China-based Ghanaian gospel musician, Ishmael Philemon Ackon, known on stage as Bro.

Philemon, has made a passionate appeal to musicians in the country to try and incorporate the English language into their songs to get the needed mileage.

According to the musician, failure to do so will deprive musicians in the country, the needed push to fully making it into the global market.

With the debate ranging on as to whether Ghanaians should stick to composing songs in the local dialects or do so in the English language, the gospel musician believes that while it is important to incorporate English words into the songs, Ghanaian musicians should make sure they maintain the African rhythm.

Speaking in an interview with Myjoyonline.com, he noted that the greatest barrier facing Ghanaian music is "the genre. We try to follow trends and when you follow trends, the ear sometimes gets tired of the trend."

He also explained that, "We try to [only] localize our songs like always in Twi.

When you look at Nigerian music, Nigerians have their own language yet mostly they sing in English because they want to cut across."

Most Nigerian musicians, Bro. Philemon, noted "are trying do songs in English but with African rhythm," they are therefore cutting across - penetrating the global market.

"We cannot compete with those people who have their own genre of music. If you try to go exactly the way they are then it's going to be very difficult for you to get there. It's possible for you to break through but it will take time," he stressed.

With only one album - M'asan Aba - to his credit, he won 'Artiste of the Year (Asia)' at the 2013 Africa Gospel Music Awards in the UK and also recently won 'Collaboration of the Year' at the 2013 Ghana Gospel Industry Awards organized by Adom FM.

Bro. Philemon believes that Ghana's music is unique and complementing it with some amount of English will do the country's musicians some good.

The 'Me Bo Wodzin' hit singer started his professional music career in Ghana in 1997 but moved it to China due to his business ventures in that country.

Doing music in China, he explained, "is good but it is not as home [Ghana] because you don't have the wider audience in China as you have here [in Ghana]," but nevertheless he is making some gains and he is currently embarking on a couple of projects that will "make me have a wider audience in China as I'm going to record Chinese songs," and more English songs.

He believes that singing in Mandarin "could be accepted because it amazes them [Chinese] to see black man speaking Chinese. That's what makes it attractive to them.

We've had concerts in China and we sing Chinese songs and it always amazes them."

Currently, Bro. Philemon is in Ghana to embark on an extensive campaign to vigorously market himself and his music more to the Ghanaian audience because he has observed that a lot more people know his works but not the person behind them.

He is also rebranding to suit a wider market - including Nigeria and South Africa.

Back in China, he is a member of a Christian band Freedom 61, based in Shenzhen, China, and they engage in evangelism and series of Christian activities.

How did Macklemore beat out Kendrick Lamar for the Best Rap Album GRAMMY? It’s a question a lot of people, including Ty Dolla $ign , have been pondering since last month’s awards show.

And now Drake , who has had his own issues with Kendrick, is giving his two cents on the whole thing.

Specifically calling out Macklemore for, what he believes, was a not-so-convincing apology text.

In the text to Kendrick, which Macklemore posted on Instagram , he wrote, ”You got robbed.

I wanted
you to win. It’s weird and sucks that I robbed you.”

But Drake told Rolling Stone that supposed heartfelt message was ”wack as f***.”

Afro-beats artiste Dobble is set to premier their newest Hi-life single and video on 14th February 2014 at Aphrodisiac Night club.

The duo who within two years of their music career stand tall as the best music group in Ghana want to see all their fans turn up for this exclusive premier.

“With all the hit songs, this is the first time we are getting up close and personal with our fans, friends and well wishers hence on 14th Feb, we want to see every one come out in their numbers for a good course” DOBBLE noted.

The group disclosed that the new single and video gives birth to versatility.

On vals day come to Aphrodisiac night club to put your lover in a good mood, see you all – their ending words.

Kate Middleton attended a glamorous charity gala at the National Portrait Gallery in London last night, as a royal patron of the gallery should.

The night's dress code: "black tie with a hint of sparkle," The Daily Mail says, and KMid brought enough sparkle to compensate for people who forgot to read their invitations properly. (There's always someone.)

Not that she'd be allowed to share the
bejeweled wealth though — the chunky Cartier diamond necklace she paired with her midnight blue Jenny Packham gown was borrowed from the Queen's jewelry collection.

Specifically, it's the "Nizam of Hyderabad" necklace, given to the Queen upon her wedding in 1947 by the then-ruler of Hyderabad, a former Indian state.

Kate's hair billowed just so, and she had a slight tan going on following her recent family holiday to Mustique .

Here's the glamorous look in full:

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard new music from Ashanti—six years to be exact—but as we already know she’s always there when you call, she’s always on time.

But in her new video for “I Got It,” she’s not interested in just being a ride or die chick, she just wants her accolades.

With a little help from Rick Ross , Ashanti shows that she’s the boss, bragging about her fancy car and her designer duds. Not to mention her impressive acrobatic skills, which have her swinging like a girl on the flying trapeze.

With the release of her latest video, Ashanti also revealed details of her upcoming album, BraveHeart , out March 4. The follow-up to 2008′s The Declaration features not only Ross, but French Montana and Meek Mill .

Her breakup with Nigerian musician, Iyanya, a year ago brewed a lot of media fuss, but Ghana’s sexy actress, Yvonne Nelson, appears to be fantasizing about who her next man will be.

In a new tweet Tuesday touching on her sex life, the multiple award-winning actress suggested she is far from meeting her ‘Adam’ but enjoying her secondary chastity; a year after the break up with boyfriend Iyanya.

“The guy I love...see him only in my dreams... He's only in my head and dreams...will let you know when I meet him one on one,” Yvonne tweeted.

For now, the once Miss Ghana contestant appears to be relishing what she termed “secondary virginity” until she meets the next or perhaps the last man that she would spend the rest of her life with.

“But for now, my secondary virginity is still on,” she revealed on twitter with an applause, ostensibly for that feat in her sexual life.

And for those who still may think Yvonne is having a secret relationship with co-actor, John Dumelo, here is her response: “Ok! Now about John Dumelo, I love him like a brother; we go wayyy back! So charley guys relaxxx. Love him tooo much to date him”.

Source: Source: Stephen Kwabena Effah

Last week the news that Nollywood actor Osita Iheme was getting married to a Ghanaian lady went viral but it has emerged that it is totally false.

Osita, famously known as Pawpaw, has denied the rumoured marriage stating he is already used to such stories since he was the best man at his friend Chinedu Ikedieze (Aki)’s wedding in December 2011.

He has been associated with different ladies since Chinedu got married.

Some of the ladies include Ghanaian actress Nana Ama McBrown and London-based model, Brenda Gowon, who was allegedly said to have dumped him in 2008.

Pawpaw, reacting to the married rumour, is quoted to have said: "Na lie! There’s no such thing, they are just rumours."

Osita isn't leaving the league of bachelors anytime soon, he is still available.

Contrary to earlier media reports, songstress Efya isn’t waiting to win a Grammy before she gets married.

In an interview with Elia Chebib of GH and Beyond, she set the record straight on what she actually said and how her exact words have been taken out of context.

“I didn’t say I was not going to get married till I win a Grammy.

I know that’s how it seems like when I
said it in the paper but this is what I said ‘I said I’m not ready to get married yet and then in between the time if I win a Grammy, I would be grateful,” she says.

“I believe in love and I love love and I love the people that I love and because of that maybe they love me back and might want to take me personal but I did not say if I do not win a Grammy, I won’t get married.”

“I just said that I will like to win a Grammy during this time when I’m not so engulfed about the whole fantasy of getting married like some young women do at my age.”

The four time GMA Best Female Vocalist winner also spoke of how her music has evolved over the years. “My music has evolved.

I can’t say that it hasn’t because I can feel it and my fans also feel it .

And the people that I work with feel it. My producers also realize that I’m not making the same kind of music that I used to make before and that is also very good for an artiste because it shows your level of development at certain point and I love it.”

Efya’s debut album Love Genes is set for release later this year.

Source: Gameli Hamelo-enewsgh.com

The implications of the two words “Carter V” may
not seem like much.

Maybe he’s thinking about Jimmy Carter’s great-great grandson. Maybe it’s just a late-night thought of Lil Wayne ‘s Young Money associate Drake .

The point is we don’t know, but Drake tweeting “Carter V” is likely to suggest that Lil Wayne has started working on, or is somewhere in the midst of working on the fifth installment of Tha Carter series.

The series celebrates its 10th year anniversary this year, with the first chapter being released in June of 2004. It’s most lauded and successful episode is triple-platinum Tha Carter III , released in 2008.

According to Complex , the album has been in the works for over a year now, but there have been no updates about its status since Lil Wayne put out the fifth installment of his concurrent series, Dedication this past summer.

Wayne did tell MTV in 2012 that Tha Carter V would be his last album.

One of Ghana's pioneer comedians and Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South, Fritz Baffour has called for a concerted effort to help push the Ghanaian to the top.

The MP had said in an interview with Channel R last week that, “I’m not too enthused about Ghanaian comedy.

When we started comedy in the past with people like KSM and Tommy Annan Forson, we gave out deep comedy.

Now the industry is bad! Investment in comedy is poor, so basically, I’m not enthused about comedy in Ghana now.”

Speaking as a guest on Rhythmz A-Z on Joy FM Saturday, Fritz lamented that the fortunes of the Ghanaian industry has dwindled drastically and called for support for up-and-coming comedians to sustain it.
"It's not as good as I thought it should be.

The way we started and I thought more people will come on board and that there will a great response from the Ghanaian people," he said.

Credited for starting standup comedy in Nigeria in the late 1980s, the MP recalled that,

"When he started in 1986 with Fritz & Friends with Tommy Annan Forson, it was a pioneering thing because that kind of comedy thing had not been seen in Ghana for quite a long time,"

although he will not take full credit for starting comedy in Ghana.

He gave credit to the likes of JB Danquah's son, Paul Danquah and BT Kingsley Hayford for laying the foundation for Ghanaian comedy in the 1960s.

His hit comedy series, Fritz & Friends, was aimed at mentoring people who wanted to do comedy but there was no support in terms of sponsorship, Fritz lamented.

According to him, during the Charter House comedy series "we had our guys but they put on the backburner and that was it.

If you don't encourage them, if you don't interact with them, if you don't give them the chance to perform, to polish their routine then you are in trouble."

Ghanaian comedians, the veteran lamented, came in as openers for the big Nigerian stars and that was it.

"Young men like comedian David Aglah, I see him, a wonderful young man but I feel sorry for him because he is not given the push," he said.

"When it comes to comedy, it's not about you pushing yourself, you actually need somebody to push you...if you don't have the backing and the support, then we are in trouble," Fritz stressed.