Those who have attended musical plays and cantatas by the Kumasi Westminster or the Dramatic Choir will have heard some of the works of Kwesi Baiden, a composer who has written many charming secular and sacred songs and hymns, dance and highlife tunes for church choirs, dance bands and choral societies. He has almost sixty records to his credit in the Gramophone library for the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. As a composer, music tutor, Orchestrator and playwright Kwesi Baiden has contributed music to the development of the new African musician.

Kwesi Baiden's musical styles have a lot of popular appeal and in that sense he may be described as a popular composer. This singular style stems from the fact that he composes and orchestrates beautiful melodies for Dance Bands and Vocal Choral groups.

Born to late John Godfrey Baiden from the Royal Family of Cape Coast and late Regina Eyisuaah (alias Maame Efua Mensah), a singing band leader of Agona Kwanyarko Methodist Church on April 26th, 1920, Kwesi Baiden belonged to the Anane Clan.

He was educated at Saltpond - where his father was a organist and singing band conductor. At a very early age Kwesi Baiden showed great inclination towards music. It was at that time his father taught him to play the harmonium at the age of nine. At school, Kwesi Baiden had a famous teacher, Mr. J.N.T. Yankah, a great pianist and a brilliant man. It is natural that a man of his qualities should have inspired young Baiden. Mr. Yankah permitted Kwesi Baiden to practise on the school piano a favour which Kwesi Baiden looks back to with much gratitude. Completing his middle school, Kwesi Baiden trained as a teacher at Wesley College, Kumasi, from 1835-1936.

He was appointed Headteacher and choirmaster at Gomoa Abaasa Methodist School. He continued his musical studies and helped in the organisation and development of the musicality of students activities of the college. This appointment gave him the required impetus to compose hymns and to improve his knowledge of harmony by correspondence course with the Normal College, London. It was at Abaasa that he composed Abotar Ye and Obra Ye Oko.

Between 1942 to 1945 he transferred to the Bogoso Methodist school as the headteacher and choirmaster. He later on held the same post at Tamale United Church school from 1945 to 1950. It was during these years, 1942-1945 that Kwesi Baiden wrote a lot of school music and re-arranged folk songs in the lively style of the highlife and blues. He also wrote a number of children's songs among which are Anser, anomaa feefew and saw na memma wo nam. These compositions are illustrative of Kwesi Baiden's treatment of African rhythms in his more serious compositions and also of the type of harmonies and progressions he generally employs.

In 1950 Kwesi Baiden entered Achimota Teacher Training College to do a three-year specialist course in music under the tutelage of Dr. Amu. Kwesi Baiden later on obtained the licentiate of the Royal schools of Music Diploma (L.R.S.M.) by passing their external examination in Ghana.

Some years later, in 1965, he entered the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon to do a two year course in African Music.

He was appointed Music Tutor at Wesley College, Kumasi, from 1953 to 1955; Music Master, Abuakwa State College, Kibi 1955 to 1962, Music Master, Oda Secondary School 1962 to 1963, Music Master, Achimota School 1963-1965, Music Master, university of cape Coast primary school 1967 to 1971 and Music Master, Swedru School of Business, Agona Swedru 1972.

Music continues to be a heritage in Kwesi Baiden's family. Godfrey Kobena Baiden, the eldest son has obtained a Diploma in Music (Legon) and is now teaching Music at the Technical Secondary School, Suhum. The younger one, Emmanuel Kwesi Baiden, is attached to the Gabada Orchestra in the federal Republic of Germany as Orchestrator.

Kwesi Baiden's compositions have always commanded the respect of those acquainted with them. He is currently on teaching contract at the Musama Music School in Eshiem in the Central Region.