Music legend Stevie Wonder has become a Ghanaian citizen, taking the Oath of Allegiance and receiving his Certificate of Citizenship at a ceremony in Ghana’s Jubilee House.
Wonder’s decision to become a citizen of Ghana follows his announcement three years ago, citing a desire for a brighter future amidst political turmoil in the US.
His passion for Ghana was evident in a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, where he expressed his wish to see the nation smile again before relocating there.
Wonder, known for timeless hits like “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” has influenced multiple music genres, earning him 25 Grammy Awards and 74 nominations since his recognition by Motown Records in 1961.
Born Stevland Hardaway Morris in Michigan, Wonder’s musical genius emerged early and has become a musical pioneer.
A video of the citizenship ceremony captures Wonder’s emotional pride as he receives his Ghanaian passport, marking a significant new chapter in his life. Ghanaians warmly welcome the music legend into their society.
Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said after the award: “In conferring Ghanaian citizenship upon Stevie Wonder, we not only extend our warmest embrace to a beloved son of Africa, but also reaffirm our belief in the enduring spirit of Pan-Africanism and the global African family, and the boundless potential of our continent and all its descendants.”
The superstar was born and bred in the US state of Michigan but has long had an affinity for Ghana – a West African nation thousands of miles from home.
In 1975, with a string of hit albums behind him, Wonder openly expressed a desire to quit music and move to Ghana. He believed his ancestral lineage could be traced there, reports say.
Wonder stuck with singing and stayed stateside, but after headlining a Ghanaian music festival in the 1990s, he again expressed a desire to set up home there.
On a later trip to Ghana, Wonder wrote the entirety of his album Conversation Peace and in an interview just three years ago the star said he was moving to Ghana in order to escape racial injustice in the US.
Wonder’s love affair with the country was ignited by the people he met whilst there.
He told the BBC that one of these encounters was with late Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings, who in the 1990s hosted him at the presidential residence.
“I remember the late President Rawlings, who allowed me to be a co-pilot on a flight,” Wonder said.
“I was able to fly with him from one end of Ghana to the other end. The north to the south, and it was amazing.”
