Osei is a master musician, which is to say he has dedicated his life to a musical form and achieved a level of expression revered by his peers. His primary instrument is the seperewa a double-course Akan harp related to the kora and the donso ngoni (hunter’s harp) of the Western Sahel.

King Osei Tutu, the founder of the Asante empire, was said to have loved the harp-lute seperewa so much that his successor Opoku Ware caused a replica of it to be made in his memory. The instrument was wrapped in gold leaf, and placed among the paraphernalia of the Golden Stool, which Osei Tutu established as “the soul” of the Asante nation with the help of his counselor, the great priest Okomfo Anokye.

The seperewa was used to entertain kings, similar to a griot tradition followed by northern Ghanaian tribes, and was also played at palm wine bars, and at funerals. The instrument was said to speak kasa and was either used by itself or along with song. British colonization in the late 19th century saw the instrument decline in use as the guitar was introduced, and new chords and musical patterns from Europe entered Akan areas.