Ekua Adadzewa, the singer known as Adez, built a two-decade career behind Ghana’s biggest voices after her breakout on TV3’s Mentor 2.
Ghana's music community is mourning the death of singer and backing vocalist Ekua Adadzewa, widely known by her stage name Adez.
She died in the early hours of Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Music producer Fred Kyei Mensah, known in the industry as Fredyma, made the announcement, which was followed by tributes from fellow musicians and fans.
No cause of death has been made public, and no funeral arrangements had been announced at the time of reporting.
From reality TV to the studio
Adez first came to public attention about 19 years ago as a contestant on Mentor 2, the second season of TV3's long-running singing competition. Mentor has been one of the main entry points into professional music in Ghana, and Adez's voice on the show earned her a following that stayed with her afterwards.
Rather than chasing a solo career in the spotlight, she went on to build her name as a backing vocalist. She worked with a number of Ghanaian artistes on both live shows and studio recordings, the kind of work that shapes how a song sounds without putting the singer's name on the cover.
She was also a regular voice in advertising. Adez recorded vocals for commercial jingles used in brand campaigns, artiste projects and other productions, making her one of those voices many Ghanaians have heard repeatedly on radio and television without knowing the name behind it.
Last public appearance
Adez was last seen publicly about a week before she died, when she attended the funeral of the mother of SHE, another vocalist she worked alongside. That service was held at the State House in Accra.
Her death has come as a shock to colleagues, partly because of how recently she had been seen in good company at a public event.
Why it matters
For Ghanaians following the industry from abroad, Adez's story is a reminder that the country's music scene runs on more than headline acts. Backing vocalists, session singers and jingle artistes are the working backbone of live concerts, gospel recordings, highlife albums and advertising. Many of them are known by name only within the industry, even after 20 years of steady work.
Mentor, broadcast by TV3, has produced a long list of such professionals since it began. Several of its former contestants did not become chart stars but went on to careers in session work, church music and music direction. Adez's path was one of the clearest examples of that.
Tributes have continued to come in from colleagues who worked with her on stage and in the studio.
Reported first by Daily Guide Network on 2026-09-18. This article was written for our readers based on that report. Follow the link for the original coverage.
