GHAMRO SPLITS …GOES TO COURT TODAY

The Human Rights Division of the Accra High Courts would this morning hear the case in which highlife musician Nana Ampadu (with 100 others) is seeking an injunction on the Board of the Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO), accusing it of overstaying its tenure, refusing to give annual financial accounts and refusing to hold elections to elect a new set of leaders.

Interestingly, the GHAMRO Board is split over the court case and some of the Board Members have filed an affidavit in support of Nana Ampadu’s application, saying they absolutely agree that an injunction be placed on the Board immediately.

The other half of the Board has however filed their defence disagreeing with Nana Ampadu’s application and they would all be appearing in court this morning to state their cases.

GHAMRO Board members in support of Nana Ampadu’s application are Bice ‘Obour’ Osei Kuffour, president of the Musicians union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Alhaji Ahmed Banda aka Bandex, representing the Ghana Association of Phonographic Industries (GAPI), Kojo Antwi, representing the Association of Music Right Owners (AMRO.GH) and gospel musician Mary Ghansah, representing CAMAG.

Indeed, two of the GHAMRO Board Members, Rex Omar and Charles Amoah officially resigned their positions citing similar reasons of lack of accountability against the Chairman, Carlos Sekyi.

According to the writ of summons filed by Nana Ampadu and the 100 others, GHAMRO Board Chairman Carlos Sekyi and other GHAMRO Board members including Amandzeba Nat Brew, K.K. Kabobo and Mark Okraku Mantey “have deliberately refused to organize even a single Annual General Meeting since May 2011 when they took office as interim Board Members.”

It said Carlos Sekyi, Nat Brew, K.K. Kabobo and Mark Okraku Mantey “have been dissipating the funds of the organization to the disadvantage of the Rights Owners and have been paying themselves monthly salaries between GH2000 and GH4000 excluding other allowances even though the regulations of the organization expressingly forbids the payment of salaries.”

They claimed Mr. Sekyi, since he started collecting monies on behalf of music rights owners in 2011, has not accounted for the monies till date. They explained that Carlos Sakyi in his capacity as interim chairman of the GHAMRO Board is mandated by law to give yearly account of the monies GHAMRO collects but this is the third year running and he has not given a single account.

SARKODIE TO PERFORM @ BET EXPERIENCE EVENT

Sarkodie, and a number of African acts have been announced as performers for BET’s L.A experience event, happening from June 27-29.

The event, a pre music concert to the main awards show will feature some of the biggest names in music from around the world.

Nigeria’s Tiwa Savage, and Ice Prince as well as South Africa’s Mafikizolo will also perform as part of the “Music around the Globe” presentation during the weekend of June 27-29.

All acts, performing at the Experience at L.A. LIVE presented by Coca-Cola®, are nominated in the “BET Awards” ‘Best International Act: Africa’ category.

This will be the first time that Mafikizolo and Tiwa Savage have performed in the United States, and the announcement follows their wins at the MTV Africa Music Awards in the ‘Best Group’ and ‘Best Female’ categories respectively.

Sarkodie also took home a MAMA for ‘Best Hip Hop’.

This is the first time international acts have performed as part of the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE presented by Coca-Cola® since the introduction of international BET Award categories, ‘Best International Act: Africa’ and ‘Best International Act: UK’ in 2010.

Emmy and Grammy® Award winning comedian Chris Rock will host the “BET Awards” 2014, live on Sunday, June 29, 2014 at 8pm ET live from the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles, CA.

I DON’T HAVE SEX; TOO BUSY – GHANAIAN ACTRESS

Ghanaian Actress Chichi Neblett has told News-One that she is too busy to have sex and does not even think about it.

Chichi parted ways with the father of her baby a few years ago and has since kept her love life out of the public domain.

News-One caught up with her on Thursday and tried to find out about her love life.

According to her, “For me, once you are a strong woman and making your ends meet through your own work and business, what concern do you have with a man? Chichi is single and happy.”

She said she is not crazy about sex and could stay without if for a long time.

“No I don’t have sex. I don’t even have the time to think about sex because I have been very busy with work, so I don’t think about sex at all. When you are idle and have nothing doing, then you have a lot going through your mind and it pops up, but in short I don’t think about sex,” she explained.

The Liberian born Ghanaian actress is among industry players, who got nominations for Sunday City People Entertainment Awards.

She was nominated for Best New Actress of the Year and Best Promising Actress categories. Chichi managed to break into Nigeria’s Nollywood industry recently.

She recently did a movie shot with Ini Edo, Funke Akindele and a number of others.

NADIA BUARI IS A LIAR; SHE DIDN’T REJECT ANY $75,000 OFFER – BLEACHING CREAM MANAGER

Last week, most online portals bombarded us with news of Ghanaian actress Nadia Buari rejecting a $75,000 deal to become an ambassador for a product from Avant Claire Grande Afrique which is believed to be a bleaching material.

However, the General Manager of Avant Claire Grande Afrique-Christopher Owen has denounce the claims and stated Nadia’s claims were unfounded and unfortunate.

Christopher is reported to have said in an interview with ‘The Juice Report’ that “his company offered the actress they chose out of many a total sum of $60,000 which she turned down after Avant declined a $15,000 raise she and her management requested for during negotiations”.

Hmm, does this mean Nadia would have gone in for the product had the figures she demanded gone through? Really? So why make it seem like she turned down the deal because of the alleged bleaching component? Well, we wait to hear what else would come from the camp.

Who is really telling the truth?

GOD WOULD TOUCH SHATTA WALE – EVANGELIST LORD KENYA

Holy spirit inspired Evangelist lord Kenya has started that, reigning dance hall king shatta wale would be touched by God at the right time, but it would only take time before the prophecy would come through .

Speaking to the popular in a exclusive interview, the former rap heavyweight said, nothing is impossible for God adding that, God would do the unexpected in the life musician once Christians remember people in his situation in their prayers .

He observed, nothing is impossible for God , no one thought I was going to repent one day , let’s remember them in prayers; known in real life as Abraham Philip Akpor Kojo Kenya , the evangelist confessed that , he knows Shatta wale now.

Bandana in times past nothing ,they used to share so many things in common .The man of God continued that , they used to visit some ‘ghettos and bases ‘together, stating that ,he knows shatta wale from the beginning of his career. Lord Kenya, who has been in similar situation before, said musicians who are in this circumstance like Shatta Wales often doubt the kind of spirit that controls them after sometimes.

You become very possessed when you are in this peak and you do not know the kind of spirit that controls your life ‘he said remorsefully. He reaffirmed that, he would never return to chase worldly things, since he has dedicated his life to the work of God.

Touching on whether he is going to start a ministry or not, the former Kumasi Anglican Secondary School Student said, God has not told him to start or form a church now but he is ever ready to start one as soon as God directs him to do so. He said he would rather concentrate on visiting fellowships, rehabilitation, drugs, alcoholism, and hospital centers in the country to lend them support through prayers, positing that, people in such conditions need care and prayers most .

He explained,’whatever I do is by the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and I do not do anything on my own. If God says I should form a church, I would do so but he has not spoken yet .right now, the plight of those in the hospitals and rehabilitation centers and those trapped by drugs and alcoholism are major concern.

The evangelist has been a strong influence on the youth in a number of Senior High Schools in the country, using mainly his drug-mutilated life as his message to dissuade the youths from falling into the pit of drugs.

DAUGHTERS CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF GOSPLE MUSIC

Ghana’s surviving gospel musical group Daughters of Glorious Jesus have resolved that only death could put them asunder as a musical group , and nothing would compel them to go their ways after two and half decade of union. 

The award winning gospel music group who have eleven albums to their credit and set to commemorate their twenty fifth anniversary celebrations with special musical activities all over the country this year . 

Speaking to Dave Hammer Berima on his weekend entertainment flagship programme entertainment review in Kumasi, the affable Edna and sensational Cynthia reveled the journey in this long year of gospel music have been very challenging adding it only takes the intervention and the Grace of God to achieve this historic feat .the hit makers of ‘bebre na waye ama me afi yii ‘noted the lord through their music has won lost souls and also inspired changes especially in lives of the distressed. 

Elaborating on their twenty five years celebrations, the genial music group noted there wll be special event across the length and breadth of the country which will be climaxed with a grand event in Ashanti Region where the group hills.The group also expressed their heartfelt gratitude to their family, fans and love ones who contributed to their success throughout these years adding they have got a lot more to offer their fans in the coming years.

“I AM WAITING TO DIE”- CK MANN

Veteran Ghanaian hi-life musician, CK Mann was in a critical health condition early January this year.

In a current exclusive interview at his residence in Takoradi with Feeling Daddy on the ‘Penpenaa’ show on Spice 91.9 FM, CK revealed that it is true he was seriously ill, and even wished himself dead.

He also said that his health condition now is better as compared to his previous state but he is very old and where he has gotten to now, he is just waiting for the Lord.

When asked if the organizations which he is a part of, thus Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO) and Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) have been supporting financially, CK Mann’s son, Ato Mann, who has been taking care of him responded that “one Mr. Owusu of MUSIGA mostly calls on phone to check up on him, and one Rev. Leticia who is also a part of the organization normally pays us visits here.”

According to Ato, they refused financially support from any organization because they heard some reports in the media which suggested that they could not take care of their father. He stated that after all, they could take care of their father.

He added, “From what I have witnessed, some GHAMRO executives paid us visits twice when my father was sick, and gave him some royalties as well.”