I WILL MISS YOU, FENNEC OKYERE

Controversial musician, Kwaw Kese popularly known as 'Abodam' who broke down in tears after the news of the death of his manager, Fennec Okyere says he will miss him.

Fennec Okyere was shot dead by some unknown assailant) Thursday morning at his Manet Gardens residence on the Spintex Road, Accra.

Kwaw Kese, who saw his manager's lifeless body lying in a pool of blood, broke down in tears and was inconsolable for several hours.

He took to micro blogging site, Twitter, on Thursday afternoon to tweet that he will miss Fennec, whom he described as a "brother and best friend."

"RIP FENNEC OKYERE. YOU WERE A MANAGER, BROTHER AND MY BEST FRIEND. GOD KEEP YOU IN HIS HOLY PLACE. I WILL MISS YOU" Kwaw Kese tweeted.

Panji Anoff, CEO of Pidgin Music has described Fennec Okyere as one of the smartest people his outfit had ever trained and employed.

In a post on Facebook, Panji said: Fennec Okyere RIP. One of the smartest people Pidgen Music has ever trained/employed, your stellar progression thru life was always a great source of pride for us all... You excelled wherever you went... I am so glad I saw you not too long ago... Ghaddafia is still waiting for "Unco Fenneh" to come back back and buy her plenty of yogurt... please Return if Possible..."

Rapper Sarkodie tweeted: "What kind of hatred will make u kill ur fellow human being? May GOD have mercy on all of us ... smh aaoh FENNEC ! hmm aoh"

The body of the late manager has been deposited at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital morgue.

RAS KUUKU 'CURSE' VGMA BOARD

Ras Kuuku, one of the hottest Reggae Dancehall artist in Ghana has displayed his disappointment with the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) board for not nominating his Reggae song “Father”.

Speaking to Ras Kuuku after the release of the nominations, he said

“I don’t know why they did not nominate my song Father, my team Puom Music got a call from Chatter House few days to the release of the nomination list, but we never heard from them again.

My song was on Metro TV, UTV ,Crystal TV, Fiesta TV among others. It received constant airplay on all radio stations in Ghana including YFM, Pluzz FM, Happy FMm , Rite FM, JEM FM but yet the board did not nominate my song which the lyrical content had no slackness in it compared to other songs they nominated."

He further laments that, "It’s so sad when you work hard throughout the year and some people just want to shut you down.

Not everyone can take this, unless the clean hearted and clean minded, that’s why over the years you have artist unleashing insults on the board.

VGMA should step up their game in terms of research. I am sure none of the board members was at the Ghana Music Week Festival which was held at the stadium just last week; they would have heard the whole stadium singing along my song Father."

According to Ras Kuuku, the VGMA, "discriminate Rasta but they play Bob Marley songs and sing along. That makes them look like a clown. There is always war between the good and evil but the good will always conquer the evil, the truth will always come out and the truth is one.

Whoever knows the truth and doesn’t do it to him, it’s a curse says the scriptures; so to me, I say their bad deeds will judge them – 6 feet."

SARKODIE NOMINATED FOR THE 13TH ANNUAL INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS

Music Resource Group (MRG) has announced the Nominees of The 13th Independent Music Awards (The IMAs), the influential awards program for independent artists and fans.

The nominations in more than 80 Album, Song, EP, Music Producer, Music Video and Design categories were culled from thousands of submissions from North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Australia, Greenland and Europe.

Amongst the nominees is BET Award winner and two time artist of the year at the Ghana Music Awards, Sarkodie who was nominated in the Rap/Hip hop category.

The Ghanaian stands competition from Kidd Clazzic – Sandys, Bermuda, Kreed N Deed – OK, USA, Sweatshop Union – BC, Canada and Tuan X feat. Anna – NY, USA.

Sarkodie’s song illuminati qualified him for the nomination.

The Independent Music Awards celebrates artists who follow their own muse from six continents.

MONEY TURNS ME ON...I DUMPED MY BOYFRIEND BECAUSE HE WAS BROKE - ACTRESS

Lizzy Gold Onuwaje who was the crowned Miss Delta State 2006 and also a Nollywood actress have her own share of story about men and wealth, according to her turned actress she loves men that are ready to spend money and not stingy men ....

Hear her...

"My former affair didn't crash because I went into acting. The basic truth is, he doesn’t have money, so I decided to end the relationship. I dumped him in 2013 because he didn’t have much in terms of money and he didn’t have any push as my kind of man..

I like men that are caring. You have to be rich, caring, romantic and nice. Some men are rich but stingy. Be rich and be willing to spend the money. If I tell you I need anything, let me get the alert. I like alerts (Laughs). Alerts turn me on.

Of course, if you don’t have money, don’t even bother to call my line, don’t even bother to admire my pictures (Laughs). I love money so much. I can’t marry a poor man. Never!I need a rich man; I don’t want a man that is a bit okay. Money means a lot to me, in fact, money turns me on. I just need to imagine so much money in my account and I’m turned on. When I get a credit alert on my account, Oh my God, I get turned on immediately.

If you are not rich; I can never be attracted to you. I like rich, clean, fresh guys. When I say rich, I don’t mean ‘Yahoo’ kind of guys, because they are not hardworking. I want a guy who is consistent with his work and rich. Right now, I’m okay where I am, so I don’t think I’ll leave him for any other. "

AMVCA BIG WIN: YVONNE OKORO CAN’T BELIEVE IT

It has been almost six days since Yvonne Okoro’s first self-produced film, Contract, swept four awards including Best Movie 2013 at the just ended Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) held in Lagos, Nigeria, last Saturday and yet, the bubbly actress seem not to find the words to describe how she feels.

According to the beautiful actress who spoke with Showbiz last Tuesday, she still finds it difficult to express how she feels.

“Honestly, I have no words to describe how I have been feeling since last Saturday. It is just amazing. Indeed, the whole experience just sunk in.

“I can’t believe my film has been so well received and has gone on to win the Best Movie for 2013. That is something. It is just amazing”, she said.

For Yvonne who is known more for being in front of the cameras as an actress, the journey to try her hands at film production was inspired by the desire to contribute to the production of good quality movies.

So when she started a multi-media company, Desamour Company Limited with her sister, Rosalind, making films that would have lasting impact on audiences was one of their goals.

“ You know how sometimes you watch a film and you know something is just not right. Either it has a good story line but production is poor or production is spot on but directing is nothing to write home about among others?.

“ We decided to get our own script, get people who are good at what they do in terms of good filmmaking and in addition, make money as well.”

Touching on what producing a movie entails, Yvonne said “ a whole lot and it is very difficult if you do not get help. It wasn’t easy venturing in there. So many things kept racing in my mind. I wasn’t sure how people would receive it. Whether they will ask me to stay with my day job as an actress and leave production alone and how I would take it if the movie didn’t turn out well.

“We have been lucky since producing a movie with no financial help is very difficult. We, however, had help from companies such as Amarula, Labadi Beach Hotel, PHC Motors, Sultana Rice Carex Sanitizer and Woodin.

“ We were also lucky to have Sparrow Productions too on board. We had no equipment of our own so we went to them, discussed the cost element and gave them the money to do the work and it has turned out very well.”

Commenting on how last year, Contract didn’t win an award even though it received about six nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards(AMAA), Yvonne said:“ I think every award scheme has what it is looking for. For me, being nominated is enough. It means you are appreciated and acknowledged for work done.”

With this win to her credit, Yvonne said people should watch out for the good things her outfit has in store.

“ We are about to launch our website, www.desamour.com next week where people can watch Contract on demand. We get calls all the time from people asking to know how they can get hold of copies of the movie and this will serve that need,” she added.

“ Also, we have started a cook show, called Dining With..... which will hit TV soon. We cook with guests while we discuss light-hearted issues. Already we have done some episodes in London and are currently shooting that of Ghana.

Yvonne who is grateful to all who have been supportive of her also appealed to companies to invest in the Ghanaian entertainment industry.

“ I don’t think Hollywood just happened. It got help to make it what it is now. I know the companies who helped us with Contract are also happy and they have called to express their delight.

“ When the entertainment industry in Ghana gets the boost from corporate bodies, one can imagine what else would be the outcome apart from good quality products. It will create employment, people will earn income among others.

And hopefully, others will troop down here to also seek greener pastures which will go a long way to help with nation building” she said .

WHO KILLED FENNEC?

While the Ghana Police Service continues to investigate the murder of artiste manager Fennec Okyere and possibly fish out his killers, the homicide has sparked speculations within Ghana’s entertainment sector in a quest to unravel the mystery.

Moments after the media reported Fennec’s death, there were speculations that he had some land-related misunderstandings with some persons interested in estate development and that may have led to his death.

The most common of the speculated conspiracy theories was that Fennec’s death may have something to do with his recent public tussle with the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) over ownership of the Ghana Music Week.

What is fuelling the MUSIGA accusation is a NEWS-ONE story published on February 13, 2013 in which Fennec complained he was receiving death threats because of MUSIGA.

“I have received calls from people who threaten me with death and ask me why I am worrying Obour over this Ghana Music Week thing and whether I do not know this is big money business,” Fennec told NEWS-ONE in that publication and said he was on his way to get the police involved.

“I know how to go about taking care of my security; and I am not taking chances at all. I have to report the threats to the police because we are all in this industry and I hear a lot of things,” Fennec added.

Though there was no evidence whatsoever that the death of Fennec had something to do with MUSIGA, the fact that on February 13, he publicly made known such a death threat on his life and eventually got killed on March 13, made it a rather curious coincidence.

Indeed, after the NEWS-ONE publication, Fennec Okyere repeated the allegation in an interview with Akwasi Aboagye of Peace FM.

Another theory is that Fennec may have been killed by persons envious of his success at a private firm he worked apart from his artiste management business.

NEWS-ONE however gathered that Fennec and MUSIGA amicably sorted out their differences, as the deceased wrote a letter to the Union, handing over the ownership of Ghana Music Week and subsequently attended the opening ceremony.

In fact, the MUSIGA President, Bice Obour, hours after Fennec’s death, led a delegation from the Union to visit the home of the deceased and mourn with his family.

JACKIE APPIAH AND BOBBY OBODO 'DISCUSSING MARRIAGE'

Reports trickling in say Ghanaian actress Jackie Appiah and Nigerian actor Bobby Obodo have taken their alleged relationship a notch further...and are discussing marriage!

According to LindaIkejiblog, the two have been discussing marriage since the Valentine's season this year (February 2014). Other reports, however, has alleged that Jackie has introduced Bobby to her parents.

The two have been seen together a few times before and after rumours sparked of their relationship. But Jackie had maintained she is not dating Bobby. She said earlier in January that

“He (Bobby) is simply a colleague and there is no truth in the allegation that we are dating. It’s false! Because people see us together does not mean we are romantically inclined.

"It is just a figment of some people’s imagination. Some people are up to mischief. Controversies no longer get to me. I have outgrown many things,” she reportedly denied their alleged romantic affairs.

“That is my private life. I don’t go personal when granting interviews but I am a mother,” she also said about her marriage.

Whether it is true or not, time will tell.