2013 Vodafone Ghana Music Industry Awards Is May 10

This year’s Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs) is inching closer to its climax which falls on May 18.
But before the main awards to be held at the Accra International Conference Centre, there will be an Industry Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 10 where some 10 awards including the ever competitive Song Writer of the Year will be presented.
The event which will come off at the Ridge Arena of the plush Alisa Hotel, with a full course dinner, will honour and celebrate the country’s hard working musicians and music industry players.
With an exciting and seasoned array of performers including Raquel, Celestine Donkor, Afriyie Wutah and Nii Lante, the much anticipated night is expected to leave lasting memories of joy in the hearts and minds of the many artistes vying for the 10 awards on offer.
The ten categories include the Gospel Album Of The Year which was won by Gifty Osei’s Fefeefe album last year, Music for Development, won by Okyeame Kwame, and Producer Of The Year, won by Apietus on Okyeame Kwame’s Faithful.
The categories also include; Sound Engineer Of The Year, won by Kaywa, Traditional Artiste Of The Year, awarded to Guy One, Lifetime Achievement and MUSIGA Merit Honours bestowed on Pat Thomas and Diana Hopeson respectively.
The ever competitive Song Writer of the Year award went to none other than Okyeame Kwame for his Faithful.
This year, the Gospel Album Of The Year is being contested by Obaa Christy’s Back To The Sender, Cynthia Maccauley’s Wait, Nicholas Omane Acheampong’s Zaphanat Panea, Cwesi Oteng’s Mercy Project, and Joe Dee Owusu’s Christian Life.
The Song Writer Of The Year will be a tussle between Mugeez Abdul Rashid for his Odo, Nana Wiafe Asante-Mensah & George Kwabena Adu for Bye-Bye, Kwame Nsiah Apau for Sika, Akwaboah for Best In Me, Frank Osei Afriyie for Love Of My Life, Kwame Tsikata for Makaa Maka and Nana Yaw Oduro for Not Alone.
Kaywa, Killbeatz, Nshorna Music, Eyoh, E.L., Appietus, and Nicholas Omane Acheampong will slug it out for the Producer Of The Year award.
Nii Ayite Hammond – VGMA Board Chairman and head of Productions at Charterhouse noted that, “In the past we have also rewarded the best male and female vocals on the industry night, but various pundits and industry gurus have strongly criticised this arguing that it’s more talent than technical related and must be taken to the main night.”
“They also advised that the record of the year was more of a technical award that ought to be given on the industry night. So these are the two major changes that have been made to the industry night,” Nii Ayite Hammond added.

I’m not interested in writing a book on HIPLIFE” – Reggie Rockstone

Almost two decades now after giving birth to hiplife, Reggie Rockstone has confirmed he is not interested in writing a book on hiplife, despite all criticisms for him to do so.Undoubtedly, no human being in this world can take the cachet from Reggie Rockstone as the originator of the music genre, hiplife, which is actually a fusion of Ghana’s highlife music and the western hiphop. We all woke up last year to hear a female author by name Halifu Osumare from University of California has authored a book on Ghana’s hiplife titled;’The Hiplife in Ghana – West African Indigenization of Hiphop in Ghana’ with Reggie Rockstone’s picture boldly registered on the front cover of the book.
Last two weeks 11th April, 2003, saw the launch of another book on hiplife at Reggie Rockstone’s own Grand Papazz spot titled,“Living the Hiplife,” authored by Jesse Weaver Shipley. The book was first published by one of the top academic presses in the world; Duke University Press. The book talks about hiplife from the angle: Celebrity and Entrepreneurship in Ghanaian Popular Music. It is a historical and social account of hiplife, from the 1990s till date. Since Reggie Rockstone is the one who originated hiplife, many pundits and reviewers have lambasted him for not writing a book on hiplife.
Pravda radio therefore contacted the ‘Grand Papa’ for his take on such criticisms and this is what he said; “I am not interested in writing a book on hiplife. I am not a writer. I am a musician. Even if I will write a book, it will be an autobiography. Those who are interested in writing a book on hiplife came to me and I gave them the information they required to do so.”
Pravda radio asked Reggie if he stands to gain some financial benefits from such books and he added; “I have not gone into any talks or contracts with any of them on financial benefits for now. If it becomes necessary, I shall talk to them about it. Hiplife is now generic. Hiplife is for the people.”From Reggie’s inclination, he has no shame for saying he is not interested in writing a book on a music genre he originated.
Writing a book on hiplife and writing his own autobiography, which one does Reggie owe to Ghanaians and Ghana’s music industry? Grand Papa has spoken. Let’s all keep the discussion alive.

Why Is Comedy in Ghana Still Not Flying?

Anytime, I broached a topic on various platforms on why Ghanaian comedy was still in the doldrums, I received comments like “Ghanaian comedians are not funny,” “Comedy is not a Ghanaian thing,” or “Ghanaians don’t support their own.”
At least, basic logic tells everybody that humour is subjective; you need not be a theatre artist or comedian to know this. Different people of different classes, statuses and geographical locations and social orientation will react differently to same joke by a comedian.

But the same basic logic also indicates that objectivity is collective subjectivity, and that is where numbers come in. Where a comedian is able to send a lot of people laughing, you cannot tell me he is not a good comedian.
I am among few writers who have always advocated that Ghanaians supported Ghanaian comedians by giving them big platforms that are given their Nigerian counterparts so that even if it is true that our comedians are not funny, they will be magnetized the more as much as they share stages with the acclaimed Nigerian comedy colossi.

I have suggested that corporate institutions support people who present proposals to them to unearth comedy talents or put up comedy shows. I have since its inception, written about David Oscar’s ‘Corporate Comedy Series,’ that this was a renaissance of GH comedy and needs to be supported.
In the first place, I like people who are bent on delivering what is good even if the whole world is against them. David Oscar, Aglah, Percy, DKB, Foster, Khemikal, James Brown and the like are Ghanaian comedians who are doing well and are striving to change the negative perception about Ghanaian comedy.

Even though people like David Oscar had disagreed with me when I had said that Ghanaian comedy is in the doldrums, I still stand by my assertion. If “doldrums’’ is a school of 4 classes, I will place Ghanaian comedy in the third class. I believe it is this Corporate Comedy Series initiative by Oscar and possibly others that may have pushed our comedy from the bottom to the third class.
That our comedians are gradually doing better doesn’t mean we are out of the ‘doldrums.’ We haven’t even started the journey my brothers and sisters.

We always use Nigerian comedians as example because they have a lot of comedians and day in day out they keep producing a flurry of more good ones. Ask how many comedians Ghana is able to produce in a year. According to Nigerian comedian Basketmouth, there a lot of comedy clubs in Nigeria where comedy talents go to showcase their potentials. How many of such clubs do we have in Ghana? When we keep insulting our comedians, how can they fly? I am not saying we should hail them even when they don’t do well but we need to be positive in our thinking. Let us criticize but do so constructively.

My headache is that, why are Nigerian comedians able to send a whole auditorium laughing with their acts? I don’t subscribe to the notion that it is their accent that makes them funny. I rather believe it is their choice of words and how well they weave their stuff.
Some have blamed Charterhouse for inundating our stages with Nigerian comedian all these years, consigning ours to the background. They think we could have more Ghanaian comedians on their Nights of Laughs and Music series than the one, two they put in the midst of a thousand Nigerian comedians.

I have personally heard some entertainment critics say that few times when our own comedians had been given the chance to strut their stuff on this Chaterhouse platform, they failed to impress. And this could be the reason why Chartehouse also stopped using most of them. Now, it is only Funnyface that is ‘chosen’ and being as Charterhouse comedian, thank to his manager George Quaye.
But the truth is that, most of our Ghanaian comedians have a lot of work to do if they want to take comedy higher. You need to be very creative and intelligent to be funny. Like KSM said, you guys need to study hard and perfect your skill.

Charterhouse is out with a comedy reality show dubbed ‘Laugh Out Loud GH’ which is meant to unearth comedians in Ghana. I personally have not been happy about how after discovering David Oscar in the maiden edition of ‘Stars of the Future’ they just parted ways with David. Was he not right when at a point he requested that, Chaterhouse not give him same amount they give Nigerian comedians, but at least increased his fee a bit? So why did they ditch the young man?
I like the idea of this new reality show. In fact, Chartehouse has helped improve Ghana’s entertainment industry in diverse ways but I think they need to do more. After discovering the comedian they seek in this contest, let them not despise and jilt him like they did to David Oscar.

I am also suggesting that we invigorate the concert parties we had back in the day. At least those were comedy for the masses. It is difficult for the ordinary person to relate to comedy done in English language.
As we advise Ghanaian comedians to work hard, I implore all Ghanaians to throw our support behind them to pull Ghanaian comedy out of the doldrums.


Credit: Kwame Dadzie

Third Edition Of Ghana Meets Naija To Be Launched On 22nd May

Jewel Ackah Mad At Obour, Rex Omar And Co: What Are You Using The Money For?

Veteran musician and bandsman Jewel Ackah over the weekend vehemently expressed his disappointments at the president of MUSIGA Obour and also said Rex Omar, and Bisa Simon are misusing the funds of the union.
Speaking to this reporter on phone, the highlife legend who has 27 albums to his credit said he has no personal problems or whatsoever with Obour but really dislikes the way and manner his administration are running the affairs of the union.
According to him he has lost respect for Nana Ampadu another veteran musician who he thought could advice Obour with his experience. "He is rather being controlled, accepting whatever decision that comes from the current administration because of the little money he will get.
What kind of research is Obour doing? What are they doing with the money government has given to the union? This is the first of its kind the government has given us money. I was the interim chairman in 1981 and there was no money coming from the government. Sometimes I have to use my own personal money to run things for the union at that time.
Some of us have worked so hard for the government to recognized us, we've been fighting from the very beginning for government to make us part of his budget for a very long time. And now that God has being so good to us musicians, you pocket the money government has provided for us with just some handful of people?
Some people have made their mouths like they know everything in the world. And they just talk as if they know everything in the industry. Just look at what they did to Dr. K. Gyasi?' he asked.
According to him there are so many things wrong with the current executives of the union but it is not too late for Obour. He should sit up and advise himself. He also mentioned that even the president of the country has a council of elders that advice's him on how to run the affairs of the country and these people are well experienced people who has the political knowledge to rule a country.
He said Obour needs such a council too and it shouldn't be 'whom you know' affair. There are people who has the Affairs of the Union at heart, there are well experienced people who can work very effectively with Obour and not Rex Omar and co. 'Who is Rex Omar' he asked.
He further noted that Obour's administration has being the most privileged and successful in terms of finance as compared to all past Administrations but he is really disappointing me because I was thinking as a young president of his age, he could have that big dream of making the Union and the music industry a better place for both the old and younger generation.
'I think it high time the union gets supervised by the government or if possible put under the ministry of Arts and culture for proper administration in terms of transparency and accountability.
Government has given you this amount of money to help boost the career of musicians in the country and then you just pocket the money with some handful of people without telling or making us know what exactly the money is being used or going to be used for.
There are some individuals who are just eating from the coffers of the union without doing anything and like I said a typical example is Rex Omar and Bisa Simon' he added.