MEETING MY EXES, WAS NOT A MISTAKE - ACTRESS

Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, has explained that she has never made mistakes rather, she has made few bad choices.

Tonto stated that rather for the mistakes to hurt her, it helped position her to a fulfilled person.

He further revealed that from her past relationships, to jobs and friends, encountering them were not mistakes but a stepping stone for her through life.

She admitted that she has learnt a lot from her past which has helped make her a better person, adding that the only thing that can weigh a person down is by not believing in your ability.

“AMBOLLEY NEEDS RE-EDUCATION ON THE UNION”- MUSIGA REACTS

The Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) wishes to categorically deny the contents of a news report published by a section of the media, on Wednesday September 17, 2014, in which a senior musician, Blay Ambolley, was quoted to have accused the Union of excess thievery and dissipation of funds of Starr fm.

We find the continues accusations supposedly coming from Mr. Blay Ambolley to be a wicked untruth deliberately put out to create public disaffection for the Union and also to incite its members to unnecessary anger.

The accusations have no basis, they lack merit and do not make sense when juxtaposed by the verifiable facts and figures available on the matter. We therefore call on our members, stakeholders and the general public to disregard them.

In responding to some of his unfounded allegations, Ambulley and other contestants who lost during the elections in Tamale in 2011 were invited immediately to join the current leadership to work together as formidable team for the good of the industry but he never showed up.

His inability to give straight forward answer when the Host of the programme on star FM Bola Ray asked him “will you accept an invitation to work with the current leadership’ sparks a question mark on him as to what could he had offered differently if he was the President of the Union.

Here is a Musiga presidential aspirant who does not even understand that funds are not released before utilization plans are discussed. Perhaps Mr. Ambulley should know that, the government budget allocation to the Union in 2012 was project specific and nothing else. The Ghana music week events of 2013 in particular were one of the components for which the government allocation was made.

Again Mr. Ambulley purports to be interested in training of young musicians and can criticize the work of the Union yet do not know that the Union is currently working on a training programme in collaboration with NAFTI(soon to become University of Media and Creative Arts) under the MUSIGA Academy project.
I will be glad to see him as one of the instructors of this training programme.

One may ask Mr. Ambulley, what was the leadership and administrative structure he worked with when he was the vice president of the Union over two decades ago? Did they have any administrative or management staff? Did they have regional offices? Did they ever produce a single audited account to members? Was there any operational and financial manuals?

This and more are all being done at the moment. What kind of
Hypocrisy could this be? All because he is not the Union President, what anyone does is not right.

Where was Ambulley when the Union’s AMWEF Fund paid for hospital bills for many aged musicians, registered some with the National Health Insurance Scheme apart from benevolently distributing moneys to over 120 musicians who are above 60 years in Accra and Kumasi.

As a Union, we operate an open door policy of accountability and if Mr. Blay Ambolley, rather than making his unfounded comments in the media made a complain at the National office, whatever concerns he may have, he will have had the opportunity to further educate himself on the issues raised .
The Union, through our various channels of internal and external communications, has disseminated ample information on our various funds and our doors remain open to all persons who may seek further clarification on our activities. The Union on yearly basis publishes her audited financial and technical reports which are available for members.

Mr. Blay Ambolley, in his position as a senior member of the Union who even contested for MUSIGA Presidency at our last elections but did not win, should have taken advantage of the various channels of seeking information and handle his concerns in a manner that would be exemplary to our new members.

We once again would use this opportunity to invite all members of MUSIGA who are sixty years and above to register with the administrators of the Ageing Musicians Welfare Fund through our regional and National offices to enable them benefit from the fund.

Finally we thank all our members, stakeholders and the media for the support and goodwill shown to the Union over the years and we assure you that we would continue to work for the good of our members. (MUSIGA! Together in Rhythm)

Signed.: Appiah Dankwah(Appietus)

Member – MUSIGA Communications Team

"I MADE HALF A MILLION FROM 'MILLION POUND GIRL"

Award-winning Ghanaian UK-based Afro-beats artiste, Nana Richard Abiona, known in the showbiz industry as Fuse ODG, has disclosed that he made half a million record sales from his hit single ‘Million Pound Girl.’

The hit-song, which was at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart, went up to number 5 over a short period.

Explaining the rationale behind the song, the British-Ghanaian rapper said he wanted the song to diffuse negative perceptions that people held about women and at the same time empower them.

“The inspiration is for me to present women in such positive way and not just positive but also, for it to stand against such American songs that talk in a certain way about girls,” Fuse ODG told STARR DRIVE host, Bola Ray.

“You sometimes know when the pastor is talking; people don’t listen but when Lil Wayne is talking people listen. So I’m like a pastor talking like Lil Wayne but in a good way. So it can be played in the club and girls can tweak to it but at the same time I’m elevating them,” he joked.

Fuse ODG said Afro-beats is a movement that will soon take over the world. “Afro-beats is like the biggest black music in the UK right now because we are pushing it as a movement and so they love it out there. Every day you will hear our music on the radio that was not happening before,” he said.

He said the movement is positive because it is helping to change negative perceptions some people have about Ghanaians and Africans as a whole.

“Ghana is running things in the UK right now. In the top,10 is a Ghanaian… it’s us running it in the UK so definitely we are making it,” he added.

MUSIGA IS STEALING FROM MUSICIANS - AMBOLLEY

Evergreen highlife and Afro-jazz artiste, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, has accused executives of Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) of stealing from Musicians.

Ambolley, who was on STARR DRIVE with Bola Ray on Starr 103.5FM said he was saddened by what he referred to as the “retrogression” in Ghana’s music industry.

“Lots of retrogression going on. We are going back men”, the ‘simigwado man’ told Bola Ray.

Ambolley insisted that the current executives of MUSIGA are misusing their mandate and office.

“…That place is there for the welfare of musicians and they are not doing so”, he bemoaned, adding: “The government had to pump in about two million and that money should have been used for the welfare of Musicians and they are not doing so”.

When asked if he could not see how evidently well MUSIGA was doing following their recent ball, Ambolley said they were all cover-ups.

“All of them are cover-ups…I never lie…I know what I’m talking about. They’ve already misapplied it and their trying to do some cover-ups about music week and all that to throw some dust into the eyes of the public”, he stressed.

The old artiste who insists his music is better than what is being produced in recent years by young artistes, said he may not be willing to assist MUSIGA when invited to sit on the board.

“I would have to think about it. If I am invited to sit on the board. I don’t want to be a part and parcel of bad seed because I have a name to protect”.

"GOSPEL ARTISTES ARE AFTER MONEY"

President of Music Council of Ghana (MCG,) Ekow Micah, has stated categorically that many of the gospel musicians are only in for money.

He went on to describe them as “dead in spirit,” explaining that this was because many of them do not know what gospel music was all about.”

The president of MCG made the statement whilst contributing on 2 Degrees, an entertainment show on Pink FM in Kasoa in the Central region, at the weekend.

According to him, many of the Ghanaian gospel musicians fall short of “good vision” noting that that they are unable to tell the exact meaning of the gospel.

In his opinion, the word gospel denotes The Good News, which is all about Jesus Christ and the word of God.

He added that many gospel musicians also script songs which are not in no line with the Good News [the word of God].

“Most of the songs written by more than half of gospel musicians in the country are songs which are either talking about acquisition of wealth or receiving God’s blessings, adding that these songs lack the Good News which teaches us how to lead a good life in attaining eternal salvation,” he noted.

Mr. Micah also lamented the dress code of some of these “so-called” gospel musicians.

He opined that many of the gospel musicians were no different from pastors preaching the word of God, adding that they must dress well any time they come into the public eye and also in their private life.

“They [gospel artistes] forget they are empty vessels being used by God to preach His word. These musicians are only after money and do not care as to how they get it. It can clearly be seen in their way of dressing, from their clothes to their shoes and the wigs they put on their head,” Mr. Micah said.

In this regard, he warned gospel musicians to refrain from such practice.

BANDEX ADVISES SON

Father of Rahim Banda who is popularly known as Bandex has told Capital TV`s Entertainment Capital hosted by Sammy Flex that he showed sex tapes of unfortunate people to his teenage star, Rahim Banda.

During a discussion on Capital TV to verify how Bandex is managing his own son Rahim Banda, who has been touted to be Ghana`s number one child actor after winning numerous awards.

He spelt out some disciplinary measures including not allowing him to film during school days, giving him the chance and the opportunity to do the things he wants to do including allowing him a chance on the field as a footballer.

Bandex stated emphatically that, at the moment, he is not sure if movies will be his son`s first choice when he grows up in the future but he was quick to add that he will be giving that authority to him when he turns 18.

He added that now that he is still under age, the best he can do is to manage Rahim himself as a father and when he becomes an adult; he will find a manager for him as well.

When asked how he advises him with regards to proper upbringing and even about women, his statement came through as a shocking revelation as most of the issues he raised were very alarming.

"Because I know he is still a child, I try to correct him when he goes wrong and I point out some dangers in life to him. For instance, any time there is a sex tape out which becomes the talk about town, I make sure I show it to him to have a fair knowledge of it.

In the process, I make him aware that this can happen to him if he should make the mistake of indulging in some acts like this. He has seen almost all the sex tapes I had also seen before” he noted.

The question one will be asking at this time is why would Bandex do this knowing that Rahim is still a child, and he might not be able to differentiate between the good and the bad.

This was his response “the secret is that my brother if you don't show it to him in-doors, someone else will show it to him out-doors, and that might end up causing more harm than you will expect.

There are several occasions that he goes out with his friends alone without the company of any of his elder sisters or myself. So the best I can do, is to let him know the harm that can come out of his actions” Bandex told Sammy Flex during Entertainment Capital on Capital TV.

Meanwhile, Bandex is ready to release a new movie he calls Aisha, which featured Rahim Banda, Kwaku Manu and that Chinese looking lady under his Bandex Movies Production stables. Watch out for that movie soon!

"I DON'T NEED A HIT SONG"

Ghanaian songwriter Chemphe, born Henry Agyekum introduced his style of music some years ago which he named 'Urban Life'; a fusion of soulful R&B vocals and grooves from Ghana some years ago and years on, he has been stuck to his style.

In an exclusive interview with Flex newspaper last Saturday about his musical career, Chemphe said he doesn't worry too much when people think a song of his is not a hit. “Not every song becomes a hit. I can boast of 'Number 1', which equally had impact and even better because I had several nominations in the country.

There are songs that have made me popular around the world that doesn't necessarily mean it made me popular in Ghana. It's music, and it's not just about portion of people, is your target audience,” he said.

He indicated that musically he is doing great because he is accepted all over the world and that he is not too eager to come out with a hit song that will be washed away within three months.

“I want to do a song that will last in people's heart and what they can relate to, that's why I did 'why you dey treat am bad' because in that song it talks about how women are being abused.

1You can't determine a good song or a hit song according to what you hear on the radio because when you enter into the club or people's cars, there are songs that are played which are not on the radio. Most people will love to listen to great music and most people think Ghanaian music is noisy but thank God, when my songs come out, they are being sold,” he added.

Chemphe also intimated that he is recognized internationally because he blends African languages and English. According to him, in the outside world they love messages and melodies but in the African system people love rhythms and say less in the music.

“So all the music we do are disposable music. They last for two or three months. In the outside world, they love melodies so after years they still have shows on songs they have sung five years ago.

I am the only Ghanaian on the world chart show; no Ghanaian has been on the world chart show. I am the world ambassador of the YMCA the biggest and largest community in the world,” he concluded.