“I AM THE SEXIEST, DARING, ANNOYING, BUT THE BEST GHANAIAN FEMALE ARTISTE IN AFRICA” – KAAKIE

I remember during my primary school days when teachers asked for a description of myself in one sentence, I fumbled. It’s usually very hard to condense all the description you could give of yourself in one sentence. Even as an adult, same thing happens when I go for interviews; and am asked to describe myself in one sentence.

This “one sentence” description of yourself, is not the easiest of tasks. But, well, this is not the case for Kaakie.

Over the weekend “The white carpet”, an entertainment show on JoyNews on multi TV, hosted dance hall queen Kaakie. The queen diva as popularly called when asked to describe herself in one sentence took a deep breath and without punctuations, she said; “I am the most sexiest, daring, annoying but the best Ghanaian female artiste here in Africa, the world and aiming to empower women, and very sweet”.

Think otherwise? Well you can take a swim in the ocean but Kaakie won’t care.
The Diva who was just describing herself in one sentence added that she can be very naughty at times. Who would think the daring Kaakie will fear anything? Well everybody has fears and Kaakie's biggest fear at the moment is Nigeria's Jesse Jagz. The two have been nominated in the same category “Reggae/Dancehall” in the 2013 Channel ‘O’ awards.

But the sexy dancehall queen assures herself and her fans; “I won’t board a plane to South Africa and come back with nothing. I’m hopeful irrespective of my competition.”

The last time Samini was on “The White Carpet” he referred to Kaakie as his little baby, so it didn’t come as a surprise when Kaakie responded in similar fashion, when asked who Samini meant to her, that: “Samini is like my father, brother and everything to me”.

She added that the 30% of “Patwa” she speaks is by kind courtesy, Samini Meanwhile Kaakie has entreated all her fans to keep praying for her and look forward to a whole new Kaakie after the channel O awards.

GHANAIAN CULTURE ON VERGE OF EXTINCTION – DAVID DONTOH

Renown Ghanaian creative artist David Dontoh has expressed concern, that the cultural identity of the Ghanaian and other Africans could become extinct if deliberate efforts are not made to stop the trend whereby Africans are fast losing essential elements of their customs, traditions, and heritageto foreign cultures.

 According to the Ghanaian celebrity, it is sad that “most of the youths you find in Ghana today, they call themselves Ghanaians but in fact, in their minds they don’t think like Ghanaians, they don’t speak Ghanaian languages, they don’t eat Ghanaian foods, they don’t dress like Ghanaians, and they don’t like Ghanaian songs.”

 
Speaking on ‘Inside Afrika’ a Pan African Development Program on Accra-based Radio Universe, David Dontoh stressed the need for Africans to preserve the positive aspects of their cultural heritage. He observed, “civilisations have risen and fallen and gone extinct and it was all because they did not see the need to take good care of their traditions and cultures and the heritage they came to meet.”

While acknowledging that culture is dynamic and no nation is an island, the Ghanaian Celebrity noted that “if you would forgo what you have and live like others who live in another environment, you are actually only fighting to go extinct because it will come a time you will not survive because all the things God in his wisdom gave you to develop on and live by, you have thrown them away.”

In addition to factors such as colonialism and acculturation, Mr Dontoh blamed the nation’s education system for the gradual eroding cultural identity of Ghanaians.

The Host of GTV's Agrofie noted that “language is the bedrock of your culture, of your history, of your heritage, of everything that identifies you as a people…interestingly by our educational system we don’t teach the pupil the mother tongue, you start direct even from crèche speaking the English language so by the time you are in JHS you virtually express yourself best or better in a foreign language and therefore that child from the onset, has lost perhaps 50% of what makes he or she a Ghanaian.”

On the way forward, David Dontoh suggested “we should use the medium of theatre and film to project, because other cultures vigorously projected their cultures through these media and that is what we have to do because at the end of the day, that is what promotes and markets your economy out there… You don’t market your economy based on someone else’s culture.”

Explaining the importance of the media in shaping cultural identity, David Dontoh noted that, “if a child comes home and watches television and he only sees Europe and the Mexican Telenovellas all that you’re telling the child is that those are a better way of life than ours that is how come our girls are wearing Brazilian hair and we don’t make Brazilian hair here.”

He said the current situation whereby Africans have developed a taste for foreign goods which they do not produce while at the same time they produce raw materials primarily to feed other people’s economies, is an indication that the Ghanaian economy is not being developed based on Ghanaian culture.

David Dontoh also described as dangerous, the recent revelation by TV3’s Odelia Ofori that some Cocoa Farmers in the Western Region have never seen or tasted chocolate. He said this is a reflection of the poor state of the Ghanaian economy.
“The basis of the economy is the culture, once you lose the culture, you’ve lost it,” he concluded.

MONOGAMY IS STUPID - AKON

Akon believes the idea of a man having one woman for all of eternity is ridiculous and not realistic -- and if women could just accept that, there would be far less domestic disputes.

Akon was at LAX yesterday when we talked about the pressures of being in a monogamous relationship.

"Women aren't built to mate with more than one party ... men are."

He adds, "As a male, we're natural breeders by nature" and women need to take more time to understand how men are built.

"At the end of the day as a male we are natural breeders by nature. We can't even escape it if we wanted to."

However, that doesn't mean that men are incapable of being married -- ya gotta listen to Akon's philosophy.
 

4SYTE TO HONOUR HAMMER

Organizers of this year’s 4Syte TV Music Video Awards have disclosed ahead of the main awards night that celebrated Music Producer Edward (Hammer) of the Last Two Music Group will be honoured.

As part of the awards ceremony two non-competitive categories “Lifetime Achievement Awards” and “Living Legend Award” is presented annually to deserving individuals (dead or alive) who have contributed immensely to the development of their respective fields.

4Stye Music Video Awards has, since its inception, rewarded the hard work of pioneers in the film and music industry, including Reggie Rockstone, Ivan Quashigah, Abraham Ohene Djan, Ramesh Jai, Kwaw Ansah and Allen Gyimah, Prof. Kofi Middleton Mends with the Living Legend and Lifetime Achievement awards.

Organizers have hinted that Hammer will be one of the honourees on the main awards night come Saturday November 16, at the Accra International Conference Centre, for his immeasurable contribution for hip-life music in particular and positive influence in the music industry in general.
Edward Osei (Hammer) of the Last Two Music Group is a successful producer responsible for some of the finest old and new hits on urban radio. Hammer led a consistent drive and support for the growth of hip-life.

He is behind the discovery and development of great rap talents including Obrafour, Kwaw Kese, Sarkodie, Edem, Tinny, Quata, Okra, Boli among others. In what became a go-to shrine of a sort for most young acts seeking their first hit single, his Last Two recording studio, from the early part of 2000 till date, has played host to hundreds of musicians. He has successfully inspired and shepherded most of the rappers and music producers the country is seeing now.

I WOULDN’T HAVE MADE IT IN MUSIC TODAY -CELINE DION

Celine Dion has admitted in an interview that she does not think she would have made it as a singer, if she had to start out again today.

The five-time Grammy Award winner said “show business and society has changed tremendously” since she began her career more than 30 years ago and she does not know if she would have had “the patience to start a career today”.

The star was speaking at the launch of her first English-speaking album titled ‘Loved Me Back To Life.’
The album features more recent hit makers including Ne-Yo and Sia.

Dion said it is “liberating” to have reached a stage in her career where she does not need to “prove anything” to anyone anymore.

The multi-platinum selling singer appeared on The X Factor over the weekend, but said it is not a route she would have gone down if she was starting again.

“Everybody now just wants to be famous – the artists today, there’s no limits, they’re willing to do a lot – it’s not up to me to tell you if it’s wrong or if it’s right, but I’m glad I didn’t have to do that.”
Dion also touched on the provocative displays of current female artists – including Miley Cyrus and Rihanna.

She said: “I wish that they didn’t have to go that far, but you have to give them the freedom to present themselves as they want – it’s up to us to buy the records or not.”

Across a 30-year career, Dion has sold more than 200 million records and will spend Christmas performing at a sell-out residency concert in Las Vegas, but she admits at some point she will have to hang up her microphone for good.

“Eventually I will have no choice, at some point, I’m not even going to be able to hum My Heart Will Go On.”

PAWPAW ROLLS WITH JOE SHORTINGO

Reports making the rounds say Nigerian miniature size actor Osita ‘Pawpaw’ Iheme has struck a new friendship with Ghanaian actor Joe Shortingo, also a miniature size actor.
Meanwhile, there are doubts Pawpaw and his long term pal, Chinedu ‘Aki’ Ikedieze are still the best of friends. There were earlier speculations that since Aki got married, his friendship with Pawpaw started facing problems and he does not hang out with Papaw as they used to.
Both Joe and Pawpaw are at the moment making a debut in an upcoming African movie and that is making their new bond a strong one.
Pawpaw had most often been featured alongside Aki therefore pairing with the Ghanaian actor for the first time is already raising eyebrows over the upcoming movie.

The shoot of the new movie generated some controversies in the past weeks when Pawpaw arrived in Ghana for the production.

Sources told NEWS-ONE that the two unique actors were on set playing friends and they have been putting up some of their best performances ever.

What is yet to be confirmed is if Pawpaw will stay longer in Ghana. In recent times, some Nigerian stars have not just made Ghana their second home but found interest in working here as well.

Hank Anuku stayed in Ghana for several months to work and he is a typical example. So it would not be a surprising if Pawpaw also hangs around for some months.

MUSIGA VISITS PPL UK

A statement from the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) says the Union’s president has led a delegation to visit PPL in the United Kingdom.

PPL is a leading organization that has succeeded in expanding her territories in collecting royalties for musicians who feature as backing vocalist or session men for sound recordings.

The statement said “though the new Copyright Act 690 of 2005 makes provision for the payment of royalties to performing artistes who feature as session men or backing vocalist based on the agreement they have signed with any employer who engages them in a recording contract, this aspect of the law is yet to see the light of day in Ghana.”

It said the Union is spearheading a campaign for the implementation of the copyright act 690 to its fullest to ensure the inclusion of all creative individuals who feature in a recording piece to benefit from same.

“The leadership of PPL is more than willing to assist Ghana to improve on our collective management system by providing all the needed support for the development of the Music industry in Ghana,” the MUSIGA statement revealed.

It said the Union will soon organize a forum to introduce this form to be used by all who qualify and to ensure that in the not too distant future they can all benefit from their creativity.

The delegation included the General Secretary, Mrs. Deborah Anaman and the Director for Special Projects, Rev. Fiifi Khan Agyarkwah.