For decades, Professor Hindu was one of Ghana’s most extraordinary and controversial performers, a showman who claimed he could perform the impossible.
Born Kwaku Addai, the Ghanaian entertainer became famous for dramatic stage acts in which he appeared to kill people and bring them back to life. To his supporters, he was a man with rare spiritual powers. To critics, his performances were elaborate illusions, rooted in spectacle and folklore.
Professor Hindu said his abilities were a gift from God and that he first discovered them when he was seven years old. His reputation grew across Ghana during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, as large crowds gathered to watch his unusual performances.
His fame eventually spread beyond Ghana.
In 1981, Nigerian musician Fela Kuti invited him to Lagos, where he became associated with the musician’s famous Kalakuta Republic.
Professor Hindu later said he served as a spiritual adviser to Fela, a relationship that added to the mystery surrounding both men.
Among the many stories linked to their friendship is an account that Professor Hindu accompanied Fela Kuti to Murtala Muhammed International Airport as the musician sought to challenge Nigeria’s strict foreign-currency restrictions under the military government of Muhammadu Buhari.
The story, involving an alleged attempt to use spiritual powers against the restrictions, has become part of the mythology surrounding Fela and Professor Hindu, though it has not been independently verified.
Professor Hindu also claimed to have carried out more than 1.5 million “resurrections” during his career a figure for which there is no independent evidence.
Yet whether viewed as a magician, spiritual performer or master of theatrical illusion, his influence on Ghanaian popular culture remains undeniable.
Professor was one of Ghana’s most memorable entertainers a figure who blurred the lines between magic, belief and show business.
