{{Short description|Ghanaian musician}} {{Use Ghanaian English|date=August 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox artist | name = Angel Maxine | image = Angel Maxine at Christopher Street Day Berlin 2023-07-22 14.jpg | caption = Angel Maxine singing on the stage at the 2023 Christopher Street Day in Berlin after awarding the Soul of Stonewall Award. | birth_name = | movement = Activist for LGBT rights in Ghana | known_for = Musician, activist | education = University of Ghana | alma_mater = Ghana Senior High School }}
'''Angel Maxine Opoku''' is a Ghanaian musician.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crabbe |first=Nathaniel |date=2022-07-01 |title=I was effeminate from birth - 1st GH openly trans singer embraces her uniqueness |url=https://yen.com.gh/people/210103-angel-maxine-first-ghanaian-openly-trans-musician-embraces-her-uniqueness-she-opposes-anti-gay-bill/ |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=Yen.com.gh - Ghana news. |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Somuah-Annan |first=Grace |date=2022-07-04 |title=We exist, and it's Ghana we'll stay – Angel Maxine, Ghana's openly transgender musician, declares |url=https://3news.com/we-exist-and-its-ghana-well-stay-angel-maxine-ghanas-openly-transgender-musician-declares/ |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=3NEWS.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Maxine is known as the first openly transgender Ghanaian musician.<ref>{{Cite web |last=moshood |date=2021-10-28 |title=Becoming Angel Maxine, Ghana's first openly transgender musician |url=https://africanarguments.org/2021/10/becoming-angel-maxine-ghana-first-openly-transgender-musician/ |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=African Arguments |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="ln-3may2026">{{cite news |last1=Owen |first1=Greg |title=Uproar ensues after trans artist in Ghana says she’s an anti-LGBTQ+ politician’s “lover” |url=https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/05/uproar-ensues-after-trans-artist-in-ghana-says-shes-an-anti-lgbtq-politicians-lover/ |access-date=May 4, 2026 |work=LGBTQ Nation |date=May 3, 2026}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Raised in the coastal city of Tema, Maxine says that her home was "deeply religious and musical" and was where she took to music at a young age.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://africanarguments.org/2021/10/becoming-angel-maxine-ghana-first-openly-transgender-musician/ | title=Becoming Angel Maxine, Ghana's first openly transgender musician | date=28 October 2021 }}</ref> She attended the Ghana Secondary School in Koforidua for her senior high school education and later the University of Ghana for a food safety and nutrition degree. She later attended the Regional Maritime University.<ref>{{Cite news |last=admin |date=2020-02-08 |title=Angel Maxine, Ghana's first transgender musician |url=https://www.ghanaiantimes.com.gh/angel-maxine-ghanas-first-transgender-musician/ |location=Accra, Ghana|access-date=2022-08-20 |newspaper=Ghanaian Times|language=en-US}}</ref> Angel grew up in the coastal city of Tema, as the daughter of a reverend and a prophetess.<ref>{{Cite web |last=moshood |date=2021-10-28 |title=Becoming Angel Maxine, Ghana's first openly transgender musician |url=https://africanarguments.org/2021/10/becoming-angel-maxine-ghana-first-openly-transgender-musician/ |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=African Arguments |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Music career== Angel started her music career in 2020 with her first single titled "Sweetness (D3d33d3)".
She released "Wo Fie" which featured Wanlov the Kubolor and Sister Deborah, whom she describes as "siblings, musicians, activists, and allies of the LGBTQ+ community."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Maxine |first=Angel |date=24 November 2022 |title=My Song About Ghana's LGBTQ+ Community Went Viral — Even Though Radio Stations Won't Play It |url=https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/wo-fie-pride-anthem-angel-maxine/ |access-date=20 October 2024 |website=Global Citizen}}</ref> "Wo Fie", which means "your home," became a viral Pride Month hit in 2022.<ref name=":0" /> It became a number one trending video on TikTok.<ref name=":0" />
Her song "Kill The Bill"", released in 2021, is a campaign song against the Ghanaian anti-LGBT+ bill.<ref>{{Cite news |title='Trans people exist and we are in Ghana' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-61986959 |access-date=2022-08-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=culturedesk |last2=Dubaich |first2=Renee |date=2022-02-14 |title=Ghanaian musician Angel Maxine discusses musical activism, LGBTQ+ advocacy |url=https://pittnews.com/article/171324/arts-and-entertainment/ghanaian-musician-angel-maxine-discusses-musical-activism-lgbtq-advocacy/ |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=The Pitt News}}</ref>
Her latest single, titled "PrEP" is a song about a medication Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention, which can be a preventative measure against contracting HIV. The song was released on 30 November 2022 to mark World AIDS Day and to help in the fight to end HIV/AIDS.<ref name=":0" /> In 2025, she released a new album titled "Kofi is a girl", telling how trans people in Ghana experience transphobia.
==Activism== Angel Maxine is an open advocate for LGBT+ rights in Ghana and has been vocal about her rejection of the proposed Ghanaian anti-LGBT bill which is before the Parliament of Ghana as of July 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Roberto |first=Muyela |date=2022-07-02 |title=First LGBTQ Ghanaian musician mad over proposed anti-gay bill |url=https://www.tuko.co.ke/entertainment/celebrities/460972-angel-maxine-first-ghanaian-openly-trans-musician-embraces-her-uniqueness-she-opposes-anti-gay-bill/ |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=Tuko.co.ke - Kenya news. |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-02 |title=Ghana's first openly trans musician fights homophobia with song |url=https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/culture/ghanas-first-openly-trans-musician-fights-homophobia-with-song/ |access-date=2022-09-16 |website=GAY TIMES |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ghana's First Openly Trans Musician Fights Homophobia with Song |url=https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/ghanas-first-openly-trans-singer-fights-homophobia/ |access-date=2022-09-16 |website=Global Citizen |date=3 August 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
==Discography== ===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Title !Artist |- |2020 |''Sweetness (D3d33d3)''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Music |first=Ghana |date=2020-05-20 |title=Single: Sweetness (D3d33d3) by Angel Maxine |url=https://www.ghanamusic.com/audio/out-now/2020/05/20/single-sweetness-d3d33d3-by-angel-maxine/ |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=Ghana Music |language=en-GB}}</ref> |Angel Maxine |- |2021 |''Wo Fie'' |Angel Maxine, Wanlov the Kubolor and Sister Derby |- |2021 |''Kill The Bill''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kill the Bill feat. Wanlov the Kubolor & Sister Deborah, by Angel Maxine |url=https://angelmaxine.bandcamp.com/track/kill-the-bill-feat-wanlov-the-kubolor-sister-deborah |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=Angel Maxine |language=en}}</ref> |Angel Maxine featuring Wanlov the Kubolor and Sister Derby |- |2022 |''PrEP''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Asiedu |first=Kwasi Gyamfi |date=2022-11-04 |title=For Ghana's Only Openly Transgender Musician, 'Every Day Is Dangerous' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/04/world/africa/ghana-transgender-musician-angel-maxine.html |access-date=2025-07-26 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> |Angel Maxine |- |2024 |''Trumu Scent'' |Angel Maxine feat Wanlov the Kubolor |- |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Maxine Angel}} Category:Living people Category:21st-century Ghanaian musicians Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Transgender women musicians Category:21st-century Ghanaian LGBTQ people Category:Ghana Senior High School (Koforidua) alumni Category:University of Ghana alumni
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