Kwaku Sintim-Misa

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Kwaku Sintim-Misa aka "KSM" (b. December 5,1956, Kumasi) is a Ghanaian actor and comedian.

He attended the UST Primary School before going to the Presby Boys Secondary School (PRESEC), Legon, in the 1970-71 academic year. After his first year he left for Prempeh College, Kumasi, to continue his secondary education between 1972 and 1977, where he also completed the sixth form course. He then enrolled at the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) as one of the pioneer students, but left after a year for the United States.

He enrolled at the Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, for his first degree in Theatre Arts, majoring in acting and directing. He then enrolled in New York University for the Masters of Fine Arts Programme in film production. He later worked with several film companies.

He is happily married to Mavis Ampah, Senior ICT Policy Analyst at the World Bank office in Accra. They have four children, Nana Yaa, Nana Kwasi, Yaw and Nana Ama.

KSM says he is a family-oriented person and very close to Mavis, who is his best friend, naturally. His hobbies are writing, playing basket ball with his children, bike riding and movie watching. He enjoys red-red (fried plantains and beans stew).

“I am Master Sergeant Lasisi, Commander-in-Chief of all the sergeants in Ghana. We shall not leave any turn unstoned.”

Most regular audiences at the theatre can tell with unmistakable precision that this explosion is from no other performer than the actor cum comedian, Kwaku Sintim-Misa alias KSM, who has developed a one-man act of comic satires in Ghana.

KSM has since 1999 thrilled diverse Ghanaian audience with different episodes of his production ranging from domestic violence to religion and the racial divide.

He has held his teeming crowds spellbound to the tales of a subservient wife who changed radically after three weeks in America and about the colonial gentleman, who had a dog called Trafalgar, a cat called Picadilly and a tiny patch of grass he proudly called Victoria Gardens.

The uniqueness about KSM’s performances lies in his ability to get people to laugh at themselves. One person who has always borne the brunt of his jokes has been ex -President Jerry Rawlings, who continues to go for more, never missing his front row seat at any show and more often than not contributing one or two anecdotes.

KSM’s latest production, Afia Siriboe, in which he assumes the role of the four-time divorcee with a passion for provocative dressing, really revealed the qualities that now make him a household name.

Throwing more light on how he came out with the Afia Siriboe comedy he explained that his wife has a sense of humour. He therefore consulted her to find out how women react to certain situations. From his findings he came out with the idea. He acknowledged that there are times he discusses certain aspects of his scripts with his wife. KSM said this during an interraction with this reporter on Wednesday.

According to KSM, normally he takes about three months to come out with a script after going through the first, second and third writings, after which he begins to memorise and rehearse.

Interestingly, contrary to convention, he rehearses by himself and nobody sees anything before the show. He claims his rehearsals are mainly done in his bedroom or his office. “I guess it is only God who sees my rehearsals”, he intimated.

KSM recollects how his children reacted when promos on Afia Siriboe started running on television. “They were surprised and wondered whether that could be their father. They had to go to school and answer numerous questions. My wife also gets her share and some of her colleagues and friends ask whether I make her laugh at home, to which she normally remarks that ‘I do not bring my work home.’ ” KSM says that so far his work has been successful because the reaction to it has been encouraging.

“When people see me they ask when the next show is coming up. I believe I have a theatre following,” he added. However, KSM insists that the market is very limited. He does not think he can appeal to a large audience outside Accra and that explains why he comes out with many shows since he cannot stage a performance more than twice.

KSM, a US trained dramatist and film maker, has about 11 collections including The Saga of the Returnee (his maiden show), Politically Incorrect, Pure Madness, Zero Tolerance, The Trial of Jesus Christ, Colonial Independence, Take Cover and Afia Siriboe.

KSM, one of Africa’s greatest stage sensations has performed extensively in the UK, USA and Canada. His shows are captivating and he has the ability to capture and sustain the interest of his audience for over an hour and a half. His humour cuts across race and culture.

KSM, whose stage antics have earned him the title “the Undisputed Master of Satire and King of Comedy”, said that basically, he uses his satire to regale and educate his audience. He believes he has made an impact on society. People go to his shows to laugh but at the end of the day walk away with a message.

Besides his stage performances, KSM has left his footprints on radio. He used to host a talk show on VIBE FM but now hosts a programme on Choice FM called That’s My Opinion, every Tuesday from 10 am to midday and another one, Connection With God,” also on Choice FM on Sundays, between 7 and 8 in the morning.

Although KSM did not have any formal training in journalism, particularly radio presenting, he has been able to break through and can be reckoned among the best radio presenters in the country.

KSM, born to the late Rt. Rev. Godfried Kwadwo Sintim-Misa, one-time Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and to Mrs Mary Oforiwaa Sintim-Misa, also of blessed memory, returned to Ghana in January 1996 after 14 years in the United States.

KSM says that during his sojourn in the US he did all kinds of jobs to keep body and soul together. He’s been a waiter, he fried chicken, was a parking lot attendant and what have you. He said he did all these without losing focus of his goal in life. He believes that those who want things easy are likely to fail, stressing that nothing good comes very easy and that whatever odd jobs one does should be seen as some form of sacrifice.

KSM says he sermonises on radio for two reasons. First, to disprove the assertion that he is anti-Christian and clear the erroneous impression people have about him. Second, a lot of people are frustrated with Christianity and no longer go to church so he uses the medium to revive Christ in them.

He said while in the US, he had a rough life and yearned for his own salvation. He later found God and was reconciled with Him, before coming down to Ghana. Asked whether his late father had an impact on his teachings and sermons, he responded positively and said when he goes back to read some of the old sermons of his father, he realises they are no different from what he (KSM) preaches now.

He said the programmes he hosts on radio are exhaustive because he advocates for the need for attitudinal change and offers reasons why the nation is not progressing as fast as it should. He deplores our inability to tap potentials. KSM has talked about these issues for nearly six years but nothing seems to change.

He is very satisfied with his output because the youth see in him an inspirer and invite him to their youth meetings and church activities to give them a talk and counsel them. Besides these, KSM is also the Chief Executive of Sapphire Ghana Limited and develops a series for television. He is the brain behind Build Your Ark, which showed on GTV and Metro TV with support from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT). He has worked on others like Abeka Lapaz, Deep South, Truth or Death.

Currently, he has introduced another series, Divorce Court on GTV, where he plays the part of a judge. Explaining the rationale behind the Divorce Court, he said because marital issues loom so large and there is a lot of crisis in marriage he decided to explore the possibility of courtroom drama to resolve marital issues rather than sue for divorce.

His works include the comedy The Saga of the Returnee. He has also acted in the United States, appearing in the 1992 Law & Order episode "Consultation". [1]

Ex-president Jerry Rawlings is reported to be a fan of his satiric comedy routines, despite being a regular target of his humour [2].