana Music Awards and the 2003 Ghana Gospel Music Awards, where DoG-J was named Best Small Ministering Group.
In 2003, they released their most successful album, Aseda. All eight tracks enjoyed massive airplay, and the album won the group the Our Music Award for 2003 at a ceremony in Accra.
In 2004, Aseda swept five awards at the Ghana Music Awards, the most ever won by a gospel artist on one awards night. It was also the first time a gospel artist won any of the three top awards.
A Legacy Worth Celebrating
Together, the Tagoe Sisters and Daughters of Glorious Jesus represent close to eight decades of unwavering commitment to gospel music ministry in Ghana. From humble beginnings and personal tragedy to nationwide fame and historic award wins, their journeys stand as a testament to faithfulness across generations, and to the enduring power of music that points hearts back to God.