Highlife music is not dying – KKD

Highlife is not dead; neither is it dying, according to Kwasi Kyei Darkwah (the finest).

“Why do people say highlife is dead? It’s like saying big laptops are dead. Bigger laptops are giving way to tablets and smart phones. The same applies to highlife; most of the young artistes are taking up highlife and making awesome hits. R2Bees, Asem and Okyeame Kwame are doing fantastic with their highlife fusions. Highlife is not dead!” he stressed.

According to him, highlife can gain the much needed premium if artistes make a conscious effort to collaborate with other experienced industry players to produce good content.

“Rex Omar has lots of songs sitting idle on the shelves. He has written so many songs and no one is taking advantage. There are other song writers who have some fantastic compositions waiting to be produced,” he added.

The legendary KKD was speaking with Amandah Jissih on GhOne television after receiving the lifetime achievement award at the Ghana DJs Awards.

Sarkodie's fans pissed at VGMA 2013 nomination list

When the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards 2013 nominations was announced last Saturday night, there were numerous notable names coming up in major catogories but Sarkodie's name failed to pop up in more categories.

Sarkodie had a good year last year but an army of Sarkodie fans worldwide are now insisting that this is a joke that he wasn't nominated in 'Artiste of the Year' and other areas.

The shocking moment on the VGMA launch night was when Sarkodie couldn't earn nominations from his own songs.

'Azonto Fiesta' featuring Kesse and Appietus belongs to Appietus of his Appietus Compilation III and 'Pizza & Burgur' is on the joint album between Sarkodie and Jayso.

But some fans still feel songs like 'Sherifa', 'Illuminati', 'Issues', '6 Feet' and 'Saa Okodie No' could have found its way to different catorgies.

Sarkodie not been in the Artiste of the Year category is very puzzling and the selection and planning committee members have some deep explanations to make.

Imagine what would have happened if Sarkodie was actually nominated?

FOKN BOIS ridicules VGMA nominees list…calls is “Ghana Amusing Award”

Reactions from a cross section of Ghanaian musicians on the recently-released nominees list for the Ghana Music Awards are fairly mixed.

While some look rather stunned and dazed as to why there weren’t captured in some categories, others like controversial duo FOKN BOIS have decided to simply call it “Ghana Amusing Award”.

The reactions were expected, and not too different from what the post event controversy has always been.

This year’s scheme is scheduled for April 13.

Reactions via Twitter (Unedited)

Guru lapaz toyota was nt nominated at de VGMA vodafone ghana music awards” mother GHANA LOL I am very disappointed, it’s amazing how my hit song “#LapazToyota” was not nominated in this year’s

Ded Buddy Award Shows Don’t inspire me…My fans Do! Thankx to every fan who msgd me to show their concern.GBless!

4X4 The Vodafone Ghana Music Awards are out and we have 4 nominations. We give all thanks to God and of course to you our fan

Efya 4 nominations for goiz…!! more vim.. GMAtinz..!

Cwesi Oteng Just got six nominations at this year’s Vodafone Ghana Music Awards folks including Artiste of the Yr! God truly dey bless we fam!!! Prophetically this is the sod cutting for the mighty army that will be released to take uncharted territories for the kingdom. I did not get recognised,I did not get nominated. WE Did get recognised,We Got Nominated,Its Us not Cwesi #Contemporary Gospel. We Fearless. To Every One who has been part of D many years struggle,I dedicate this nominations for Contemporary Gospel. We Got recognised@last.#6Noms.

Raquel 2 Nominations for this year’s VGMA’s @trublackstarz we giv thnx xxx. At last year’s VGMA I was nominated for 5 awards and lost all lol but its all gud. I’m greatful to have been nominated.

Nana Kofi Asihene So I hear two of our videos have been nominated for video of the year VGMAs

Asem Yes I got 7nominations, am I excited about it ? Not really cus when u deserve diamonds and they give u Gold u ask why the diamond no come Okay so let’s go straight to the point and ask VGMA why I wasn’t nominated for Artist of the Year and hip/hiplife Artist of the year Guys let not focus on who shldn’t be there, the question is why I wasn’t there 4 Artist Of the Year, from where I stand I met the criteria U see its a matter of principle, its not Iike it’s my dream to be Artist of the year, if nominated its possible I won’t even win But in life if u don’t stand for something, u fall for everything. When it comes to me the Gyae ma nenka Gh rule does not apply

FOKN BOIS Ghana Amusing Award

M.anifest Btw, all 3 nominations i have for the Ghana Music Awards is from the same song, “Makaa Maka.” Big shoutout to Kwabena Jones on production! Nominated in 3 categories for this year’s Ghana Music Awards! Songwriter of the year. Best rapper. Hip-Hop song of the year!

Guru blasts VGMA board: “Someone ordered that I should not be nominated”

After the announcement of nominations for this year's Ghana Music Awards on Saturday February 23, some musicians have registered their displeasure and disappointment with the nominations as always.

Already the controversies have started and Rapper, Guru of “Lapaz Toyota” fame was one of the first to register his disappointment for not receiving any nomination at all for his hit song, ‘Lapaz Toyota.’

He took to twitter and wrote….“I am very disappointed, it's amazing how my hit song "#LapazToyota" was not nominated in this year's@GHMusicAwards @vodafoneGhana.”

Speaking to Peacefmonline.com Guru reiterated his disappointment “I think the problem is not my song but the board or the panel who did the nominations. I think someone has ordered that my song should not be nominated in this year’s awards. I am very disappointed in the board because they didn't do their work well at all trust me”, Guru stressed.

He said his song is not profane, he released within the calendar year and “it’s a good song by all standards so I just can’t believe that the board decided to deliberately ignore it totally. I can’t believe this is happening I am really shocked. There is something definitely wrong somewhere and I know someone is behind this”.

According Guru “Lapaz Toyota” was so popular last that it was used as the official All African Games song; it was the official song for last year’s Easter celebration across the country and the Independence Day Celebration last year. He said last year the song was used by Ghana Music Awards organizer to promote the event during awards period because it was the most popular song. Adding that “Lapaz Toyota” topped the charts for about 8 months continues last year.

“The organizers or the board should come out and explain to the world why my song was not nominated because I just can’t understand. The song is a big hit far more than most of the songs on the nomination list not just in Ghana but also in South Africa, Nigeria, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Togo, East Africa and all over Africa”, he said.

Water Challenges Facing Nkwatia Senior High School (Nkwasco)

Diseases from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. 

Nkwatia Senior High School (Nkwasco)

(source) Children are especially vulnerable, as their bodies aren't strong enough to fight diarrhea, dysentery and other illnesses. 

Nkwatia Senior High School (Nkwasco)

90% of the 30,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and unhygienic living conditions are in children under five years old. (source) Many of these diseases are preventable. The WHO reports that over 3.6% of the global disease burden can be prevented simply by improving water supply, sanitation, and hygiene. 

Nkwatia Senior High School (Nkwasco)

(source) In Africa alone, people spend 40 billion hours every year just walking for water. 

Women and children usually bear the burden of water collection, walking miles to the nearest source, which is unprotected and likely to make them sick.

Nkwatia Senior High School (Nkwasco)

(source) Time spent walking and resulting diseases keep them from school, work and taking care of their families. Along their long walk, they're subjected to a greater risk of harassment and sexual assault. 

Nkwatia Senior High School (Nkwasco)

Hauling cans of water for long distances takes a toll on the spine and many women experience back pain early in life. 

Nkwatia Senior High School (Nkwasco)

With safe water nearby, women are free to pursue new opportunities and improve their families’ lives. Kids can earn their education and build the future of their communities. 

Nkwatia Senior High School (Nkwasco)

A clean water project nearby means more than safe drinking water to women and children in developing nations; it means time, freedom and incentive to change their communities.

D-Black to open for Chris Brown

The Channel O award-winning Ghanabwouy aka Alhaji, D-Black, just announced that he will be opening for the American Chris Brown at his Ghana concert on the 5th of March.

The rapper and entrepreneur announced the news on his Twitter account, “Ok folks, 5th March we shuttin down the @ChrisBrown Live in Ghana Concert!! Wid ma g @1RealJoeyB & the super @djbreezy_gh #BAM! Tix out soon.”

There’s only been two acts announced so far, D-Black and R2bees.

When ChannelO.tv asked him how he got to be on the bill, he answered, “I got the hottest song in Ghana, Vera!”

Vera, is lifted off his sophomore album The Revelation, which came out in December 2012.

Why are other regions in Ghana neglected in entertainment?

Geographically there are ten regions in Ghana but when it comes to entertainment there is only one; Greater Accra Region. Entertainment is a universal phenomenon regardless of race, country, religion or tribe or geographical differences.

This brings to mind the over concentration of events and media in only one region.

Concerts, awards, movie premiers, TV and radio stations are being established in Accra making it seems the other regions have nothing to offer in terms of cash, audience and venues which is a wrong perception but even if it’s true, there is nothing stopping the government or entertainment gurus from building big capacity auditoriums in each of the regional capitals so that those outside the capital can also feel part of the entertainment circle in the country.

Lots of international acclaimed artistes such as Rick Ross, Jay z, Akon, Ludacris and P Square just to mention a few have graced the shores of Ghana in the past and will continue to but they always make a u-turn after only one show in the Dome for just a few thousands of audience, to these artists they have performed for Ghana.

This a very bad development because the organizers are myopic and if they had played on several stages across Ghana they will have satisfied more people and made more money to organize more better shows.

Award nominations also have that kind of capital city setting. The radio and TV personality Awards was filled with media people of Accra.

The question I always ask myself is if there are no good radio presenters in other regions too since those we have here came from other regions, if the likes of Abeiku Santana, Blakk Raster just to mention a few were in Kumasi and Takoradi respectively it means there are a lot of the good media personnel in other regions.

Why should talents be forced to move to Accra to be recognized, leaving other places with inexperienced ones?

Ghana DJ awards categories was also was filled with the DJs in the capital, those DJs outside the capital play the same music, they are also good with the techniques so why not at least recognize them for their good job also?

After premiering movies at the Silver Bird Cinema, producers don't premier in other regions because they feel once it has been premiered in Accra, the movie is good to go but a deep look into the Kumasi movie industry shows they are doing very well in terms of recognition and financial gains even outside the shores of Ghana.

The introduction Kumawood awards is a clear indication that they need to get recognized also for their role in the entertainment industry, it’s just a matter of time before this award break grounds. Charter House is doing a great job by extending the Nights of Thousand Laughs to Kumasi and Takoradi, this is a good initiation and step other event organizers need to follow.

All I want to put across is entertainment is a universal aspect of human life regardless of religion, belief and race, the organizers have to push one step further to cut across geographically.

We are one people and one nation.