Joy News’ Emmanuel Kwasi Debrah, known by the stage name El Tov, has launched his music career with the release of his first Country song, Son of David.

El Tov describes himself as a Ghanaian singer-songwriter, Country musician, Journalist and Poet. 

El Tov was born and raised in Kumasi on April 26, 1987, and attended Wesley Practice School.

His lyrics are known for their terse and religious imagery inspired by his love for Jesus’ story.

Early life

El Tov was born in Kumasi Children’s Hospital, Kumasi, on 26 April 1987. He was raised in Suame with his brother and sister by their mother, Akua Boatemaa, a singer at the Pentecost Church and a lay preacher and father, Frederick Asare, a police detective.

He attended the Wesley Practice School but his father was transferred to Sunyani, he attended Bishop Lemaire Anglican JHS.

He continued his secondary education at Adu Gyamfi Senior High School, Jamasi, his mother’s hometown. El Tov went further to do Biological Sciences at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

El Tov’s father died in August 2010, the day his National Service ended. His father’s demise ignited his childhood flair of composing poetry and music around everything he sees.

Some say he “makes poetry better understood”.

He named himself “Tov” a Hebrew word meaning “good” and later added the last two letters of his first name, “El”.

His friends consequently gave him the nickname, Cantor, lector and Bard of Jamasi.

Journalism Career

El Tov found a job as Newsreader at a local radio station, Moonlite 104.5 FM, after his National Service. 

He left the station after a year and joined Sky 96.7 FM. After six months, he joined Luv 99.5 FM, a part of the Multimedia Group Limited.

He founded an indigenous research, science and technology dissemination cards, Chromolaena.

In June 2018, El Tov was selected among other African journalists to attend a high-level meeting on cassava viral disease in Cotonou, Benin.

He was adjudged the Best Science Reporter at the 2019 Ashanti GJA awards and a finalist at the West Africa Media Excellence Awards.

Music career

He has been composing music since age five but decided to do Country Music since he says it suits his Baritone voice.

He wrote and recorded his first country song, Son of David, a retelling of Jesus’ healing story of blind Barthemeus, in 2014 but released the song in 2020.