One of Ghana’s top highlife musicians
whose music is being sold on the market without his approval, has
warned that his outfit will soon deal drastically with all those
involved in the illegal distributing of his music.
The highlife
music icon, Abrantie Amakye Dede, wept over the rate at which music was
being pirated in the country and disclosed that for the past years, his
musical works had been sold on the local and international music markets
and online without his approval.
Speaking to Beatwaves in an
interview yesterday, the evergreen highlife musicians described pirates
as thieves, and nation wreckers, and therefore called for an effective
and rapid legal system in the country to deal with them.
“I have
to make things uncomfortable for the pirates who are depriving Ghanaian
musicians from making ends meet. We will chase them out of their
hideouts very soon. We will use all available means to uproot them and
destroy their criminal operations,” he declared.
He added that
“it is time for all forms of piracy to be dealt a lethal blow. Pirates
must be jailed. I call on all Ghanaians to expose their illegal
activities in the supreme interest of the country.
“Piracy has
not only decimated Ghana’s music industry, but has impoverished its
creators and deprived government of legitimate tax revenue.”
According
to him, measures were being put in place by his management team to
check the activities of those pirating his musical works, adding that he
would wage an intensive war against those behind the illegal sale and
distribution of his musical works.
He asked music sellers and
distributors in the country who want to do business with his music to
contact him personally or his management.
Abrantie stated that he
had not authorized any company such Mega Star or any group of persons
to distribute and sell his musical works on his behalf.
Veteran actress, Irene Opare, has
said the comparison between movies produced in Accra and those coming in
from Kumasi as though they were two different fields, is totally
unnecessary.
She’s told enewsgh.com in an interview that both can run side by side.
“Kumasi movies are local movies; I mean there’s nothing we can… we can’t compare ‘Kumasi’ movies and the English ones,” she says
“They are totally local movies and so we can have the two running alongside, which is fine. There is nothing wrong with it.”
In a response to why she hasn't been seen in a major movie production lately, she said:
“It’s
not like I don’t want to do movies anymore. If I get a very good
script, challenging role, good money, I will play it. I mean that’s my
job .you know movies, going on locations and stuff is no joke, you know
so I’m game.”
Why hasn't she produced her own movie yet?
“I
haven’t ventured into movies yet. I haven’t thought of that.” Opare
hasn't remained idle however; she is the brain behind the
sanitation-themed television program, Clean Mama.
“I’m so seriously into TV production and it makes me so busy.”
‘I’ve
been doing movies for twenty something years and I just had a dream to
work on sanitation in Ghana so I just started it and that was it. That
was what happened; I am into it so I want to educate Ghanaians about
cleanliness. We need to get it right.”
Clean Mama, she says, talks about cleanliness and everything hygiene.
“Ghanaians,
let’s make sure we keep our country clean. If you drink sachet water,
don’t drop it on the floor please. Let’s make sure, we get it right and
let’s make sure we teach our kids to do so.”
Having acted in a church drama with
Yaw Sakyi and Jackie Appiah at a very tender age, Henry Adofo is
currently holding high the acting flag of his motherland.
Born
in Kwehu, the Eastern part of Ghana, Adofo studied science at the
Presbyterian Boys Senior High School, Legon. He joined his family in
Italy after his senior high and read pharmacy at the tertiary level.
After
a nine year stay in Italy, Henry returned home in 2013. Known as the
promising actor, the gem has seven movies to his credit of which four;
Testing waters, House of Gold, Cheaters Book 1 and Book 2 are doing so
well in the market.
The others are yet to be premiere/release.
He’s an accomplished linguist and a versatile actor. In less than a year
of active acting, Henry was nominated in the Zulu African Film Academy
Awards (ZAFAA) and the just ended Ghana Movie Awards in 2013.
In
an interview with good looking actor, he said he does not have any
favorite but can work with any actress who understands a kissing scene.
Aside the talkative role in Yvonne Nelson’s last produced movie, Henry
has played some romantic scenes with couple of actresses.
“Ingrid
and Uche felt the warmth of my lips in Testing Waters and Cheaters Book
1 respectively” he smiles, adding… “It’s just a joke o, don’t write
it”The pink lips actor believes that when a role is efficiently and
effectively played by the stake holders, our movie Industry would be a
force to be reckoned with.
Actress Yvonne Nelson says she cannot
believe a section of Ghanaians have taken interest in a hoax that
reported she and Apostle Kwadwo Safo were using Queen Elizabeth Cocoa
Butter to change the colour of their skin.
“I am shocked people
actually believe such a strange story about me. The writer quoted a
press statement they claim I have issued to explain that I had a deal to
become ‘Face of Queen Elizabeth Cocoa Butter’ and as part of the
contract, I was given a lifetime supply of the body cream and that for
three years I have used these Cocoa Butter to enhance my natural
complexion rather than bleach it.
This is not true. It is a lie.
I have never issued such a statement and I don’t use Cocoa Butter.
People should leave my skin alone,” Yvonne told News-One.
Yvonne could, however, not tell why the media had been accusing her of bleaching her skin.
“I
do not write the stories so I can’t answer for them. Maybe you should
be asking the writers whether they have a report from a dermatologist
that has diagnosed me of skin bleaching. They have made up their minds
that I bleach and they are lost in that state of mental deception.
Sometimes you feed your mind with an untruth and believe the untruth so
much that you even start to think it is true,” Yvonne noted.
She
continued: “I have always explained that as an actress I take different
pictures under different shade of light and with different makeup
depending on what the picture would be used for. It is therefore not
strange to find different pictures of me looking different. It does not
mean bleaching and one does not need to be an industry player to know
this.
“Even in movies, depending on who the director is, there
are different lighting angles and brightness levels that can be used to
make a character look different and this is no secret. Even a change of
weather can have an effect on one’s skin…I fully understand the dangers
of skin bleaching and would not engage in any such venture. I am a lady
and I appreciate my God-given looks.”
At the beginning of each year, people
make all sorts of resolutions. Some work towards achieving the
resolutions made, while others just make the resolutions and do not care
whether they are realized or not.
Not left out is the Ghana
movie industry where practitioners would have to work hard to elevate
the budding industry. Some practitioners have individually noted down
resolutions they intend working hard towards. I, on the other hand, also
have some few wishes for the industry this year.
According to
President Barrack Obama, of the United States of America, ‘Change will
not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other
time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we
seek.”
I hope 2014 is not going to be a year in which the
industry will wait for someone or an intervention from somewhere before
it begins to effect the needed changes. It is a case of ‘God helps those
who help themselves’.
In 2012, the government of Ghana set aside
GHc2 million for the creative industry to help boost the sector and
enable it meet international standards. The money was put into the music
industry - a part of the creative industry thus the movie industry was
neglected.
Clearly, the government did not give the money to the
music industry alone. But can the movie industry ever attract such an
offer as the above from the government?
This can only be if it
starts working towards correcting certain wrongs in the industry and not
wait for any person to effect that change.
If things are done
differently this year in the industry, such as overhauling some of the
ills within its ranks, things will be much better in 2014.
I do not have any resolutions, except some wishes for the make-believe enterprise.
•
Thought provoking scripts: It is my wish that Ghanaian script writers
will come out with well written, well balanced, well researched and
thought provoking scripts.
Very often after watching a movie, you
become certain about one thing; the movie seems as familiar as a movie
that you might have already seen. Yes, it’s what is called an adaptation
of a foreign movie. Then you begin to question the creativity of the
script writers.
I saw some great movies in 2013. I cannot confirm
if all the story lines were adapted from foreign movies. But I’m very
certain that, not all were from the creative imagination of the story
tellers.
Film making is fast becoming a big venture in this part
of the world and scriptwriters must therefore change their ways. I
believe this wish is not too big to come true.
You think all
stories have been told already? How about getting into a taxi with your
recorder? Through such an experience, the ‘all stories have been told’
mindset will be shot down. Please, stop turning foreign movies into
Ghanaian movies. Be original!
• Actors must do more research:
This is important. It is not out of place for actors to research the
role they have been given or cast to play in a production. If you have
been cast to play the role of a mad person, what stops you from
understudying a mad person for weeks or months on end?
As a
trained actor, I can say that the hallmark of a good actor is research
and knowledge about the character one is playing. When that is done,
directions from the director on set just go to benefit the actor.
Mannerisms of a character are also important. Do more research please!
In
2014, I want to see good casting. Actors must not just jump into a role
because the money is good. Actors must push themselves more by
researching their roles and improve on their skills. They must do more
intensive acting. Being more serious and professional on set or location
should be a must this year!
• My next wish is on the technical
professional who forms an integral part of the industry: Technical
people should see the industry as one that is growing. If award events
keep coming up for a particular industry, that is because the industry
is growing and expanding. The movie industry is one that is growing
steadily.
The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAAs), will celebrate
its 10th milestone this year and it is growing bigger and bigger.
AfricaMagic has introduced a Viewer’s Choice Awards with good prospects.
There are several other awards geared towards the movie industry
including our own Ghana Movie Awards.
It is my wish that these
professionals would begin to see the industry as a lucrative venture and
that it can only be acknowledged and rewarded when much work is put
into it and practitioners are professional on set.
I hate to see a movie with avoidable mistakes. It’s a turn off. Let’s endeavour to correct unforgivable mistakes in 2014.
•
The media should be bold enough to call a spade a spade: Occasionally
when movies are being reviewed, the media which are paid to promote or
help market a particular movie tend to shy away from aspects of the
movie that needs to be talked about critically.
Sometimes, these
things are done in order not to make it seem as if one was being
ungrateful to the producers. But I believe that when a movie does not
match up, the production house knows it already and so why try to sound
nice? My friend, it is your credibility which is at stake.
My wish this year is that, a poorly made movie should be tagged as such and a good movie be given the thumbs up.
The
media must be able to do a lot of thought provoking analysis and
critical reviews of movies. Not all movies should be considered as
standard movies and passed as good. When there is something bad about a
movie, it’s got to be said as it is and vice versa when it’s a great
production.
• Marketing of movies: Marketing of movies in Ghana
has been a major problem for most production houses. The marketing
departments of major production houses must engage in a lot of serious
work by understanding that marketing and promotion starts when the
script is read and not after the movie has been shot and put on VCDs,
DVDs.
There must be a publicist to put up bits and pieces of
press releases about the movie in the media as the production is
running, just so that by the time the movie is ready, the public will be
anxious and ready for it. Any serious producer knows where to find such
professionals.
There is no official confirmation yet
to reports that Jackie Appiah is no longer married to Peter Agyeman,
but speculations are that she is going out with Canadian-based Nigerian
actor, Bobby Obodo.
Jackie and Bobby were often seen together at
public events, but when news started making rounds that they were
secretly dating, they stopped appearing in public until they were again
spotted together at the Ghana Movie Awards.
Bobby arrived at the
Accra International Conference Center the same time as Jackie Appiah.
Few minutes later they were talking as they headed towards the entrance
of the foyer with other members of their entourage.
However, they sat far away from each other in the main auditorium where the event took place.
Jackie had earlier on denied dating Bobby after rumours went viral.
“He
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.
Veteran actress, Irene Opare, has
said the comparison between movies produced in Accra and those coming in
from Kumasi as though they were two different fields, is totally
unnecessary.
She’s told enewsgh.com in an interview that both can run side by side.
“Kumasi movies are local movies; I mean there’s nothing we can… we can’t compare ‘Kumasi’ movies and the English ones,” she says
“They are totally local movies and so we can have the two running alongside, which is fine. There is nothing wrong with it.”
In a response to why she hasn't been seen in a major movie production lately, she said:
“It’s
not like I don’t want to do movies anymore. If I get a very good
script, challenging role, good money, I will play it. I mean that’s my
job .you know movies, going on locations and stuff is no joke, you know
so I’m game.”
Why hasn't she produced her own movie yet?
“I
haven’t ventured into movies yet. I haven’t thought of that.” Opare
hasn't remained idle however; she is the brain behind the
sanitation-themed television program, Clean Mama.
“I’m so seriously into TV production and it makes me so busy.”
‘I’ve
been doing movies for twenty something years and I just had a dream to
work on sanitation in Ghana so I just started it and that was it. That
was what happened; I am into it so I want to educate Ghanaians about
cleanliness. We need to get it right.”
Clean Mama, she says, talks about cleanliness and everything hygiene.
“Ghanaians,
let’s make sure we keep our country clean. If you drink sachet water,
don’t drop it on the floor please. Let’s make sure, we get it right and
let’s make sure we teach our kids to do so.”
