Ghanaian musician and media personality Dede Mantey, now Dede Chancelor turned the Easter Friday holiday into a moment of cultural conversation, sitting down with celebrated broadcaster Jon Germain for a wide-ranging interview on the special holiday edition of Starr Drive on Starr FM Ghana.
The popular drive-time show, which aired from 2:10 PM to 5:00 PM on April 3, drew an eager audience keen to hear from one of the country’s most distinctive creative voices — and Dede, known in private life as Dede Mantey, did not disappoint.
Across nearly three hours of conversation, the artist and brand personality spoke candidly about her creative evolution, the deliberate construction of her public image, and what it truly means to be a bold woman in Ghana’s entertainment industry.
From Media to Music:
Dede Chancelor’s path into music was not a sudden leap but a natural extension of a career already rooted in storytelling. Having built her identity across media and lifestyle branding, she told Jon Germain that the decision to pursue music more seriously came from a hunger to express herself in ways that traditional media platforms could not fully accommodate.
For her, the creative thread running through all of it — media, fashion, performance — has always been the same: culture, identity and narrative.
“Music allows me to express my experiences and my perspective in ways that go beyond words,” she said.
It was a sentiment that framed much of the conversation that followed — the idea that every platform she occupies is simply another channel for the same authentic voice.
Among the most compelling segments of the interview was Dede’s breakdown of personal branding — a subject she approaches with the seriousness of both an artist and a strategist.
Known for her bold fashion choices and unapologetically distinctive aesthetic, she made clear that her style is not incidental but intentional — a deliberate dimension of her artistic identity. In her view, image, storytelling and music are not separate elements but interlocking components of a complete creative identity.
“Your brand is your voice even before you speak,” she said, urging fellow creatives to lean into originality rather than shrink under the pressure to conform.
She also made a case for fashion as more than aesthetics, framing it as a powerful communication tool for artists whose work is rooted in deeper cultural and personal narratives. Authenticity, she stressed, is not just a value — it is a strategy. Artists who remain true to themselves, she argued, are far more likely to build connections that actually last.
Perhaps the remarks that sparked the widest conversation among listeners were Dede’s reflections on the experience of being a woman in Ghana’s entertainment space.
She spoke plainly about the criticism and stereotyping that female artists frequently encounter — particularly those who choose to express themselves boldly through music, fashion or public commentary. It is a familiar story in the industry, and Dede did not shy away from acknowledging its weight. But her message to women navigating that reality was unequivocal: remain confident, remain ambitious, and remain unapologetic.
“People may misunderstand bold women, but bold women change culture,” she said — a line that landed with particular force among younger listeners who see in Dede a symbol of creative independence and self-determination.
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The interview also offered a glimpse into what lies ahead for the artist. Dede hinted at new music and collaborative ventures in the pipeline, projects she described as deeply personal explorations of identity, empowerment and storytelling.
She declined to reveal full details but assured fans that the material she is working on will engage both her own lived experiences and the broader cultural conversations shaping Ghanaian creative life today.
Growth, she said, demands experimentation — and she intends to keep evolving. Jon Germain guided the Easter edition of Starr Drive with his trademark warmth, weaving together music, lifestyle discussions and audience engagement to draw out multiple dimensions of Dede Chancelor’s personality. For listeners who tuned in, it was more than a holiday programme — it was a masterclass in what it looks like when a creative truly owns her story.