Joe performs with Donnie McClurkin in South Africa
ABOUT
Growing up in Ghana, a nation with a rich musical heritage, Joe Mettle had strong musical influences that formed the foundation for his thriving musical career. Even though he was born to a family of meager resources, their home was filled with love, the sound of the radio playing music from the likes of Esther Nyamekye, Mary Gansah, Diana Hobson, and Tagoe Sisters, and a beautiful Grandmother who sang hymns in their traditional “Ga” dialect. Later in life, his insatiable appetite for growth would cause him to cross paths with the likes of Gospel Artistes Cindy Thompson and Danny Netty. The latter in particular would have a hugely profound influence on his musical and spiritual trajectory. Now an international Gospel Artist, Mettle’s cross-generational appeal, passion, and his love for the Gospel have culminated to make him one of the most celebrated personalities not just in the Gospel music genre but in the Ghanaian Music Industry.
At the 2017 Vodafone Ghana Gospel Music Awards, Joe became the first Gospel artist to win the highly coveted “Artiste of the Year” Award. In addition, he won in the following categories, Gospel Artiste of the Year, Best Male Vocalist and Songwriter of the Year for the song “Onwanwani”. Up until 2017, Joe had released four albums, Gratitude (2011), Sound of Praise (2013), Encounter (2015) and God of Miracles (2017).
Shortly after the release of the “God of Miracles” album, Joe experienced a surge in the demand for his music around the world. He would go on to share stages with many renowned artists to include Darlene Zscech, Cece Winans, Don Moen, Tye Tribett, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Nathaniel Bassey, Tswane Gospel Choir, Benjamin Dube, Marvin Sapp, Byron Cage, and many others. Most notably, he would be invited to be a part of the Gospel Goes Classical live recordings in Johannesburg, South Africa (2017 and 2018). He would lead a solo and also sing as a trio which included Mahalia Buchana and Grammy Award winner Donnie Mcclurkin, accompanied by the 64-piece Johannesburg Music Initiative Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Glen Caldwell.
In 2019, Wind of Revival was recorded live in Accra, Ghana and released on August 17, 2019. The superlative 13-track album features Dove Award-nominated artist Jonathan Nelson on two tracks, Halleluyah Song and Hide Me which are destined to become chart-topping records. With the surging proliferation of Afrobeats and African influenced songs, Mettle and Nelson combined the traditional sounds of American Gospel music and African Gospel music to create a vibe that is truly authentic and quintessential.
After the Wind of Revival, the world would experience a pandemic of seismic proportions that redefined not just the music industry but every aspect of life. Lockdowns, social distancing, and the adornment of personal protective equipment became the norm. Core components of the music ecosystem like live events and touring came to a screeching halt. This gave rise to the virtual events and increased listenership of music on streaming platforms. The pandemic experience gave birth to Mettle's 6th album The Experience. The 12-track project was recorded live on a living room set due to unavailability of traditional venues; preceded by COVID tests for all members of the team and the awareness that we could worship at home as a family and still have an amazing time in the presence of the Father. All these elements combined to create an everlasting experience. The album includes tracks such as Yesu Mo, Ye Obua Mi, Peace, They That Wait and Hallelujah. It also features live and virtually recorded collaborations with Isaish Fosu-Kwakye, Michael Stuckey, Jeshurun Okyere, MOG and Dunsin Oyekan.
Mettle’s most recent project The Kadosh, an 11-track worship project, is a declaration of God’s Holiness and lordship over all situations and life’s circumstances. The Kadosh, which is inspired by the holy spirit, reminds listeners of the Holiness of God. Kadosh is a Hebrew word that describes God as Holy. The project was recorded live in Accra, Ghana with the nationally renowned Gospel band, The Love Gift. While each song varies in tone, rhythm and tempo, they all circle back to one universal theme, The Holiness of God. The album features the 2022 VGMA Female Vocalist of the Year, Niella and the electrifying Nigerian Gospel artist, Eben. The lead single of the album Great Jehovah was released on May 27, 2022.
In his words, “My mission is to constantly deliver excellent music that inspires people to worship the Father and experience his love. I believe that with all the challenges that we experience as people it is good to be in a position to provide uplifting music that reaffirms the hope which we have in Christ Jesus”.