I still can’t believe he’s gone – Naana Donkor Arthur breaks silence on Daddy Lumba’s death
US-based Ghanaian media personality and philanthropist Naana Donkor Arthur has for the first time shared her emotional reaction to the passing of Highlife legend Daddy Lumba, who died a few weeks ago following a prolonged spinal injury.
In a candid podcast, Naana recalled how someone recently reached out to ask how she felt about the news.
“Honestly, I am still in denial,” she admitted. “I just can’t believe Lumba is gone. I’ve been at a loss for words even in the weeks leading up to his passing.”
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She explained that the reality would only hit her fully if she saw him lying in a coffin, being taken to the cemetery.
“I want to speak to his family, just to confirm once more that he is truly gone,” Naana said. “It’s hard to accept that someone who gave us so much joy with his music is no longer here.”
Naana described a whirlwind of emotions, sometimes rejecting the truth of his death, while at other moments feeling the heavy weight of reality pressing down. She also recalled the death hoaxes surrounding Daddy Lumba in 2020, when rumors of his demise circulated online.
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“I received countless calls from fans urging me to go live and confirm the news. I reached out to his management, and thankfully, he was alive. So when I first heard about his passing this time, I dismissed it immediately,” she said.
Daddy Lumba, born Charles Kwadwo Fosu, passed away in the early hours of Saturday, July 26, 2025, at the Bank Hospital in Accra, where he had been receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness. Sources close to the family confirmed that he had been admitted days prior and died at dawn.
By midday, a large number of fans and sympathizers had gathered at his East Legon residence in Accra, visibly shocked and mourning the loss of one of Ghana’s most celebrated highlife icons.
Meanwhile, the One Week observance of the death of Ghanaian music icon was held on Saturday, August 30, in Accra.
