Zaphnat Paneah Man: What My Hair Does For Me

The man is as eccentric as the titles of his songs. First it was Tabitha Kum and now it is Zaphnat Paneah. But even more curious, perhaps, is his haircut, a punk-life affair which he has carried for as long as anyone remembers him as a popular musician. �My hair, as it is, enables me to create and write good music�, he told Showbiz last Monday. �I�ve had calls from many people asking why I keep my hair this way and I have repeatedly explained that beside making me creative it also keeps me focused on what I want to do� According to him, trimming his hair low is not his style. �I have kept this hair for God knows how long and I have never felt uncomfortable with it. In fact, it is one of the things I admire most about myself�, he said. The 37-year-old gospel musician revealed that his latest Zaphnat Paneah song was inspired by a true story of the troubles he went through when he was arrested in 2004 for allegedly defrauding four to the tune of nearly �156 million old cedis under the pretext of securing visas for them to travel to Europe as part of his tour. According to him, his troubles influenced him to choose �Zaphnat Paneah� (which was the name given to Joseph by the Pharaoh when he was made the Prime Minister of Egypt) as the title of his album because he knows God will reinstate him to his former position when he was rated among the best gospel musicians in Ghana. �I made it big when I travelled to Europe in 2004 but because of the fraud allegation, I had to come down to clear it. I was forced to sell my house, my cars and everything I had to survive but I knew God wanted me to go through this trials for a purpose�, Omane told Showbiz. Now, he said, he wants the whole world to know that the downfall of a man is not the end of him as he believes that what he went through will change many lives through his song Zaphnat Paneah. �I am amazed how fast the song is catching up since its release barely two months ago. I don�t believe in singing songs of sorrow because God is always there for his people�. The Gospel musician says he is grateful to his pastor prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi of Glorious Wave Church International for being there for him when he went through his trailing moment. He has plans to tour the country with his album Zaphnat Paneah.