Samini Justifies ‘2009 Best Performer’ Award at Accra Sports Stadium

I cannot find any suitable word to describe Samini’s recent performance at the Accra Sports Stadium. A word like “wow” will even be underestimation of the lyrical dexterity and the stage craft Samini exhibited. Whoever gave the accolade ‘Best Performer Award’ to him, is vindicated, as the Dance Hall specialist has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he is indeed the best performer.

Andrew Samini can be said to be the ‘last man standing’. He is the only Ghanaian to have won an award from the 2009 MTV Africa Music Awards also known as Mamas, after losing out last year in the same category.

Samini embarked on a nationwide tour where he made staggering stops at Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale with his ‘Samini Experience Tour 2009’ to get more closer to his fans. He ended the tour with an explosive musical concert alongside 15 other artistes at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday.

Men lie, women lie but numbers don’t lie, so we can’t doubt the crowd. People were of the opinion that the numbers were not that bad and could have been better as video footage from the Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale shows confirmed that the Accra show was nothing to compare to the previously named places.

The numbers did not really deterred Samini from giving out one his best. I was at the show not primarily to watch Samini perform. I already know what he can do, I know his capabilities. I had two things on my mind, I was curious to see if he will prove Zain wrong that it doesn’t worth it to organize a show at the same venue (over 40,000 seater stadium) and charge a whooping GH¢ 100, GH¢ 80 and GH¢ 50.

And to see the lady dancers which Samini had spoken so much about. There isn’t any right word to say than they were off the chain; those ladies danced as if they were boneless. They did justice to every song from all the music genres and occasionally twisted their backsides to the delight of the male audience.

The attendance was not very satisfactory; I think it’s a lesson to event organizers to discard the idea of organizing a show like this magnitude at the stadium and charge exorbitant prices.

Nevertheless Samini stands tall among his colleagues and really connects well with his audiences. All the supporting artistes including VIP, Konfi, OJ Blaq, Obrafour, Kwaw Kese and others connected well with their fans.

Ghanacelebrities.com says CONGRATS to Samini.

Okyeame Kwame Launches ‘Hepatitis B Campaign’

Okyeame Kwame has been chalking a lot of success since his breakaway from the group Akyeame which was made up of Okyeame Quophi and himself. He is the reigning king of the Ghana Music Awards, a husband, a father, a Coca Cola and MTN Brand Ambassador. Yesterday, the undisputed “Best Rapper Alive” launched his Hepatitis B Awareness Campaign at the British Council.

The launch which was scheduled to take place at 3:00pm eventually started at 5:00pm. The legendary Dr. Amponsah (Agya Koo Nimo) and his Adadam Agofomma Band were there to provide live musical interlude.

The rapper joined the bandwagon of Ghanaian stars that have preceded him to launch their foundations to give life to the lifeless, hope to the hopeless. Calling himself the “Rap Doctor” and going to the way of the “Doctors” could be of resemblance.

Hepatitis B being one of the most deadly diseases is caused by a hepatitis B virus (HBV) which infects the liver of hominoidae, including humans, and causes an inflammation called hepatitis. This disease is ranked by the World Health Organization as the ninth leading cause of death in the world, while the Ghana Health Service estimated the disease prevalence as one in every six individuals, representing 40 per cent of the population.

The Okyeame Kwame Foundation (OKF), a non-governmental organization (NGO) has the sole aim of educating the masses on Hepatitis B and provides screening to help combat this incurable disease.

According to the hip life star, he wants to make the Hepatitis B prevention in Ghana so popular to match up the popularity of Malaria, Polio and AIDS prevention. What the foundation will be doing in the next couple of months is to find 200 gigantic billboards with the campaign slogan “Hepatitis B Is Mean, Don’t Be Green, Get Screened” boldly written on it and placed at vantage points throughout the country.

Okyeame ended his speech with the words “young people can also move Ghana forward”, which drew applause from the audience.

Also, the foundation has recorded a song and will soon shoot a music video and have it shown on all the television stations in Ghana from 1st January 2010 to December 2010. This is to cave a strong awareness that Hepatitis B is a real killer.

The Okyeame Kwame Foundation is made up of young doctors, nurses who share the same dream “kicking Hepatitis B” out of Ghana.

Before the launching, Hepatitis B Awareness Campaign had already started in Takoradi, Nkawkaw and KNUST as the first project by the Okyeame Kwame Foundation.

The ace rapper with real name Kwame Nsiah Apaw appealed to the general public to text “HEPA” short code 1994 to any of the mobile communication networks in Ghana to contribute their little to the foundation.

Exclusive Interview With Ms Shirley Frimpong Manso of Sparrow Productions

Ms. Shirley Frimpong Manso is the embodiment of an individual who satisfies the adage “What a man can do, a woman can do even better”. Shirley is a multi-talented writer/producer/director who has single handedly written, produced and directed excellent Ghanaian movies like “Scorned”, “Life and Living It”, Perfect Picture” and most recently “ A Sting In A Tale”.

She is also the CEO of Sparrow Productions and her company produced two semi finalists (unprecedented) at the Miss World beauty pageant within the past five years, after securing the rights from original franchise owners of the Miss Ghana Beauty pageant, Media Whizz Kidz.

In our efforts to celebrate Ghanaian achievers and bring these celebrities closer to their fans, Ghanacelebrities.com caught up with Shirley Frimpong Manso for an exclusive chit chat interview.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Tell us briefly about yourself. Who is Shirley Frimpong Manso?

Shirley: Unlike the job I do I’m a very private person. I keep very few friends who I’m eternally loyal to. I don’t shy away from hard work; I play smart and capable of a lot of silly fun. I’m a disciplinarian, I don’t condone gossip and I don’t suffer fools easily. I like to learn, I’m open to sensible criticism, and I have a lot of respect for people with principles. I Love to travel, read, watch movies and always up for a good old fashion joke. I believe in positive thinking and doing good… if you think badly of people, bad things happen to you. I detest mediocrity.

GhanaCelebrities.com: What is it like being a writer, a producer and a director? I am sure there are experiences you want to share with us.

Shirley: It’s fun but generally exhausting to write because you have to be many different characters and exist in a totally different world for the period but the end result is exciting and rewarding especially when you get people reacting to your words. Directing is tasking depending on whom and where you are directing, otherwise it’s an exciting adventure to combine the script with the act as well as the technicalities. Producing is always fun if you plan ahead, it’s nightmarish otherwise.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Who are your role models? How are or who inspires your stories?

Shirley: Generally I’m inspired by people who tread where only a few go… President Obama, Mandela, Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey. Every-day events inspire my stories.

GhanaCelebrities.com: What was your approach in making Sparrow Productions one of the most recognized film production companies in Ghana and throughout Africa?

Shirley: Telling simple stories in a fun, quality way.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Now every movie lover is talking about Shirley Frimpong Manso and Sparrow Productions, what do you think has accounted for this?

Shirley: Our consistency in maintaining quality productions.

GhanaCelebrities.com: How did you initially get into writing, directing and producing movies?

Shirley: I begun directing and writing for the kids I used to play with as a child. I will organize them into groups and we will always put up some drama imagining that there was a huge audience. It just felt like a lot more fun than playing with sand and dolls. I continued in secondary school when I realized I was having more fun in English and Literature class than anywhere else. Then I knew I really wanted to pursue it once I enrolled into NAFTI.

GhanaCelebrities.com: I read a comment “Shirley has really made Ghanaian movie a must watch and am really proud of her”. How do you feel hearing a comment like this?

Shirley: I’m humbled. I never once think it’s all my doing I know God is playing a big role in all of this plus I’m lucky to work with such great talents. And this is only the beginning.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Your movies have been tagged as too westernized, how would you address this?

Shirley: If living in a good house, having educated friends, speaking good English and having real problems are un-Ghanaian then they maybe right.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Do you accept the solicitation of scripts? Can budding writers send you script ideas? If yes, how can they do so?

Shirley: I’m very cautious about reading people’s scripts because stories can be quite similar across board. However depending on the level of trust I’m very open to ideas and finding good writers.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Do you believe that the Ghanaian movie industry reflects the country’s culture?

Shirley: I think a lot of the stories I’ve seen told reflect our society. Is it told effectively? I think we can do much better.

GhanaCelebrities.com: You are undeniably unequaled in terms of production quality and have repeated shelled out what most consider flawless movies. What is the driving force behind this need for perfection and your admirable work ethics?

Shirley: It’s never only about the money, I’m an artist and so are many of the people I work with so we are driven to be creative, we don’t know anything else but to do the best we can.

GhanaCelebrities.com: What makes a good movie?

Shirley: A good script, good acting, good directing, a dedicated technical and production team.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Your critics are of the opinion that you are a technically efficient film director who lacks creativity and originality, do you share the same sentiments?

Shirley: Opinions are like noses, we are all entitled to one.

GhanaCelebrities.com: What skills are necessary to be successful in the movie industry as a director?

Shirley: An appreciation for great stories, a good rapport with your actors and technical crew and most importantly a general understanding of film work.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Media Whizz Kidz, the original franchise owners of the Miss Ghana Beauty pageant took it back from your company Sparrow Productions amidst of poor organization. Do you think you’ve failed to live up to the expectation with the Miss Ghana brand?

Shirley: We produced two semifinalists at the Miss World event within five years, we sustained a pageant that otherwise would have died. We did our utmost best.

GhanaCelebrities.com: What are your casting sections like? Do you do your castings by yourself or do you have people in place for that?

Shirley: I do casting along with the help of others. Everybody auditions before they are cast in a Sparrow movie.

GhanaCelebrities.com: What plans do Sparrow Productions have in place to introduce new upcoming actors/actresses?

Shirley: We are always looking for fresh talents so we encourage people to pick up forms from our office and then we call them for auditions. Trust me if you are good, you’ll soon get your dream role in a Sparrow movie. It’s really about talent.

GhanaCelebrities.com: What are your predictions for the future of Ghanaian movie industry?

Shirley: There’s a lot of work to be done but people are willing and in the past few years it looks like everybody wants to try a little harder, I’m very encouraged by that. Ghana will bounce back.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Any message to your fans?

Shirley: Because of them I’m encouraged to do better everyday. I thank them sincerely.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Thanks for your time.

Shirley: Thank you for having me.

Konfi Rounds Up Debut Album

Konfi, the rap duo, whose single track “Like Father Like Son” for some time now has been enjoying massive airplay are currently in the studio putting final touches to their debut album “Deeper Than Hiplife” aka Street Pop Pages.

They are in the studio finalizing the album Lyrical Jagoo told ghanacelebrities.com when we caught up with them recently. “We are still in the studio in the studio, we rounding the album up”.

Earlier this year the rap duo was associated with Kwaw Kesse, “The King of the Street”. These entertainers get their inspirations from everyday occurrences on the streets which explain the title of the album. “It’s an album with most inspiration from the street and back to the street, which means every piece of music we are doing have a significant resemblance on the street”. He said.

“We do real not abstract music, our lyrics are genuine not fake and we have a culture and a deep passion for what we are doing, so we define it street pop”, Lyrical Jagoo added with his trademark Wohono.

“The Deeper Than Hiplife” is their debut, it has 17 tracks with some bonus. The album will have local and international presence. Local featured artistes include Praye, Chemphe, Iwan.

The international flavor on the album is Young AO from Toronto, Canada. He featured in the track “Yewo Town”. They also collaborated with the new singing sensation Quata in true love tune “Intoxication”.

The duo is made up of Ato Kwamina Sagoe Ofei also called Lyrical Jagoo and Ebo Owusu-Amponsah aka Pimp Juice.

The duo have this message for their teeming fans. “Yeah we are working hard in the studio to bring them the best so they should watch out for the Street Pop Pages album also dubbed Deeper Than Hiplife. They are the reason we doing what we do and they should hold on to this pillar which is the future of Ghana and African music, you know who you rocking with, WONOHO”.

The album will be out soon.

By Ebenezer Anangfio Jnr.

Obrafour releases video for controversial song

Obrafour is not one of the controversial hip life artistes but slowly he is aiming at that title. If you think the Okyeame Kwame – Obrafour saga has died a natural death then you will be laughing at the wrong side of your mouth. The latter has rekindled the whole saga and beating the war drums again, after performing with a dummy on which was boldly written “OK”; he has now released a controversial video.

I love creative people and I have not hesitated to say that Obrafour latest single ‘Kaseibo’, which features Guru, is a pure classic, it’s a master piece and portrays creativity at its peak. However, the controversy it has created does not emerge out of this creativity but as a result of the lyrics which were direct attacks on certain personalities in the Ghana music industry.

It’s an undoubted fact that the lyrics in that song are directed to Okyeame Kwame and Obour. Earlier on, the “Rap Sofour” disclosed on a Kumasi-based radio station, “I do not see my latest single as a ‘dissing’ song, not at all, for me, this is not a ‘diss’ song, I’m only expressing my opinion, I don’t have a grudge with Kwame as people may think,”.

He further said “People should appreciate the creativity in the song; they should not read too much meaning into the song. As I said, I don’t have any problem with my brother Okyeame Kwame,”

“Okyeame Kwame is prone to attacks by referring to himself as the best rapper alive. If Obrafour has a problem with that title, who gave him (Obrafour), the “Ghana Rap Sofour” title? Asked a music fan.

The Celebrity journalist Ameyaw Debrah once asked Obrafiour “You have no problem with someone like Okyeame Kwame saying he’s the best rapper live, right?” In his reply, Obrafour re-echoed his earlier submissions, acknowledging the originator of hip life Reggie Rockstone and “Rap Heavyweight” Lord Kenya, the guys he had little exchanges with, “Well, he can be the best rapper, the alive is where I have a problem, because am good, am not dead, Reggie is not dead, Lord Kenya is not dead”.

The whole hubbub about them was said to have died a natural death but the executioner recently told Myjoyonline after the Joy FM Nite with the Stars that, he is ready to teach Okyeame Kwame what ‘diss’ song is provided he (Okyeame) goes back to the studio to record a diss song against him, “Controversy sells and for me if Okyeame Kwame says he has a beef, I put it straight to Kwame that he should be a man and reply. I will come back and show him what a beef or a ‘diss’ song is should he reply,” Obrafour added.

All efforts to get the “Best Rap Alive” on the line to comment proved futile but we managed to get one Yaa Agyeiwaa, the Marketing Director of 1 MIC Entertainment, she told http://www.ghanacelebrities.com that, Okyeame Kwame wouldn’t want to comment on anything concerning what Obrafour had said and that they don’t have any reply for Obrafour.

However, she indicated that they are willing to talk about something else, something of much importance and not less important stuff, “We don’t have time for trivial things”, she ended.

Click Here To Watch The Video

By Ebenezer Anangfio Jnr. / Ghanacelebrities.com / Ghana

PRESS RELEASE: Okyeame Kwame Considers Obrafuor As His Brother - 1 Mic Entertainment

One Mic Entertainment, the record label of the “Best Rapper Alive” Okyeame Kwame has issued a press statement giving out 10 reasons why Okyeame Kwame will not ‘diss’ or insult Obrafour.

They said Okyeame Kwame is not a dissing artiste but a gentleman who will not return evil to evil (They quoted Romans 12:17, Ephesians 4:26, Mathew 18:21-35 to buttress that point) and besides he considers Obrafour as his brother in the game.

One Mic Entertainment urged the media to see the whole thing as one-sided agitation and not call it a beef because it takes two to tango and it also takes two to have beef.

Even though they acknowledge the existence of ‘beef’ in hip-hop, going to the studio to record a dissing track against Obrafour would have been more situation but they didn’t think it was necessary as they didn’t want to bring Obrafour’s ten years reputation into disrepute and moreover dissing Obrafuor, Okyeame Kwame would have destroyed the corporate image he worked so hard to achieve, project and protect which is the perfect gentleman image.

By Ebenezer Anangfio Jnr. / GhanaCelebrities.com / Ghana

Exclusive Interview With Adjetey "Pusher" Anang

Love him or hate him, Adjetey Anang is a household name. He launched himself into stardom with “Pusher”, a bad boy character role he played in the hit series ‘Things We Do For Love’ and has featured in films such as the Dutch production 'Slavery'.

His stage productions including August Wilson's 'Joe Turner's Come And Gone' and Eugene Ionesco's 'La Cantatrice Chauve'. Adjetey holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana.

He is involved in youth programmes, through several TV series, focusing on reproductive health issues, parent-child relationships and peer pressure, to mention a few. Adjetey is also active in his local film industry. He is part of a production house, called Sparrow Productions, whose goal is to revive Ghana’s struggling film industry.

His current challenge is to gain further insight and proficiency from the Drama for Life Programme which will enable him to advance his creativity in the movie industry.

Ghanacelebrities.com caught up with the “bad boy” Pusher for an exclusive interview. Below is the exclusive interview with Pusher and he decided to share with his Fans some photos from his recent wedding(check below)...

GhanaCelebrities.com: Adjetey, Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Adjetey Anang: If I am allowed to be blunt…I hate answering this question! Who is Adjetey Anang… Hmm I think I’m just a normal guy, who has lots of love and passion for well scripted, well produced, well acted movies and believes in commitment, dedication, hard work and discipline in everything you find yourself doing. I’m currently studying for a Masters’ in Dramatic Arts at Wits University in Jo’Burg and I have bigger dreams I am yet to realize!

GhanaCelebrities.com: What have you been up to lately Pusher?

Adjetey Anang: Still catching my breath after an exhausting shoot of ‘A Sting in a Tale’ otherwise I have been fully immersed in academic demands.

GhanaCelebrities.com: How difficult has it been for you to let go of “Pusher”, ' the bad boy' character you played in “Things We Do For Love “.

Adjetey Anang: Lol.. Its not been difficult at all! I only put on the elements of ‘Pusher’ when I was on the ‘Things We Do for Love’ set. Since then, no other role has demanded a similar character. I do miss it sometimes though!

GhanaCelebrities.com: We heard you had a private and low key wedding why that option?

Adjetey Anang: I laughed when I saw this description in the news recently! Well, I did not want an uncontrollable crowd at my wedding, but it surely wasn’t “private and low key”! We had a church wedding and the reception was at a very popular events’ venue. We invited 300 people but we had over 500 in attendance!

GhanaCelebrities.com: You are married to Elorm, whom you met on set. How does it feel to be in the same profession with your wife? Do you sometimes feel jealous?

Adjetey Anang: Just to make a correction, Elom is not in the same profession. She did a few stage and screen productions while at Legon, but she hasn’t done any productions since then. I guess God brought her into acting so I could meet and marry her! But I remember a few episodes of “Sun City” in which she played “Khadija”. My, I did have a few jealous moments!

GhanaCelebrities.com: It was reported recently that, you said your wife manages you. What message were you putting across?

Adjetey Anang: Owing to her work, Elom is extensively involved in contract documentation and she also knows quite a bit about the movie industry so asked her to handle all my contracts including shooting scheduling, fees, and all details with respect to my work so that I can concentrate on my core business.

GhanaCelebrities.com: What has really changed about the Pusher we knew from your earlier production “Things We Do For Love”?

Adjetey Anang: Lol! Pusher is still Pusher..as far as the story potrayed. And Adjetey has remained Adjetey since the days of Pusher. Nothing has changed!

GhanaCelebrities.com: In the days of ‘Things We Do For Love’, people loved and referred to you as a bad boy, is this genuinely you or just a screen character?

Adjetey Anang: Lol…Well Pusher is just one of the many characters I have played since I started acting and I’m not sure if Pusher and Adjetey have anything in common at all! But I think I leave that for people to judge.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Recently, Glo, the sixth mobile company in the country unveiled their ambassadors, which includes Van Vicker, Nadia Buari, Jackie Appiah, etc.What is your opinion on celebrity endorsement.

Adjetey Anang:I have no qualms about that. It just speaks volumes of the fact that artistes are not just there to entertain, but also to add value to the growth of various sectors of the economy as well as contributing to the quality of life of our people. Associating popular faces with brands is not a new phenomenon and in fact it is probably one of the best ways by which a brand attains the solid patronage of the masses. Kudos to Glo.

GhanaCelebrities.com: how did you get into acting?

Adjetey Anang: Phew! Now that’s some history. Very briefly, I was invited by Wakefield Ackuaku, a good friend of mine, for a drama rehearsal with his group (Nyankunton Players) at GBC. The group was rehearsing a script for T.V Theatre on GBC (Now GTV). Fortunately (or unfortunately?) one of the male cast did not turn up that day and so the Director asked me to read the part to assist other cast members rehearse their lines, including Kwame Sefa Kayi. Subsequently, I went with Wakefield and this turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the gentleman I was standing in for failed to turn up for a long time. I ended up taking up the role which earned me my first major acting role. That was where it all begun.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Can you tell us your experience so far in the movie industry and your perception about the Ghanaian Movie Industry.

Adjetey Anang: I have been in a few productions with the Ghana Film Industry, I played a stand-in on the HBO production ‘Deadly Voyage’, had a very pivotal role in a Dutch movie called ‘Slavery’ and of course my recent works with Sparrow Productions: Life and Living It, The Perfect Picture and A Sting in a Tale. I have been very selective though (not the same as fussy!) but it’s all been in good faith. It’s been a very interesting learning experience and I think I am ready to launch out into the deep. My perception about the Ghanaian movie industry is captured in these words: Ready to rumble!

GhanaCelebrities.com: In a scale of 20, how would you rate Ghanaian movies now?

Adjetey Anang: Hmmm…I would have to make some comparisons with other movie industries but since you have not offered me any such options, I would rather say that we are beginning to re-experience through Ghanaian movies, qualities that back in the day had our neighboring countries look up to us as a yardstick in the industry. Soon, we will transcend that mark. So on a scale of 1 to 20; I’d say 15 and a half!

GhanaCelebrities.com: How are you coping with stardom?

Adjetey Anang: Lol… that word. With my experiences with the ‘Pusher’ character, I am still just myself. I do get so much attention and favours though, but I always feel humbled and relate to both young and old fans with respect.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Any awards yet?

Adjetey Anang: Yeah, An Arts Critique and Review Association of Ghana (ACRAG) Talent Award and a Ghana Union of Theatre Societies (GUTS) Best Actor Award...eyeing a few more though!

GhanaCelebrities.com:How did you meet Shirley Frimpong Manso of Sparrow Productions?

Adjetey Anang: She gave me a call then we arranged a meeting. Apparently she had been keeping up with me by watching my productions over the years. Until then, I only knew her voice on radio.

GhanaCelebrities.com: You played a role in “Life and Living It”, “Perfect Picture” and the latest one “A Sting In A Tale”, what was the casting process like?

Adjetey Anang: I can only speak for myself. I think with Shirley’s experience, she knows what she wants when she comes up with her characters. However I still go through the audition process for her to be certain on which character she believes I am best suited for. Of course there are exceptions where for example with ‘A Sting in a Tale’, as she indicated, she had developed the screenplay for the movie with me in mind.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Apart from Movies, are you working on any other projects or anything your fans should expect from you anytime soon?

Adjetey Anang: I do have a few personal projects in the pipeline, but not immediately, they are still at the conception stages. I’ve however been offered roles in a couple of movies whose scripts we are looking at currently. Besides that, I am still a student and have got my hands full with school projects.

GhanaCelebrities.com: There are a lot of young ones out there looking to go into acting, any message for such individuals and what do you want to tell your fans at large?

Adjetey Anang: I think I am an example that you got to pursue what you have a passion for, because that’s where your claim to fame lies. So I would encourage anyone who desires or is passionate about professional acting to give it their best shot.To my fans, I am always humbled and grateful for your warm comments and constructive criticisms. I believe that as Artistes, we all need your inputs for our development and improvement and that of the industry at large. I wish you all the best.

GhanaCelebrities.com: Thanks for your time.

Adjetey Anang: My pleasure.

Was 'Prophet' Kwaw Kese Right?

Glo Telecommunication Company is the sixth mobile company to enter Ghana's mobile telecommunications industry. In September of this year it unveiled 17 personalities in the entertainment industry as ambassadors to promote their brand.

A name which conspicuously missed the tall list was Kwaw Kese, the notoriously controversial performer. Looking at the kind of personalities on the list, one wonders why the Kwaw Kase, self titled ‘King of the Street’ was not included. Music pundits and people from all walks of life were surprised at his exclusion and questioned the reason for this decision. It is amazing that the ‘King of the Street’, who was nominated for and won the highest number of awards including the most coveted prize, Artiste of the Year, at the 9th annual Ghana Music Awards in 2008, was not considered for Glo’s promotional campaign.

To some people he was not included in this promotional campaign because of his behavior. The artiste, known for his controversial utterances and aggressive personality was strategically left out for reasons unknown to the public.

It has turned out Kwaw ‘Abodam’ Kesse, hip-life idol cum model, is justified for his negative comments regarding Glo and MTN endorsements. For him, the GH¢50,000 to GH¢100,000 his fellow artistes received from the endorsement deals is not enough to buy his car nor is it worth being tied to a three-year contract.

To further grasp Abodam’s outburst, imagine a high profile show this Christmas without Asem, Okyeame Kwame, Samini, Wutah, Ayigbe Edem, Tinny, Amakye Dede, Paapa Yankson, Kwabena Kwabena, Gyedu Blay Ambolley, Irene Logan, Pat Thomas, Reggie Rockstone, Sherifatu Gunus and Becca. Why? These artistes are restricted by their exclusivity contract for three or more years under the pretext of endorsement deals.

A show believed by many to have suffered to live up to its billings because of this exclusivity deals is JOY FM’s, ‘NITE with the STARS’. This annual show commenced nine years ago. ‘Nite with the Stars’ is geared towards the youths and offers local artistes the opportunity to grace the stage and showcase their talents. Special emphasis is given to upcoming artistes who have excelled in their career during the year. This year’s edition of the show can best be tag as “Nite with ‘few’ stars” because of the lack of artistes to make the show what it’s known for.

The probability exists that, three years from now, none of Glo’s ambassadors will be the featured artistes on weekly entertainment shows. Programs like TV3”s Music Music, TV Africa’s Sound Splash and annual shows like Star of the Future, Miss Malaika and Ghana’s Most Beautiful sponsored by MTN and Vodafone will have moved on the new stars and fresh faces.

Ghana Music Awards and Ghana Films Awards are two shows purported as a win for every artiste. The former is prestigious and the latter is being rejuvenated. None of the artistes under Glo Telecommunication Company ambassadorial contract will mount the stage during the roll call.

Christmas is almost here again and as usual there will be variety shows to mark this yuletide season. Music lovers and fans will expect their various stars to mount the stage to entertain them throughout this season and well into the New Year. The Glo contract may very well put a dent into the artistes’ ability to perform at shows that presents a conflict of interest. The above named artistes might not be only the biggest artistes in Ghana, but a show without them surely makes a difference in the quality of the entertainment.

The future really looks bleak as it stands out now. Major players must come together and communicate in the hope of helping this sad situation. Music fans can’t afford to pay exorbitant money to watch the same artistes perform at every show, because others are tied up.

By: Ebenezer Anangfio Jnr