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Gospel music, which is a unique subgenre of Christian music, has not been popular for a long time, although it was widespread almost all over the world. Its popularity began to grow markedly in the late 1960s, especially in Africa.
Various churches began to gather groups of young vocalists to serve in the church. Usually, they were all volunteers, so there were never any problems with the lack of people. In the early 1970s, this genre began to gain unprecedented popularity. People began to attend churches with even greater pleasure because gospel music glorified the Lord and gave people a festive mood. It is for this reason that more and more gospel groups began to appear all over Africa.
This popularity quickly spread to Ghana, where Joyful Way Inc comes from. Of course, this name was not formed immediately. Even more, its members were not in one group at all. In 1972, many high school students took the initiative to create their own gospel band. You didn't have to have incredible vocal skills or musical talent. All it took was a desire to glorify the Lord through music and a desire to learn music. Many students gladly agreed to participate in gospel groups, either out of a desire to show their musical talent or simply spread the Christian word. One of the most dynamic cities in Ghana in creating those groups was Cape Coast, known throughout the country for its ports. Three schools from this city, namely Adisadel College, Mfantsipim School, and Wesley Girls High School, gathered the largest number of participants for these groups. As a result of this meeting, two gospel groups were formed, namely "Evangels" and "Noise of Joy".
For a while, both of these bands performed existing songs and their own, but later both groups came up with the idea. After negotiations, Evangels and Noise of Joy decided to unite into one big musical gospel band, and this is how Joyful Way Inc. was formed. Together, they began rehearsals. Of course, they needed time for all participants to become one full-fledged team and perform songs harmoniously. Although it was difficult to synchronize such a large number of participants, their rehearsals bore fruit. After a few weeks, their sound was completely different, which allowed them to start full-fledged performances. Quite quickly, they began to gain popularity, which is not surprising. Both young and old liked the team of young and energetic people who set themselves to glorify the Lord and the Christian way of life. Thanks to them, evangelical music began to gain even more popularity, especially in their hometown.
Many people thought that the band would break up as soon as these students entered the university because they simply would not have time to perform, but their fears were in vain. Although some members were indeed forced to leave the band, they never stopped supporting it and even tried to appear at some performances. Joyful Way began to perform outside their hometown and visited many cities in Ghana. Eventually, they became popular enough to finally officially approve Joyful Way Inc, which now served not only as an evangelical band but also as a full-fledged organization. This happened in 1978 when they set up their first main branches located in Ghana’s capital - Accra, their hometown of Cape Coast and Kumasi.
Of course, some Joyful Way members left the band during this time, but there were many more willing to join it. Of course, they agreed to accept new members, which is why Joyful Way Inc currently has more than 150 members, and about the same number support it from both Ghana and other countries. As in the old traditions of evangelical music, all group members are essentially volunteers who want to glorify the Lord through music. Over the next 10 years, the Joyful Way had its most active development. They began releasing music albums (such as Joyful Noise, Help, Ofata Ayeyi, and others), expanding their touring list in Ghana and other countries and adding to the lineup, which later allowed Joyful Inc to gain almost legendary status.
Beginning in the 1990s, the importance of their contribution to music began to be officially recognized. For example, in 1988, Entertainment Critics and Reviewers of Ghana named Joyful Way Inc the best gospel band of the year. In 1990, they were called The Most Outstanding Band. After that, Joyful Way received other awards such as Unity Award, MTN Ceval Gospel Awards, and others. As a dedicated gospel group, the Joyful Way has a critical mission to help those in need. Over the years, they raise funds to give them to various non-profit organizations, hospitals, or other institutions. For example, in 2020 alone, Joyful Way Inc raised funds and donated them to hospitals, poor communities, or veterans most affected by lockdown and the effects of the pandemic.
An important event for them happened in 2012. In 2012, Joyful Way Inc celebrated its 40th anniversary on stage with grand concerts in various countries and cities in Ghana. They have visited countries such as Liberia, Gambia, Sierra Lyon, Great Britain, Germany, and the United States during their careers. These celebrations and the fans’ long-term support inspired them to new ideas, and probably the most glorious of them was the annual celebration called Explosion of Joy. This annual concert is held every year under various themes and always sets one goal, which was a priority from the very beginning - the glorification of God. For example, in 2020, Explosion of Joy was held under the theme "God is Faithful". These concerts took place in early 2020 and were able to gather a massive number of people. Recordings of these shows can be found both on the official YouTube channel Joyful Way Inc or other official media resources.
In general, Joyful Way Incorporated is a project that was built on pure desire. From the very beginning, it did not involve the financial side. The only motivator was music and its unique properties to convey to others the song’s unforgettable energy. At any time, you can fill your heart with warmth just by turning on the recordings of Explosion of Joy, or for the fullest effect, even watch it in VR. No doubt, as soon as the opportunity arises, Joyful Way will once again hold grand live performances and spread the word of God in the most pleasant way - through music.