What’s in a name?

Our Jackson Davis Adu was born on a Sunday, so he inherits the Akan Day Name, Kwasi (some spell it Kwesi). It just so happens that my great-grandfather, a former local chief in my father’s hometown in Ghana, was also a Kwasi! Jackson is fortunate to inherit his great-great-grandfather’s distinction, “Papa” (or “Paa,” for short), referring to his status as a “respected elder.” If you ever hear us, or anyone on the Adu side of the family, call Jackson “Paa Kwasi,” it is due to the shared name with his great-great-grandfather. Whew, hope you got all that!

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Now, on to the pronunciation. To say Paa Kwasi correctly, you just have to think like a Ghanaian — psych, just kidding. Okay, seriously, though, here’s a guide to pronouncing Paa Kwasi:

  • Paa (Paa-a) — pitch of “Paa” is low, then pitch goes up on the 3rd “a”
  • Kwasi (Kway – sy) — 1st part is straight-forward; the “sy” part sounds a bit like “see?” (the question mark helps).

Anyhow, if my written pronunciation guide is awful, you can just click the play button below to hear me say it: