NO MORE ADVERTS OF KUMAWOOD MOVIES ON ACCRA-BASED RADIO STATIONS?

In situations like this, one is likely to ask more questions than answers because the only solution one is looking for is where we went wrong as a people.

Again, the work of the media will once again be questioned since it is believed that it is not easy for a business entity to deliberately ignore the media and what their activities entail.

On record, Flex newspaper reporters have monitored low patronage of advertisement of Akan movies in Accra, and we see that as a disturbing factor at this time that we all need to put our hands on the desk to support the growth of the movie industry.

At a point on various Accra-based radio stations, one type of a commercial that inundated our airwaves were Part 1 & 2 with a cartoon voice supporting the real advertisement message.

At that same time Kwame Dzokoto, a popular television and radio personality became more famous because his voice was used for all the voice over which was used for the radio commercials.

It can be said that the average radio station enjoyed enough of the booty until recently that we seemed not to be hearing anything on Akan movies, therefore, the need to look out for answers.

To make matters clear, Flex newspaper spoke to the Public relations officer of the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) Ola Michael, and he confirmed our fears in that regard.

Read what he told this paper when we called him on the phone last Monday. “Every business person knows his catchment area and his target market so the movie producers have also come to the realization that their market, geographically is changing to the hinterlands.

They are now having more and more people patronizing their movies in regions like the Brong Ahafo region, Ashanti region and Northern region so they seem to be paying more attention to advertising in those areas than in Accra.

They have recorded low sales in Accra over the months, and that alone is discouraging them from advertising on Accra radio” he told Flex newspaper in a telephone interview last Monday.

Should the media in Accra be blamed for this new development because we continuously castigate movies produced in our Akan language as being of low quality?

This is an exact situation of the adage “If a fetish priest calls doom to his village, he should not forget that he or she lives in the same village."

GHANA’S SICKNESS BIGGER THAN EBOLA - WANLOV

Afro-gypsy musician, Wanlov the Kubolor, says there is a disease in Ghana that is deadlier than the Ebola virus or the Cholera that is currently killing a lot of Ghanaians.

According to Wanlov, instead of wasting their time in church, Ghanaians should concentrate on how to rid themselves of the diseases he calls ‘corruption’ and ‘lies’.

“We have a very serious sickness right now in the country. Ghana is currently hard because most of us don’t care about the country, we care about church and how nice heaven will be so we don’t want to fix the problems in Ghana.”

“Most people believe that instead of trying to solve our problems, we should rather pray. We are using prayer to waste time instead of doing the work we have to do to clean Ghana and make Her a better place. When I say clean Ghana, I’m not only talking about filth around which is bringing us the diseases like the Cholera that is killing us more than the Ebola. I’m talking about the corruption in our minds, hearts, the lies we tell to ourselves and believe them whiles we are lying to other people at the same time,” he told NEWS-ONE.

CASTRO, JANET BANDU NOT DEAD – POLICE

Missing hiplife artiste, Castro, and his female companion, Janet Bandu, can only be declared dead, per Ghana’s laws, after seven years and seven days.

Ada District Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Dodzi Hlordzi told Starrfmonline.com in an interview on Monday that as far as the Police and the Law are concerned, Theophilus Tagoe, as Castro is known off stage, and his female companion cannot be declared dead or said to have died until after seven years have passed.

This means Castro and Janet can only be declared dead or deemed to have died in July 2021. Until then, the law still recognises them as being alive.

According to Chief Supt Hlordzi, the families of Castro and Janet can only organise funerals for the two missing persons until after seven years and seven days.

Their estate, if any, can also be inherited, only after that period.

The two went missing early July while surfing the waves at Ada in the Greater Accra Region. Frantic searches by Marine Police have not yielded any results.

AMBOLLEY REVEALS WHY HE DIDN'T GO TO SECONDARY SCHOOL

The Simigwa do man, Gyedu Blay Ambolley, has revealed that he never attended secondary school because all the schools which existed at the time were Missionary schools, and he didn’t want his mind to be polluted with the doctrines and teachings of the west.

Speaking on Joy FM, Ambolley who regards himself as the ‘rap tree’ and Reggie Rockstone, a ‘branch’ of him said since the schools at that time were Missionary schools.

They came with the sole purpose of imposing their doctrines on Africans and he didn't want to be cajoled into believing certain things and accepting certain things as the truth," he said on Thursday, August 21, 2014.

The 'Sekonde' man is one of the living legends in the Ghanaian music industry with songs to his credit dating back all the way into the 70’s.

He’s travelled extensively around the world by air. He has benefited immensely from the royalty system existing in Europe and the Americas where he played several gigs- all of which were made possible by western education.

However, the Glo Ambassador said he decided not to attend secondary school for fear of having his brain corrupted, but rather took off with his music career right after basic education.

“All the schools at the time were called Missionary schools; Anglican, Presbyterian, Catholic and all those were missionary schools. So the curriculum, the books they brought the same time around. So they taught us what they wanted us to know, and that’s what I didn’t want to go through,” he said.

Gyedu- Blay Ambolley also added that he doesn’t regret his decision one bit and would have taken same now.

“Would you have taken the same decision, with the benefit of hindsight? I’m telling you my brother I would and I will.”

Arguably the rap originator, on the converse, defended why he allowed his son to go to the second cycle school. Ambolley said his son didn’t have any interest in music. He, therefore, had to let him follow and develop his dream.

“In making a choice, you know that I’m with music and he never took anything about music. He said he wanted to do something technical, so I made him go to a technical school,” he indicated.

Legendary Gyedu-Blay Ambolley is currently taking on the Guinness book of world records and is hoping it corrects an anomaly about who the originator of rap is in the world.

According to him, the rap group that has been credited with that feat, The Sugar Hill Gang released their song, 'rapper’s delight' in 1979 whereas his “first ever commercially recorded” rap song was released in 1973."

BARIMA SYDNEY SET TO TRAVEL TO LIBERIA ON SUNDAY

Based on the travel advisory issued by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hannah Tetteh at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, August 14, 2014; Barima Sydney has confirmed plans to travel to Liberia for the video shoot of the Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) campaign theme song titled, ‘Ebola; Africa must stand and fight together’.

The directive by Ms. Hannah Tetteh indicated “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on behalf of the Government of Ghana is advising all Ghanaian citizens not to travel to the Ebola affected countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia unless it is absolutely necessary. Even then we would encourage you not to travel especially given the accelerated presence of the Ebola disease.”

Speaking to GhanaWeb Entertainment, the controversial Hiplife musician, Barima Sydney said, “Finally, all is set for me to travel to Liberia on Sunday, August 31 to shoot the video to the campaign song to the deadly virus that has us all woes.”

“The shooting of the video will be a 2-working day which I will return to Ghana without the disease on Wednesday,” he noted.

According to Sydney, Mr. George Weah Oppong together with a France-based video production team came back to the country to conclude and have a final review on the concept of the video.

"Mr. George Weah Oppong upon his return from Ghana few weeks ago went to France to create the awareness there too opening an ‘Ebola Emergency Fund Account’ and also solicit for medical apparatus to ensure the safety of the entire campaign team members.

The France-based production team in support of the campaign is in this way contributing their quota to the awareness creation on the deadly virus,” he disclosed.

The campaign theme song titled, ‘Ebola; Africa must stand and fight together’ recorded under the cover of Lionel Peterson’s ‘Peace’ song, has been played on BBC radio and other international networks.

BIG BROTHER AFRICA UNLEASHES ‘HOTSHOTS’

Big Brother Africa, the continent’s biggest reality show, returns for its ninth season on Sunday, September 7, with the housemates competing for a massive prize pot of $300 000.

AfricaMagic can reveal that the new season will be known as Hotshots. This season’s housemates have hidden talents; they adore the spotlight and will let nothing stand in the way of their pursuit of fame and fortune.

Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, M-Net Africa regional director (West Africa), says viewers are in for almost as many surprises as the housemates.

“We work hard to make each season of Big Brother Africa bigger than the last — and we have really upped the ante this year,” she says.

“Big Brother Hotshots is going to bring viewers exciting innovations, heart-stopping twists and uniquely African glamour, 24/7 for 91 days.

“Both fans and housemates are in for some hard-to-miss television!”

The housemates will start the game in two ultra-glamorous houses which are built with magic, fun and mischief in mind.

For 91 days, they will do their best to outshine each other in the hope of convincing Africa that they are the continent’s biggest Hotshot.

They will party like A-listers, rub shoulders with celebrity guests and face formidable challenges while negotiating Biggie’s famous curveballs and twists.

The logo for Big Brother Hotshots hints at the glamorous aspects of this season but viewers will have to stay tuned 24/7 to see what Biggie has planned this season.

Nigerian star IK Osakioduwa, will once again be the host for the fifth time in a row.

DUMELO PRAYS FOR LIBERIA

Popular Ghanaian actor, John Dumelo, has called on Africans and the entire world to help eradicate the Ebola pandemic in West African, especially in Liberia.

The outbreak currently continues to spread in West Africa, with 142 more cases recorded, bringing a new total to 2,615 with 1,427 deaths, the World Health Organisation said on Friday.

Most of the new cases are in Liberia, where the government was delivering donated rice to a slum where 50,000 people have been sealed off from the rest of the capital in an attempt to contain the outbreak.

New treatment centres in Liberia are being overwhelmed by patients who were not previously identified. One centre with 20 beds opened its doors to 70 possibly infected people, likely coming from “shadow-zones” where people fear authorities won’t let doctors enter, the U.N health agency said.

Liberian fleeing with an alleged Ebola patient

The award winning Ghanaian actor seems to have also agreed with persons who think that the pandemic has a spiritual dimension and needs spiritual attention, as he took to social media to call for prayers for Liberia in particular.

“Let’s pray for Liberia #StopEbola,” John Dumelo said on Twitter last Thursdays.

Meanwhile more and more other African celebrities have been using their social media platforms to educate and create awareness about the virus and the ways to stop spreading it.