I’M THE TREE OF HIPLIFE

Music legend Gyedu-Blay Ambolley seem to have ended the long-standing argument about who the originator of rap music in Ghana really is after describing himself to NEWS-ONE as the “tree of hiplife”.

“When it comes to hiplife, I’m like the tree and the rest of them are the branches,” Ambolley stated when the paper caught up with him about the fast rising music genre in Ghana.

Entertainment Pundits over the years referred to Reggie Rockstone as the grandpapa of hiplife until the he openly declared Ambolley as the real ‘Grandpapa’ of the genre at the just-ended Glo Slide and Bounce concert.

“I think it was just appropriate that Reggie came out to acknowledge me as the grandpapa of rap music in Ghana. It is called humility. He was the one who opened the eyes for Obrafour and the rest to have that idea that they could actually rap in Twi. That was more like an eye-opener for the rest to follow. I have known Reggie since he was kid because his father was my friend. He was fascinated with me at that time so we built a rapport,” the saxophonist and rapper said.

Ambolley is currently working towards the launch of his new album he calls ‘Different Shade of Ambolley’. According to him, the album which is due to be launched on December 19, at Alliance française, features some young champs like the Wanlov the Kubolor and M3nsa on two separate tracks.

“My new album is more about socialism. Currently everyone seems to be singing about girlfriends and nobody is really looking at what is going on to sing about it. The album talks about corruption, why pastors don’t go to the hospitals and heal the sick for free and all. Basically the album is just to enlighten the public,” he added.

Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, known as the ‘Simigwa Do Man’, hails from the port city of Sekondi-Takoradi, in the Western Region. The irrepressible singer, songwriter, producer and “musical-life-force” exploded on the music scene some 27 years ago with jazzy highlife sounds called ‘Simigwa-Do’.

YVONNE NELSON AND JOSELYN DUMAS AT LOGGERHEADS

Brand ambassador is no doubt one of the many jackpots many air personalities, actors and actresses among many other popular figures in their field of endeavours have been jostling for, as a result of the cash and other eye popping benefits that comes with it.

In Ghana, several personalities have been a benefactor of this new generation way of advertising, and there’s no doubt that Yvonne Nelson is one of those who have been favoured to have been brand ambassador to different organisation, which Zaron Hair and Make-Up is one of.

The Ghanaian fair complexion actress however began to act in ways that already started making potential brands cast doubt on her being a reliable brand ambassador as she was alleged to have boycott the recently launched of Zaron Hair and Make-Up launch in Accra; an event which she was billed to anchor as the brand ambassador of the cosmetic ad make up label.

Zaron management, who couldn’t afford to get embarrassed at the sudden disappearance of their brand ambassador, even, after eye popping amount of money have exchanged hands as part of the deal, had to call in Joselyn Dumas to fill the gap of Yvonne Nelson, an attempt which many who witnessed it claimed was responsible for the mishap in speech delivery of Joselyn.

However, disappointment of such magnitude has began to raise questions from concerned quarters, why Yvonne Nelson would disappoint his business partners.

Some are suggesting if there was break down in certain agreement or she was just stuck somewhere in a far away island and just decided not to stress a nerve.

But whatever her reason is, our parrot shall let you know.

MR. BEAUTIFUL IS NOT A MARKETABLE ACTOR - MOVIE PRODUCER

After allegations by Ghanaian actor Clement Bonney often known as Mr. Beautiful of being sidelined by movie producers in the Ashanti Region for openly displaying his political colours and rallying behind the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Movie producer and marketer Paul Gee has confirmed the allegations and stated the actor is no more marketable in the Ashanti Region perhaps for reasons he is yet to establish and cannot tell if it is due the difference in political orientation.

Paul Gee who spoke in an interview with Charles Asare on the Angel Entertainment Show on Sunday disclosed saying “although Mr. Beautiful is a great actor, he is not marketable and I would not cast him for a movie since most of the target audience would no longer buy movies that had him starred”.

Although Mr. Beautiful’s accusations had somehow been substantiated by Paul Gee who cast him for one of his popular movies “Ama Ghana” in 2009.

Others believe his dwindling career is not as a result of his political orientation but as a result of other great actors such as Agya Koo, Nkansah Liwin and Kwaku Manu who are now favourites of the people and can equally play his roles.

The great question which remains to be answered is all Kumasi based producers and movie watchers from the NPP?

SHIRLEY FRIMPONG MANSO ENDORSES KUMAWOOD MOVIES

Despite incessant calls and outcry by many film critics in Ghana condemning movies produced from Kumasi that have often been tagged “Kumawood”, award winning Ghanaian movie producer and CEO of Sparrow Productions, Shirley Frimpong Manso has against all odds commended such movies and acknowledged the pivotal role these movies played in ensuring the interests and hope of a “movie industry” existed.

Speaking on New Day on TV3, producer of award winning movies A Sting in a Tale, 6 Hours To Christmas, The Perfect Picture, Adams Apples, Scorned disclosed although there were a lot of challenges, Kumawood movies kept the movie market going at a tough moment when the Ghanaian market was almost nonexistent.

She stated it would be unfortunate and unfair for anyone to condemn such movies as such productions are made out of individual efforts with no institutional interventions.

“It’s like going to Makola market and telling somebody who’s put up his store that your market is not looking good. We could only suggest positively”

As a way forward for movie makers, Shirley believed it would be in the interest of the government of Ghana to support the industry as anything portrayed goes a long way to sell Ghana.

She also asked the government to put in place the right structures before passing and implementing the Film law which has been laid before parliament and also for interventions to aid the film industry only if it existed.

"HOW CAN I PERFORM WHILST DRUNK" - AMAKYI DEDE ASKS +VIDEO OF HIS PERFORMANCE

Highlife living legend and show stopper Daniel Amakyi Dede aka “Seeeeerious” has denied allegations that he was drunk or high before he got on stage to perform at the just ended “Black and White” concert which took place at the Accra International Conference Centre on Friday December 13, 2013.

After the well-produced and well organized event, there were comments from most people who attended the show that the known great performer was not his usual-self on stage as he kept staggering and looking very unstable during his much anticipated performance.

Speaking on Peace FM’s “Entertainment Review” Abrantie wondered why he would get drunk and come on stage “Oh! No not at all. How can I get drunk to perform on a show?

Asked whether he thought he performed well on stage, he said “Well for me, I think I did okay...You know the show was not my show because there were other artistes on the bill so I couldn't perform more hours as I'm used to performing on my own show...but the little I did I think it was alright”, Amakyi Dede emphasized.

A report in Monday December 16 2013 edition of Graphic Showbiz with the headline “Amakyi Dede slips badly”, best captures his performance. In the report, Editor of the paper Nanabenyin Dadson writes “First timers at an Amakye Dede live concert must have walked away from the Accra International Conference Centre last Friday with a poor impression of the veteran highlife musician.

For such a well-organized and well-publicized Black & White concert at which Amakye Dede was considered to be the star performer, the “Abrantie”, as he is fondly called, slipped badly.

He was straining a bit too hard, he was missing his cues with the band, and he spoke too much and could hardly stay on his feet. This was hardly vintage Amakye Dede”.

Meanwhile African Dancehall King Samini who was one of the two headline artistes, gave yet another good account of himself on stage taking over the show as always with great interaction with the audience and his random freestyle performance with whatever was going on in the auditorium. He managed to keep the crowd on their feet dancing all through.

Castro De Destroyer also thrilled the appreciable crowd with his performance playing with live band like a pro. Legendary George Jahraa and young Kwabena Akwaboah were simply great. Guru of Lapaz Toyota fame did not quite have a good evening going off key and screaming unnecessarily.

The event was put together by Events Factory.

GIFY ANTI QUITS GTV

Award-winning broadcaster, Gifty Anti has ended her long stay at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation/ Ghana Television (GTV). According to sources, she tendered in her resignation letter this week and she is expected to leave GTV at the end of the month.

During her stay at GTV, she became of the of the most known faces on Ghanaian television, presenting news and other programmes.

The reasons for her resignation are not immediately known but it is believed that its in the direction of change in new advancements in her career life.

Her award-winning show, The Stand Point, will continue to show on GTV.

FUNNY FACE IN JOB SEARCH AT VODAFONE RED LAUNCH

Ghana’s number one comedian, Benson Nana Yaw Oduro Boateng, popularly known as Funny Face and Anita Erskine presented an ‘odd couple’ as they hosted Vodafone Ghana’s launch of ‘Red’, which is Ghana’s first range of weekly and monthly integrated bundles that offer subscribers various incentives and opportunities.

Funny Face and Anita Erskine did a splendid job at Vodafone’s “Red” launch, which was a night of ‘red’ pageantry.

Funny Face made it obvious from the start of the programme that he was in a job search as Entertainment Director for Vodafone Ghana. He actually announced a name change from Funny Face to Funny Red, if that would make his job search at Vodafone (with a brand colour of red) easier.

The ace comedian spiced the night’s event with jokes, and his co-master of ceremony, Anita Erskine, could not help but at certain stages match him in equal measure with light hearted comments.

Funny talked about no longer being able to maintain his US$ 3000 hair cut sponsored by his footballer friends because they are away playing football in the European leagues, with the stylish hair falling off like chicken feathers, whilst he waits for his footballer friends to come back to Town to help fund the maintenance of his hair.

At the red launch, the Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone, Haris Broumidis said the “Red” is a new product by the company to give comfort to suffering Ghanaians who are dissatisfied with services provided by other communication operators.

He said “consumers in Ghana have suffered the inconvenience of carrying multiple SIM cards for too long. This is because they have not found the value they deserve from one mobile operator. We have introduced red to help put an end to the hassle and nuisance of carrying multiple SIM cards”.

The new range of weekly and monthly integrated bundles includes four unique plans: ‘Red Life Weekly’ at GH¢ 5 per week, ‘Red Rush’ at GH¢ 20 per month, ‘Red Hot’ at GH¢ 50 per month, and ‘Red Classic’ at GH¢ 100 per month.

The ‘Red Life’ is an offer that allows customers to enjoy 300 free minutes to call any Vodafone number, 30 free minutes to other networks, 5 free minutes to call USA, Canada and UK Fixed lines, 100 MB browsing allowance and 100 free SMS to any network.

The ‘Red Rush’ allow customers to enjoy 1000 free minutes to any Vodafone number, 130 free minutes to call any other local networks, 15 free minutes to call USA, Canada and UK Fixed lines, 400 MB internet allowance and 100 free SMS to any local line.

The Red Hot Plan allow customers to enjoy 2000 free minutes to call any Vodafone number, 300 free minutes for calls to other local networks, 50 free minutes to USA, Canada and UK Fixed lines, 1 GB internet allowance and 200 free SMS to any local network.

The ‘Red Classic’ plan offers customers 5000 free minutes to call any Vodafone number, 700 free minutes to call other local networks, 100 free minutes to call USA, Canada and UK Fixed lines, 2.5 GB internet allowance and 200 free SMS to any local network.