ACTRESS PATIENCE OZOKWOR REVEALS WHY SHE IS ALWAYS PLAYING BAD ROLES

Who doesn’t love Patience Ozokwor? Personally, I rate her as my favorite Nollywood actress. Movie lovers call her Margaret Thatcher of Nollywood, but she is so tender and kind-hearted when she is not on set. 

Patience Ozokwor, aka Mama G, in a new interview with Yes magazine, explained why she usually plays wicked, evil woman roles.

• Why do you always take up the role of a bad woman in movies?

People should admit that I have something to play! People are known for stunts, romance, bad boys and girls, gigolo and so on, but I have that as my strong point. It was when I was coming up that I thought I might get hurt or be hated for playing those roles but I never knew it was going to even make me popular and loved.

The roles I play most times are very vibrant and make people want to watch all my movies; even if I play the role of a good woman now my fans will start complaining, you understand? And if your fans start complaining that they don’t want you in a particular role, it makes the producers want to give me those bad woman roles the more.

I don’t ask for it, they just give it to me and if the script I get has something new and my fans are anxious of what the role is going to be like, I can make it different from what I used to do.

It is not easy to play bad roles at all times. Ask any artiste around you and they will tell you it’s not easy to cry and shout on set at the same time when it isn’t your normal self. It is not an easy task at all.

GOV'T TO START THEATRE SEASON TO REVAMP THEATRE IN GHANA

The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts is putting in place an initiative to revamp theatre in the country.

Ghana's theatre industry has taken a nose dive for some years now with several calls for it to be revamp to foster patriotism and national growth.

Theatre, some time passed, served as an important tool for education in Ghana. "That's how I learnt about patriotism," Deputy Minister for Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Dzifa Abla Gomashie-Ahiaglo affirmed in an interview on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM Friday.

The Deputy Minister agreed that, "in recent times, we haven't done that as much as we should. We haven't built on the foundation that was laid by our forebears."

"As a way to go, we need to use theatre to change the direction in which we are going and re-discover ourselves as Ghanaians," she said.

Dzifa Gomashie-Ahiaglo disclosed that what the ministry is seeking to do to revamp theatre in Ghana "is to encourage amateur groups and also the professional groups to start the theatre season."

The ministry, she added, is currently interacting with persons in the industry "to see how we can bring up plays that reflect what we want as a people."

The first Theatre Season is expected to start in September 2014 and it will be "replicated in the centres of national cultures across the regions," the Minister said.

This Dzifa Gomashie-Ahiaglo noted will help revive the love for theatre, groom a new crop of theatre performers, and also use theatre to change the mindset of Ghanaians.

As a way to support the initiative, the minister said the venues will be given to the amateur groups for free and also the resident drama company of the National Theatre will serve as resource persons to the amateur drama groups.

GHANA IS LOSING ITS SENSE OF IDENTITY - DAVID DONTOH

Popular Ghanaian actor, David Dontoh says the creative arts industry is gasping for breath because; the nation has not taken the industry "very seriously".

According to him, the once vibrant and organised industry is now experiencing gradual and continuous loss of patronage because there are no laws regulating it.

"As a nation, we've not taken ourselves very seriously," David Dontoh stated on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM, Friday, March 7, 2014.

"If we really consider creative arts and the entertainment industry [as] an industry for real, then there should be a policy that really regulates it; directs it and gives it a certain sense of belonging such that people would respect it," he stated.

Known for the roles he played in very popular movies including; The Dead (2010), Deadly Voyage (1996) and Heritage Africa (1989), David Dontoh expressed regret that many professionals were forced to divert from the arts and entertainment industry, for lack of support.

"In many countries, people in this industry happen to be the richest but it is the opposite when you come to Ghana because, we don't have any mechanisms in protecting the arts industry in Ghana. We don't have any social security; we don't have any policy that controls what we do [and] we don't have protection against copyrights".

Apparently dejected, he said Ghana, which is preparing to celebrate a centenary of conventional theatre next year, is missing the opportunity to use the arts to shape norms, values and ethics in the society. He fears of serious consequences if nothing is done about the situation.

"If people are not cultured, they are not disciplined, and that is where we have trouble controlling them; we have trouble ruling them...If you have a people that are unbridled, you can't control them [and] you can't harness them in any way [then] you must as well give up the ghost that I've lost it!"

Letting it go

Contributing to the discussion, renowned playwright, Uncle Ebo Whyte said there was nothing wrong with some societal values giving way to foreign ones. "Any value that has been eroded is worth eroding" because, times have changed and so must we."

"Times change but society must evolve...Yes, we know we are Ghanaians but the world is changing. Let us evolve; let's accept influences; then that will let us grow as a people," Uncle Ebo Whyte added.

But David Dontoh said care must be taken in giving way to foreign cultures. The Ghanaian culture risks being extinct, he added.

"Culture is dynamic, Ghana is not an island; certain things must change but as a people we must have an identity. If your development takes a trajectory that avoids your history [then] you get lost in what is called 'popular culture'...What happens is that the basis of your economy collapses because, your taste now becomes popular taste.

"...At the end of the day what you'll be telling yourself is that as a civilisation you want to dissolve into history [extinct]," Mr. Dontoh cautioned.

OHEMAA MERCY LAUNCHES NEW ALBUM ON MARCH 8

Gospel musician, Ohemaa Mercy will on Saturday, March 8, officially launch her latest record album titled, His Word, at the Trinity Baptist Church is opposite the University of Professional Studies (UPS) in Legon.

According to organisers, the show which starts at 4:00 pm, will be a time of “spiritual empowerment” for patrons as it will have on stage astute gospel singers including the Daughters of Glorious Jesus, the Tagoe Sisters and Mary Ghansah.

The new album which has 12 songs began receiving airplay last December and once again confirms the Adanfo papa singer as a force on the gospel music scene.

The album was produced by Morris D’Voice, Dan Bassey, Kwick Action, George Forest and Francis Osei.

On some of the songs on the new album, Ohemaa is heard collaborating with Shasha Marley, Cwesi Oteng, Osei ‘Seprewa’ Korankye and Morris D’Voice.

There is highlife, roots reggae, slow worship, contemporary club feel and traditional music styles in the songs that is so crafted to appeal to diverse music lovers.

“This new album brings out my creative nature perfectly. The producers and featured artistes brought on board also added their different musical styles that added spice to the album and gave it a different feel,” Ohemaa told Showbiz last Monday.

Ever since she burst onto the gospel music scene in 2004, Ohemaa’s distinctive character has been to encourage the depressed and down-trodden to keep trusting in God and she believes she is living up to that purpose with her new album.

“His Word is a testimony that the word of God has been a guide for Christians and to celebrate his abundant blessings. the dress code for the event is strictly white to depict our victorious lives” she said.

Ohemaa Mercy has five albums to her credit namely, Adanfo papa, Edin Jesus, Wobe ye Kese, Prophecy and her latest His Word.

“My last album before the current one, Prophecy, served as encouragement for a lot of people and I know that His Word will also serve the same purpose” Ohemaa says.

According to the Wobe ye kese singer who is signed onto Tema based Atlantic Productions Company, part of the proceeds from the sale of the album will go to support Ohemaa Foundation which she founded and the Prison Ministry.

GURU – I DESERVE TO WIN ALL THE CATEGORIES I HAVE BEEN NOMINATED AT THE UPCOMING VGMA 14

Even though last two years Guru had a couple of hits, with “lapaz Toyota” being one of the major hit nationwide, his song was not nominated for the 2013 Vodafone Ghana music awards.

This came as a shock to every Ghanaian music lover and even to those who don’t really pay attention to the Ghanaian music industry. 

Because the song was a huge success in both Ghana and on the international market which lead him to be awarded the Best song of the year at the City People Entertainment Awards at Nigeria.

Speaking to Guru up close and personal about the his music and the upcoming Vodafone Ghana Music Awards 2014, he stated that;

‘”Last year when I didn’t get nominated or win any award when it was so obvious I should have won a couple of awards at the VGMA’s, I did not insult or disrespected the organizers of the VGMA, instead I went to the studio with a focus mind and a hardworking spirit and dropped, Boys Abr3, NkwadaNkwada , let me love you and Amen, which by God’s grace were hits all nationwide, topping radio charts across the country and beyond.

All the songs I dropped last year didn’t have any line of profanity to suggest I’m informing the youth or my fans wrongly but they are rather entertaining and motivate lyrics that informed and educated to the country and the world at large.

In terms of awarding a song for being a hitz, all the songs i dropped was hitz, topping charts not only in Accra but the other regions in Ghana for months and still have the same impact when the song is played.

So if Vodafone Ghana Music Awards is really “Ghana Music Awards” then the organizers should factor in the influence of a song nationwide not only in Accra or any capital region but also in all the villages and in the rest of the country”.

Which my song did all over the country for months and still reigns till today.

So for this and the other reasons mentioned above, I deserve to win all categories I have been nominated.

Finally he added;

I really respect the organizers of the VGMA’s and expect them to do the right thing by awarding those who clearly deserve the awards.

Am not sure an artist need to necessary through insults at the organizers, Charter house, or any media house, before they are noticed or award an artist what they deserve, and even if it happen so it is not right because it proves that the organizers don’t know what they are doing and also give the awards a bad name.

But as I said earlier I respect the organizers and believe they will do the right thing by awarding me what I have worked for at the awards night.

BISA KDEI HOPEFUL OF WINNING FIVE AWARDS AT THIS YEAR’S VGMAS

The newest sensation in Ghana music, Ronald Appiah, popularly known as Bisa Kdei is hopeful of scooping five awards at this year’s Ghana Music Awards.

The musician received five nominations in this year’s awards scheduled for the Accra International Conference Centre on May 3.

He was nominated in the ‘Song of the Year’, ‘Hiplife Song of the Year’, ‘Hiplife Artiste of the Year’, ‘Album of the Year’, and ‘Song Writer of the Year’ categories at the awards.

Bisa Kdei known for several hit songs including ‘Give It to Baba’ and ‘Metanfo’ told Myjoyonline.com in an interview that, he is pleased with the nominations and he is walking away with all the five awards.

“I got five nominations and I’m so happy about it and I hope I get all the awards,” he said.

Asked if he will be disappointed if he does not win, the musicians said losing will not deter him from “doing good music for Ghanaians because that’s what I do.”

Bisa showed appreciation to Ghanaians for overwhelmingly accepting his music: “It means a lot to me, it is not easy to get to this stage. I thank God for that; I think I will give it to ‘Baba’ (God).”

For the inspiration behind his songs, the talented musicians said: “it’s all about life, I look at the things that go on around us.”

The very optimistic Bisa Kdei urged Ghanaians that, “the next three to five years you should expect me at the Grammys, I am working hard towards that.”

FORGET SARKODIE, KOFI KINAATA IS THE NEXT BIG THING IN GH – SAMINI

Emmanuel Andrews Samini, known by his stage name Samini is a Ghanaian dancehall artiste who has walked away with countless awards for the past ten years since he started commercial music. 

For these ten years, the  “Best African Act” at the 2006 MOBO Awards has released hit songs like Linda, Where My Baby Dey, Gyae She,Tempo, African lady, Odo and others.

Celebrating his ten years in music, the ‘Scatter Badmind’ hitmaker opened up on how the journey has been for him for these ten years – the good, bad and the worst, plans for celebrating it, awards and albums to Bra Chef on Radio Univers 105.7.

Mentioning his best five songs on his five albums, the father of four named ‘Linda’, Samini’, ‘Where My baby Dey’, ‘Music make me survive’ and ‘Scatter Badmind’.

He further added that he has nurtured many Ghanaian artistes who are now successful in the music industry. He mentioned Mugeez of R2bees, Stonebwoy, Kaakie and Kofi Kinaata as some of the few artistes he has helped. He continued that Kofi Kinaata is the next big thing in Ghana.

“For now Kofi Kinaata is the next big thing in Ghana. He will be better than Sarkodie. I can bet onthat because he is from my camp.”

“Kwaw Kese is an awesome Fante rapper doing his own thing and Kofi Kinaata is also a Fante rapper who is not rapping like Kwaw Kese. So when I heard him it sounded fresh and different to me. Then again he wasn’t rapping like Sarkodie. So when you are coming and you don’t sound as another rapper, then you standout which means you have a brighter future”

Samini disclosed that the reviews the Highgrade family record label has heard about Kofi Kinaata are all positive which proves that he is the next big rapper in Ghana.

He praised Joey B for his style of rap because “he is also another killer rapper. He has something which is also different from all the musicians.”

According to the 2008 Headies “African Artiste of the Year” award winner, he does not have any major regret for these years he has been in the music industry. He takes any unfortunate thing which comes his way as something that should happen before the next minute comes so “life still goes on from there”.

Samini who is a true friend of dancehall artist Shatta Wale will outdoor his ten years anniversary at the launch of his 98% percent completed pub at Donsoman.

The rapper and singer has performed alongside Sean Paul, Akon, Kevin Little, Shaggy, Wayne Wonder, Damien Marley, Bennie Man, Jay-Z, Chaka Demus & Pliers, Culture and Steel Pulse