Gospel musician, Obaapa Gladys, famous for her hit song “Cobra,” recently shared her challenging upbringing in an interview on the Go online show with Sammy Kay.
She opened up about the hardships she faced, including selling pure water to survive.
Obaapa Gladys attributed her struggles to her father’s neglect and emphasized her strong desire for education.
Unfortunately, she had to drop out of school when her father left her mother, and she had to rely on someone who promised to support her education.
Despite facing considerable difficulties, she acknowledged the abundant grace of God in her life, expressing gratitude for how far she has come and the person she has become.
The rising sensation in Ghana, Obaapa Gladys, widely recognized for her hit “Cobra,” has openly expressed her admiration for the Dancehall King, Shatta Wale, and has even expressed a desire to collaborate with him on a musical project.
In an exclusive interview with MX24 TV, Obaapa Gladys, who affectionately refers to herself as “Shatta Cobra,” commended Shatta Wale for his recent remarkable achievements at the Ghana Music Awards UK 2023, where he clinched all five awards he was nominated for.
She enthusiastically expressed her eagerness to meet with Shatta upon his return from the United Kingdom.
“He is the one in charge of my videos. God bless him, and I commend Shatta Wale for winning awards recently. I am so happy for him. When he arrives in the country, I and my supporters will meet him at the airport. I would love to do a collaboration with him. ” she said.
Additionally, her son, who goes by the name Junior Shatta Cobra, conveyed his gratitude to Shatta Wale for promoting the Cobra song on his social media platforms.
The track “Cobra” was produced by Fred Kyei Mensah and brought to life by Obaapa Gladys. Originally composed in 2022, the song was officially released in early 2023. However, it gained significant traction in October 2023, rapidly becoming a sensation on TikTok and beyond.
The song has received widespread attention both on and off social media, piquing the interest of notable figures such as Shatta Wale and Nana Ama McBrown within the celebrity sphere.
The Convener of the Federation of Concerned Arts Professionals (FOCAP), Kojo Preko Dankwa, has highlighted the success of Obaapa Gladys’ “Cobra” song as a valuable lesson for both media personalities and struggling artists.
Speaking to the media he emphasized the importance of supporting emerging talent and artists who are facing challenges in the industry. He encouraged them to be patient, work diligently, and believe that their efforts will eventually gain recognition.
Kojo Preko Dankwa admitted that he initially had reservations about the “Cobra” song but decided to focus on its content rather than the singer’s talent. He recalled giving Obaapa Gladys her first media interview when the song was produced by renowned record producer Fred Kyei Mensah, Fredyma.
He mentioned that during the interview, he asked Obaapa Gladys about the concept of likening humans to cobras. He noted that her response was not very impressive, as it was her first radio interview, but he expressed his pride in her success.
Kojo Preko Dankwa likened the rapid success of “Cobra” to Bless’s “Chocho Mucho” and emphasized that it serves as a valuable lesson for all. He encouraged artists to work diligently and avoid rushing, as someone is always watching, and the right circumstances will lead to the desired outcome.
He also pointed out the unusual nature of Obaapa Gladys’ success, as she had no promotional budget for her song yet enjoyed significant publicity on both traditional and social media platforms.
In conclusion, Kojo Preko Dankwa expressed his happiness and joy for being a part of Obaapa Gladys’ journey and stressed the beauty of the “Cobra” song lies in its message.
He added that if he had declined to interview her, he would have felt guilty, acknowledging the song’s impressive message despite Obaapa’s initial inexperience.
You might have found yourself mindlessly scrolling through platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, or Instagram when you stumble upon a song, often playing as background music to a skit or a dance routine. Initially, it may strike you as amusing, but then the lyrics start to resonate with you, and suddenly, it becomes relatable.
One such song that has taken over the airwaves in Ghana, particularly on social media, is “Cobra” by Obaapa Gladys, and its popularity shows no signs of slowing down.
The phenomenon started on TikTok, where the “Cobra challenge” emerged. In this challenge, users would dance and sing along to the song, typically referencing individuals in their lives whom they believe exhibit snakelike behavior. Even celebrities like Shatta Wale and Nana Ama McBrown got in on the trend.
But what’s the story behind the song, and why did it suddenly explode in popularity? The producer of the song, Fred Kyei Mensah, also known as Fredyma, provided a detailed account of the song’s origins.
Fredyma is a legendary music producer and artiste manager, serving as the CEO of Fredyma Studios. With an impressive 39 years in the music industry, Fred Kyei Mensah has played a crucial role in training numerous producers, including JQ and Appietus.
Fredyma is the mastermind behind the trending “Cobra” song. He took to his Facebook page to share the backstory of the song, recounting his initial encounter with Obaapa Gladys. According to him, in 2022, a colleague introduced him to her, explaining that she had an idea for a song that drew parallels between human behavior and that of snakes, particularly the cobra.
“Somewhere last year, my colleague in the music production business, Flash Da Sikk Beatz, introduced this lady, Obaapa Gladys to me that, she has a very interesting lyrics about the behavioral patterns of human nature and likened it to a Cobra. I listened to it and within some few minutes, we created a rhythm for her,” he posted.
Fred Kyei Mensah went on to reveal that he initially had reservations about Obaapa Gladys’ vocals in the song. He had suggested that she consider having someone else sing the chorus for her, but she strongly opposed this idea.
Additionally, Fred Kyei Mensah shared that the song was actually released earlier in the year but went relatively unnoticed. It wasn’t until the final hours of September that he started receiving calls and notifications, indicating that the song had suddenly gained immense popularity and was spreading like wildfire on social media.
“She released the song early this year on various music portals and didn’t hear from her again only for me to be receiving tags on my Facebook, Tik tok and Whatsapp since last Friday about a trending video about a song I have produced only to realize that, it was the COBRA song,” he added.
He linked the rise of the song to the widely publisized resignation of presidential aspirant Alan Kyrematen from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the brouhaha involved. Adding that the song was used to troll significant individuals in the party.
“Boi! I think, the song resonated and connected to Alan’s resignation and his formation of his Movement for Change and Kennedy Agyepong’s unpleasant and unprintable insults on his party so, a lot of social media freaks, used it to troll them” he said.
Fred Kyei Mensah underscored the importance of the song’s lyrics, emphasizing that individuals with snake-like qualities exist in every corner of society. The song’s message evidently resonated with many people, contributing to its rapid rise in popularity.
The story behind “Cobra” is a tale of creativity, a relatable message, a stroke of luck, and, much like a cobra awaiting the opportune moment to strike, patience. Fredyma, in his Facebook post, acknowledged and disclosed all the individuals who played various roles in the creation of the song, shedding light on the collaborative effort that led to its success.
A venomous cobramet its demise after attacking an eight-year-old boy in India, who bit the wild snake to death after it wrapped itself around his hand.
Per the New Indian Express, the incident transpired in India’s Pandarpadh village in Jashpur district on Monday. 8-year-old Deepak was playing in the backyard of his house on Monday when a poisonous cobra bit him on his hand.
“The snake got wrapped around my hand and bit me,” Deepak told the outlet. “I was in great pain. As the reptile didn’t budge when I tried to shake it off, I bit it hard twice. It all happened in a flash.”
Deepak’s family rushed him to a local health centre, where he was given anti-snake venom and kept for observation. Dr. Jems Minj said Deepak luckily suffered a “dry bite,” meaning there was no venom in the snake’s fangs at the time. He was discharged after only a day.
Local snake expert Qaiser Hussain told the outlet that cases of dry bites, while “painful,” are quite rare, and a local journalist named Ramesh Sharma said the district is also known as Naglok (meaning abode of serpents) because of the 200 different kinds of snakes that call the district home.
“I have never come across such an incident in Jashpur district,” Sharma said.
The incident in Pandarpadh comes shortly after a 2-year-old in Turkey bit a snake to death in August after it bit her lip in her backyard.
“Our neighbors have told me that the snake was in the hand of my child, she was playing with it and then it bit her,” Mehmet Ercan, the toddler’s father, told Newsweek. “Then she has bitten the snake back as a reaction.”
It’s unknown what kind of snake bit her, but regardless the toddler survived and is alive and well.
