The fourth edition of the Ghana Meets
Naija concert was held at the Accra International Conference centre
with over 10 artistes gracing the stage from Nigeria and Ghana.
Tickets
were sold out days before the concert explaining the huge attendance at
the auditorium which seats 1600 people, yet teeming fans had to be part
of the experience from the aisles due to inadequate seats.
The
amalgamation of popular music from the two familial nations with so much
rivalry opened by Mz Vee and AK Songstress with a splendid dancehall
performance reassuring the industry of a bright future for the music
genre especially with the involvement of women.
The stage was illuminating with beautiful designs notably a replica of Ghana’s Independence Arch with the black star on top.
Double,
gave a short performance which ushered in DJ Black, the headline DJ for
the night as Nii Ayi Tagoe held the fort at the forecourt of the
auditorium concurrently.
The MC for the night, actor Chris Attoh,
in the midst of beautiful ladies took charge while dispelling a
connotation of competition between the two countries emphasizing the
objective of the concert which is for the love of music.
Guru
took the stage with a rousing applause and sing-along as he introduced
Lil Win who was ushered onto the stage by macho men while performing his
part of their popular Azonto Boys song. They rocked the night
especially Lil Win who couldn’t help it but dance his heart out.
Selebobo
from Nigeria opened for the Nigerian acts with his track, Yoyo, getting
the crowd off their seats. He finally sang a piece of his new song
Selfie which should gain the attention of VVIP.
Wizboyy got the
Wizolingo going as the party mood was set. DJ Spin from Nigeria and DJ
Solo from Ghana locked horns on the turntables as the crowd got a taste
of both nations.
The mood was charged when Edem surprisingly
joined the bill and performed his new song Koene after Castro had taken
over the stage with his songs from the past to present.
The
‘Limpopo’ man, Kcee took his turn creating a rapport with the audience
gaining a positive response. He worked the crowd to a dance marathon
including a short dance competition he organised on stage rewarding the
winner $200 in between his performance.
Then came the arguably
best rapper in Ghana, Sarkodie who literally added heat to the already
warm auditorium as the audience got ecstatic. A lady fan jumped onto the
stage, as he performed with Castro, just to touch his feet to which he
gave her a hug that almost got her collapsed to the ground in emotions.
Sarkodie got emotional but wiped his face and the music continued.
The
excitement was so intense during Sarkodie’s performance that it got
Bola Ray, CEO of organisers, Empire Entertainment, to shower him and his
DJ with money during his performance as a display of appreciation.
The
concert got to another level of hyper when Sarkodie performed Adonai
with Castro. Symbolically, Castro passed a basket around to the audience
for offertory as expressed in the song, surprisingly the audience
responded to it and dropped money into the basket which was later
showered on Sarkodie by a fan.
The final act from Nigeria was Davido who had his song, Aye, sang back-to-back by a seemingly worn-out crowd.
The
concert came to an end with the final act, Shatta Wale who was ushered
onto the stage with a very formidable security team made up of over a
dozen military personnel, private security men in uniforms, personal
bodyguards and a huge entourage with four huge dangerous looking guard
dogs.
He performed his usual as his fans trooped to the front to
take photos at close range. He shouted: “Free Bull Dog” in the middle of
his performance and asked the crowd to repeat after him in a show of
solidarity to his Manager, Bull Dog, who is in Police custody as a
suspect in the murder of Fennec Okyere, another artistes manager killed
some weeks ago at his home.
This year’s Ghana meets Naija concert
organised by Empire Entertainment would go into the history books as
one of the best shows ever organised in Ghana.
Organisers of the annual and the prestigious Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) have celebrated 10 years of the awards.
The
capital city of Bayelsa State, Yenagoa became the centre of attraction
as movie personalities stormed the city for this year’s awards.
Leila
Djansi and Shirley Frimpong-Manso saved Ghana from what could have been
a total disgrace by winning an award each at the event, an improvement
over last year’s win.
Last year, Ghana picked just an award for Best Short – Kwaku Ananse.
Leila
Djansi’s directed movie, Northern Affair picked Ghana’s first award on
the night for AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN
whiles Shirley Frimpong-Manso picked the AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT
IN EDITING for her movie, Potomanto. South Africa picked most awards on
the night.
Full list of winners...
EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM: Dialemi – Gabon
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION: Khumba – South Africa
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY: Hamu Beya- The Sand Fishers – Mali and Potraits of a Lone Farmer – Nigeria/Denmark
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE: B for Boy – Nigeria
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA SHORT: Passage – Bahamas
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY: Through the Lens Darkly : Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People – USA
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA FEATURE: Kingston Paradise – Jamaica
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN: Northern Affair – Ghana
AMAA 2014 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN: Ni Sisi – Kenya
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP: Once Upon A Road Trip – South Africa
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUNDTRACK: Onye Ozi
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECT: A Mile From Home
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND: The Forgotten Kingdom
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Forgotten Kingdom
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING: Potomanto
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREEN PLAY: Of Good Report
AMAA 2014- BAYELSA STATE GOVERNMENT ENDOWED AWARD FOR BEST NIGERIAN FILM: Accident
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST CHILD ACTOR: Lebohang Ntsane – Forgotten Kingdom
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG/ PROMISING ACTOR: Petronella Tshuma – Of Good Report
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Thapelo Mofekeng – Felix
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Patience Ozokwo – After the Proposal
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: Mothusi Magano – Of Good Report
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: Clarion Chukwura – Apaye
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM BY A DIRECTOR: Harrikrishna & Sharvan Anenden – The Children of Troumaron
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR: Jamil X.T Quebeka – Of Good Report (South Africa)
AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST FILM: Of Good Report – South Africa
MADIBA Award: Ni Sisi – Kenya
BEST FILM FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: B For Boy – Nigeria
SPECIAL JURY AWARD: New Horizon – Nigeria
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Bob Manuel
The much-anticipated Ghana Meets
Naija concert finally took place at the Accra International Conference
Centre on Saturday night, but not without eventualities -the biggest
being a performance by actor/comedian Lilwin alongside Guru.
Lilwin performed a number of songs with Guru on stage much to the
delight of patrons of the concert, but soon found himself insulting some
sensibility when he came on stage with a bag, claiming it contained
some secret medicine, which he was going to sell to the crowd. He then
revealed that the medicine he was selling was ‘wee’ (marijuana), saying
it was medicine that can take away one’s sorrows and troubles, as well
as cure a number of sicknesses. He went on promoting ‘wee’ until the DJ
tried to cut him off by sounding ‘the alarm’. Lilwin persisted, trying
to overpower the loud ‘siren’ by throwing a fit and occasionally
insulting the DJ with his signature insult (presumably meant to be
funny).
Controversial Ghanaian actress,
Yvonne Nelson recently traveled to Spain. Yvonne has been in the news
lately for controversial reasons.
Recall that some months ago,
she was reportedly dumped by Nigerian singer, Iyanya, who even did a
song where he expressed how potent Yvonne Nelson's 'medicine is,
ostensibly her 'waist'.
Also, the actress was accused of changing her skin colour with a bleaching cream, an allegation Yvonne has vehemently denied.
Yvonne
Nelson was in Madrid, the Spanish capital last weekend and she stated
that the streets of Madrid was agog after Real Madrid clinched their
historic 10th Champions League trophy against their city rivals,
Atletico Madrid in a 4-1 thriller match.
It is, however, not
clear if Yvonne traveled to Spain on vacation or for business. But from
the look of things, the actress is still enjoying her singlehood and
ready to catch fun.
Nollywood actress, Uche Jombo is one of the most respected contemporary movie stars in Nigeria.
Since
making her way into the industry some years ago as a scriptwriter, the
wife of an America-based businessman husband, Kenney Rodriguez, has
grown to become a big fish in the movie 'ocean' in Nigeria. She is even
today doing well as a film producer.
In May 2012, taking many by
surprised, Uche Jombo secretly married her husband and few days ago,
they marked their second year together as husband and wife. Many of her
fans wished her more successful years ahead.
Going by information
at our disposal, Uche Jombo has decided to rebrand and push her brand
beyond the shores of Nigeria and even the continent of Africa. It is
believed that the sultry actress now aims to do top international jobs.
It
was even murmured to us that she wants to break into the American film
industry popularly called Hollywood. And we also heard, she is not
taking this dream lightly as she is reportedly doing everything within
her power to break boundaries.
Comedian, Lilwin, has always been
well received anytime he mounted the stage to perform and loud applause
ushers him off stage when he is done with his act.
But last
Saturday maybe one of his most embarassing moments when he was forced to
leave the stage before he was through with what he had planned to do at
the fourth Ghana Meets Naija concert hosted at the Accra International
Conference Centre.
During Lil Win’s comedy act at the event, he
announced that he was in possession of marijuana which he said was the
best medicine to cure headache and other ailments. But before he could
explain further, Lil Win was interrupted by D.J Black and the former who
was obviously not too happy.
Lil Win who has received a lot of
bashing for putting up such an act has explained to Graphic Showbiz,
that his act was about the disastrous effects of substance abuse and not
to glory drugs.
“What I had in the plastic bag was not wee but
rather talcum powder, pepper and leaves. I mentioned “wee” because I
wanted to explain to the audience the dangers of using drugs. There is
no way I would stand on such a big platform to promote “wee”.
“
For Christ sake, I am a MTN Ambassador who has a lot of followers and
that alone should tell anyone I wasn’t there to promote “wee”. It is
unfortunate but maybe, I didn’t get the introduction to the subject
right. I will never promote substance use.
“I don’t use drugs
but I worry about the young folks who do so and I thought as a role
model, it was my duty to educate them on such issues when I get the
opportunity. And the Ghana Meets Naija was a good platform to do just
that. It is unfortunate the organisers thought I was promoting “wee”,”
Lil Win explained.
According to the actor, never has he promoted
the use of “wee” in his movies not to talk about promoting it on such a
huge platform.
He said had the organisers been a little patient
with him, everyone would have known the good message he was trying to
drive home.
Asked why he did not communicate to the organisers
before coming on stage, Lil Win explained the act was arranged between
him and musician, Guru.
Lil Win says he is sorry for the mishap and thathe had no intention to promote drug use many are speculating.
2013
Ghana Music Awards Artiste of the year, Shatta wale has lashed out at
the Ghanaian media at what he describes as a deliberate ploy to
associate him with negativity.
He was reacting to recent rumors
in the press that he had deliberately refused to visit his manager Nana
Asiama Hanson [Bull dog] after he got arrested.
Nana Asiama
Hanson was arrested for the murder of Fenec Okyere, manager of Kwaw Kese
after investigations by the homicide unit of the Police Criminal
investigative department pointed to him as the prime suspect.
Speaking
to Citi News in an exclusive interview, Shatta Wale questioned the
rationale behind all the negative reports and said he was not in any way
swayed by them. “The industry people are always talking about me. But I
know it is God who’s brought me this far.”
Reacting to bulldogs
imprisonment he disclosed that “I know all their plans against Bulldog
will not materialize, I know the God that takes care of me and will
extend his mercy towards Bull Dog. God Is watching everyone.”
He
also added that “I heard the media spreading all sought of rumors that I
don’t even go and visit him[Bull Dog]. What worries me about the media
is that they never say anything good about me. They only concentrate on
the bad stuff that is said about me.”
He has asked the media to
desist from those writing false reports about him saying “I beg them,
they should stop circulating false rumors about me. Actually, I don’t
like what they are doing. Any bad thing they like to associate it to me.
All the areas I know, Newtown Madina, Nima, they follow me because I am
a man of truth.”
