20-year-old Joseph Ankrah, who captivated patrons of TV3’s reality showbiz programme, Mentor II, and indeed television audiences across the country with his youthful yet practised ease of musical talents, is set to release a first single. Joe, as he has come to be known in Showbiz, told myjoyonline.com that his R&B single with a delicate fusion of African traditional rhythms is less than a month away from launch. And that would only be a prelude to a life-long career Joe believes would churn out a rather impressive discography. The young man, with determination a readily realizable motivation as he struts great songs off the strings of the guitar he usually clings under his armpit, was all gratitude to TV3 for the chance to participate in the show. “Before I entered the programme I thought I knew something but then I realized showbiz is a whole big, huge world on its own. What I did was to hold on to what I knew and like the greenhorn who is just trying to learn new things altogether. It was not easy for me in the Mentor House and week after week, you’re down here, up there and down there. “All of these experiences helped me a lot, you know. That is the real life, definitely in showbiz you don’t expect to be climbing all the time, there will be ups and downs and just as I managed my downs well, I hope when the going gets tough, I have been cushioned enough to confront those moments. And the experience of working with established performers in the industry, the different kinds of professionals and all that, it doesn’t get any better than that experience.” About two years ago Joe lost his dad, musician Samuel Ankrah, (of whom he speaks so fondly) and that sad development poked its own challenges to the young man’s educational desires and focus. “Actually I inherited my music from my dad, you know. He was a great musician, had his own band that played all around and if you remember the movie, “Deliverance from the powers of darkness”, my father wrote that movie, directed that movie and shot that movie.” But Joe says he has not abandoned his educational dreams and is working himself up into his first degree, and would forever be grateful to God for giving him a mother and inspirer in Auntie Bea (Beatrice Giwa, his mum) and a real support in her aunt, Maggie. “They’ve supported me so much. And then Rev. Charles Ansah Owusu of Abundance Grace International School, and Lime Light Entertainment, I owe them a lot of gratitude.” Joe, who was part of Joy FM’s ‘Rekindle Your Love’ programme last week playing soulful love songs to help patch up the strained marriage of a medical doctor and his wife displayed such prowess to underscore the fact that he has a great musical future. Indeed many thought he did not deserve the second position in the Mentor II competition, but the young man says there is more in him yet and hopes greater rewards will come his way.