'This journey...has been incredible': Akron's Kofi Boakye wins semifinals at Apollo
Akron native Kofi Boakye has pulled off one of his big goals, winning the third "Top Dog" round of Amateur Night at the Apollo in Harlem, N.Y.
Next, the 22-year-old will compete in the finals Nov. 23 for a chance to win a $20,000 grand prize, which will help him get back to his dream school, Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied before the pandemic.
More: Akron's Boakye brings home first-round win from Apollo
For the semifinals on Wednesday night, the keyboard player entertained again with the song that's carried him this far, his signature version of “Say Yes” by Floetry. His goal was to bring the fun back into the competition after feeling some pressure in the second round in March.
More: Akron native Kofi Boakye keeps up momentum with second-place win at Apollo
"Last time I competed it was just a big adjustment for me because of the vast amount of social media growth that I was experiencing," said Boakye, whose Instagram following jumped from 3,000 to 17,000 between February and March competition rounds and now is just shy of 75,000. "I was overwhelmed because it was happening so rapidly.
"I'm more comfortable (now) and currently touring and doing things outside the Apollo," he said by phone from New York Thursday morning.
His upcoming gigs include serving as a host this Sunday at the African American Cultural Festival. The event takes place noon to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Lock 3 in downtown Akro
He's also performing with his band in New York in August.
A video clip of "Say Yes" from a performance he did June 15 at "Wade Oval Wednesday" in Cleveland as part of his microtour with his band has gone viral on Instagram, getting the attention of Floetry singer Marsha Ambrosius, who responded on Instagram with hearts and a smiley face, as well as the song's producer.
On Wednesday night, Boakye competed against 13 other performers and the talent level was high, he said. The usual field of competition was doubled due to third-round competitors from 2020, whose journey was cut off when the pandemic started, being invited back to compete this year.
After another impassioned performance with a lunge move at the end by Boakye, host Capone Lee said to the pianist, "You were serious."
"From the same town as LeBron," Lee told the audience.
See him starting from the 15:18 mark at https://fb.watch/epfp0WXPXu/.
When the moment of truth came, Boakye was cheered on by the audience as the winner, garnering a score of 94 on the Apollo Theater's famous noise reader, which gauges the volume of the audience's response.
U.S. and international fans from across the country contacted him via social media before the show and were at the competition in full force to cheer him on, Boakye said.
His stylist, Candence Clopton, formerly from Cleveland and now based in Harlem, took live video of Boakye in the semifinals. The pianist, who decided to scale things back a bit for this round, had Clopton and her son as guests in the audience.
Clopton, owner of Candence Caprice Designs, outfitted Boakye in a teal, floral jacket for his big night, which host Lee also complimented.
Boakye's fan base was enthusiastic outside the theater, too. Security escorted him out after the show, where he got photos with fans for about an hour.
The pianist said he's happy to see his hard work paying off.
"This journey that I've been on this year has been incredible," he said.
Boakye, who made it to the final round in Amateur Night at the Apollo in 2019, filled a bus with about 50 Akron friends and family to cheer him on for the finals. This time, he plans to fill one or more buses with family, including his mother, Carolyn Bland-Boakye.
More: Akron's Kofi Boakye seizes moment for second shot in Amateur Night at the Apollo
"This is the big one," Boakye said.
Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron pianist Boakye grabs win at Apollo semifinals, heads for finals
