The Independence Square in Accra was on lockdown Saturday night through to Sunday morning as Dancehall King Charles Nii Armah Mensah known publicly as Shatta Wale celebrated his birthday with a massive concert that pulled tens of thousands of fans from all corners of the country.
The event, dubbed “Shatta Fest 2025 x Shattabration: The King Calls”, was nothing short of electrifying as the self-styled Dancehall King proved once again that his grip on the Ghanaian and Africa music scene remains unmatched.
From the early hours of Saturday afternoon, fans began trooping to the historic venue, draped in Shatta Movement (SM) paraphernalia, designed t-shirts with Shatta Wale pictures all over it, flags, and custom-made signs, all in anticipation and preparation for the night that history was made.
By 7:00 p.m, the entire Independence Square saw a dense crowd of people, with his hard-core fans and music lovers flooding every available space, stretching all the way to the Black Star Arch.
Shatta Wale took the stage around 3:00 a.m to deafening cheers. Clad in sparkling white shirt and trouser, the Melissa hitmaker stormed the stage with his signature confidence, with a medley of fan-favourite songs including Taking Over, Ayoo, Gringo, among other songs which has been hit for years.
“This night be for the fans, SM fans, you people do all! Every year, you show me love, and I go always make sure say I deliver for you. Tonight, we dey celebrate life, music, and freedom!” Shatta Wale shouted midway through his performance.
The event, which also served as a reunion of sorts, saw surprise appearances from top industry names like Samini, Medikal, Sarkodie, Wendy Shay, Tinny, Wendy Shay, Kelvynboy, Amerado, DarkoVibes, JZyNo, Kwame Yogot and DopeNation.
In one of the night’s highlights, Shatta Wale honoured rapper Tinny with a citation and an emotional tribute for supporting him during his early days in music. He also played peacemaker between Nigerian influencers Peller and Big Jiggy, calling them on stage to reconcile and shake hands.
The energy for the night was unrelenting, and despite the late hour, fans showed no signs of fatigue, dancing and chanting the SM slogan, “Paah! Paah! Paah!” into the early hours of Sunday morning.
Social media has since been flooded with videos and photos of the concert, with fans praising Shatta Wale for his showmanship, charisma, and ability to connect with his audience on such a personal level.
Shatta Fest 2025 was powered by MoMo Fest (Mobile Money Ghana Limited), with support from Shaxi and Charterhouse.
Born Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr., Shatta Wale is one of Ghana’s most influential reggae-dancehall artistes. He has produced several hit songs, including Dancehall King, My Level and Taking Over. His collaboration with Beyoncé on Already helped cement his international reputation as one of Ghana’s biggest music exports.
Over the years, he has won numerous local and international awards and has built one of the most passionate fan bases in African music.
Meanwhile, Shatta Wale has submitted his latest single Street Crown to the Recording Academy for consideration in next year’s Grammy Awards, expressing optimism about earning a nomination.
