FESTIVAL OF PLAYS ON TILL JANUARY 5

       Uncle ebo whyte’s ‘festival of plays’  on till January 5

Roverman Productions will once again present its annual Roverman Festival of plays, but this time  to celebrate 5 years of Uncle Ebo Whyte’s original plays.

All five plays will come off at the National Theatre from the 28^th of December to 5^th January 2014: What’s My Name, The Last Flight, The Day Dad Came, Apartment N1 and Men Run Women Cry.

In what’s my name, Dennis loves causing trouble and using his wits to outsmart everyone. He is convinced he is the smartest person alive. And “What’s My Name?” is only one day in the life of the unstoppable Dennis who leaves his boss exclaiming, “You are something else, you know that?’’

In ‘’What’s My Name?” is Uncle Ebo Whyte’s most hilarious play to date and explores how far wits can take anyone bold enough to live by it.

The Last Flight – Sunday 29th December 2013: Introducing Nash the braggart; Santo the customer service manager and Tracy, the stewardess. What do these three have in common with an illiterate grandmother, a bishop and his celebrity wife? Nothing! Put them all together in an airport terminal add tons of drama and you have ‘’The Last Flight’’ a hilarious, thought provoking play about the diversity of humanity.

The Day Dad Came – Wednesday, 1st January 2014: The Day Dad Came explores the issue of domestic violence – why love relationships become abusive; why people stay in them; and how to turn an abusive relationship around.

Apartment N1 – Saturday 4th January 2014: What really happened at Apartment N1? And why is a senior police detective losing her mind over what she is discovering in her investigations? Apartment N1 explores the issues of love, duty and fidelity.

Men Run Women Cry – Sunday 5th January 2014. Many are the things that can make men run and women cry.All plays are fun and lesson packed for the Christmas season.

THE J. MELO BRAND…I’M RISING TO THE PRESIDENCY

                             The J. MELO brand…I’m rising to the Presidency

Little John posing as a President

Some men are known to suck at multitasking. But my impression in this regard is being influenced by one man, who doesn’t only multitask but is exceptionally good at whatever he does. The General Telegraph set out to ask him how he does it and he gave us a deeper peek into his life as well. The excellent actor has a clothing line, a film school, and a hotel, (yet to officially open), a recording studio and a couple of other business lines. But that’s not enough for the chap, whose wildest dream is to become Ghana’s president someday. Here’s to John Matthew Setor Dumelo, the actor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and possibly in the next 20 years, Ghana’s President.

John and his big sis in baby thief

      ABOUT JOHN IN HIS OWN WORDS

John describes himself as a simple, down to earth and a happy go lucky person who loves all he does. “I love God, I love my family, I love my job and I love charity work. Getting him to choose his favorite amongst all he does was futile. He simply said “I love all of them.” John’s acting stared in 1991 when he stared in the movie, “Baby Thief” with his elder sister. After that John was completely off the screens until he entered the University where he stared in a number of TV series, including the infamous “Sun City”. John can now boost of over a 100 movies and screen appearances.

Baby John and Dad

The handsome gentleman says his career as an actor has been very eventful. “Being an actor and a public figure has so many sides. There are so many stories about you that are not true. Anybody can just get up and say anything about you and others would believe. You’ve more or less sold your private life and have no privacy anymore. But the good side is that you are recognized all over the world, and sometimes you get certain privileges”.  With this as a guide, John manages to glide through each day without getting on the wrong side of people especially the media. He admits however that, doing so requires a lot of tact and a third eye. “It’s very hard sometimes, I have been in trouble a couple of times, but you have to always be very careful about people who approach you, friends and even family, but most especially friends.  

John in Achimota school then

People come to you and they smile with you just because they want something from you. So I have been skeptical about people that approach me, but I try as much as possible to be friendly with everybody but at the same time, I have a third eye for unscrupulous behavior.” He stated and advised all public figures to be careful what they do in public while watching out for their family and friends because they could do them in. “You may think you are having some fun in your little corner but the next thing you see is someone has taken a picture of you and it is all over the internet:” food for thought from the horse’s own mouth.

WHAT HE THINKS OF ACTING AND THE MOVIE       INDUSTRY IN GHANA

According to the entrepreneur “Acting is like playing football” you start playing at a young age but by the time you are 30 “ they start relegating you and you die off, but because of the passion you have for it, you can still become a technical director, or a coach. 

John with Majid in an interesting scene

I hope to be in acting and the movie industry for a longer time but even if I’m not acting, I have a passion for directing, and producing and I know am going to be in the movie industry for a longtime,” another business idea.

He believes that the Ghana’s Movie Industry is a gold mine.”

 “Everywhere I go, people ask if I’m from Ghana, and they tell me how much they love our movies. In Africa, it’s only Ghana and Nigeria, but in terms of quality, people love more Ghanaian Movies. So we are sitting on a gold mine and I would definitely love to contribute to the movie industry in Ghana.

  JOHN’s BUSINESSES AND WHAT NEXT AFTER MASELO COURT

John standing at MASELO court

We asked John, “With all these going for you, what else are you looking at doing?” and he said “Pilot (with a grin)”.   The owner of the J.Melo Brand and the Maselo Court (Hotel) is looking to own a plane. He seems to never stop dreaming as he revealed that he is looking to turn his film school the “John Dumelo Film Academy” into a University within the next few years. The school currently has about 30 students, and he hopes that, the number will increase when the next session opens in January. He runs all these along with his civil engineering firm. 

The firm, which currently builds houses for clients, has plans of building a little city in the Eastern part of Ghana. When asked how he does it, “I have so many dreams; I just wait for an opportunity and I grab it”. One of his biggest dreams is to own an airline. 

John and mum in his house by one of his cars

But the most surprising is his dream to become the president of Ghana, “my wildest dream is to be president of Ghana in about the next 20 years.” He stated emphatically and with a lot of optimism.

As for his vibrancy in terms of work and charity, John admitted that it is not easy combining the two. “If you want to raise money for charity, it will take a long time.”  He then advised his colleagues to always start small “even if you start with ȼ300.00 you can touch the lives of so many people. I want to entreat every Ghanaian to give to charity, even if it is just ȼ100.00”. 

John doing charity work in Liberia

John has set the pace in this regard.  Through 
his car wash programme last year he raised ȼ2,000.00, which he donated to charity. The philanthropist has also sponsored a couple of people through university education; donated to deprived schools in the Eastern and Central regions as well as in Cote D’Ivoire. He hopes to do more.

  HIS LOVE FOR CARS

With inspirations from Ghana’s Boxer Bukom Banku, John Mathew Kofi Setor Dumelo told the General Telegraph “as a gentleman, what makes you is the car you drive, the shirt you wear and the shoe you wear. Yes a man is not a man unless…but am geared more towards fancy cars. 

John with one of his cars

So I love to own a good car, but not necessarily an overly expensive one.” Surprisingly Setor’s number of cars has reduced from five as at last year, to two. “Yes, I am a businessman so if someone likes it, I just sell it to them.”

THE FUN & FAMILY MAN

In recent times, John has been in the news for singing with Sarkodie.  But he let out funny squeals, when he was asked to sing a line. “I don’t sing, I can’t sing to save my life, but I did it for fun and will do so again should I get the chance to. But I don’t have any plans of doing an album or anything of that sort...”  

Though he seems to be doing so many things at a time, Matthew’s Family is still proud of him and supports him all the way. One would wonder if John would ever settle down and how he would manage family/business life, considering all that is going on in his life. Here was his response, “I believe when you get married, it will come naturally. It will just come naturally, because you know it’s your responsibility.” Hakuna Matata : it means no worries for that lucky lady.

John and his Dad in a handsh

THE TELEGRAPH 3 THINGS GAME

Here are three things, you probally did not know about John Dumelo;

He loves to sleep on the floor all the time, he loves ‘Nkatecake” (a local sweet made of groundnuts) and “sometimes I  wear my boxers twice, though I have  over a 100 of them.

Don’t be surprised, he is a star but still human.

                                         

SUCKING OF BREAST DOES NOT PREVENT BREAST CANCER – DR (MRS) WIAFE ADDAI

          Sucking of Breast does not prevent breast Cancer -DR (MRS) Wiafe  Addai

The CEO of the Peace and Love Hospitals, Dr (Mrs) Beatrice Wiafe Addai has debunked rumours that sucking of breast prevents breast cancer. Speaking at a seminar organized by the Ministry of Transport, the Consultant Breast Surgeon denied media reports some two years ago that sucking of breast reduced the risk of breast cancer infection.

Dr. Addai interacting with staff from the ministry

The supported BBC report which was carried by the media Joy Fm in August 2010 revealed that breast sucking by men and women can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer for both sexes. The report further promoted breast sucking.

Dr Wiafe Addai who is also the president of Breast Care International, dismissed the research saying there is no such thing as breast sucking to reduce breast cancer. “The research is a big lie. My outfit followed the story and I personally made calls to my friends outside the country and no one seems to know about it. How can we explain scientifically that sucking of breast avoids breast cancer? It is not true. There is no primary prevention for breast cancer yet”. She yelled.

Answering question on men sucking breast, Dr Wiafe had this to say “they say men do not stop breastfeeding, so they are our last borns. We can’t stop them from doing that and it is obvious that it is a game enjoyed by all. Men when it comes to that stage their mind is not there, so if you keep quiet, they think you are enjoying it, so they will do it more. We should all be careful of how we handle the breast. It is a soft organ and should be handled with care. Women should not suffer at the expense of their husband’s enjoyment”. She advised.

In an exclusive interview with the General telegraph ,  the consultant surgeon disclosed that the country does not owe a Cancer registry, this she blamed on the fact that cancers has not been the countries priority for a long period of time. She added that this defect makes it difficult to account for the number of cancer cases reported yearly. In addition, the inadequacy of mammograms and trained personnel’s in all the regions to help in screening processes makes it difficult to create awareness.

An infected breast

Dr. Wiafe Addai disclosed that the National Health Insurance caters for the medications for breast cancer, but does not cover the screening process; she was however optimistic that per the president’s promise last Saturday at the walk, the screening will be included in the health insurance.

Touching on some risk factors for breast cancer, Dr Wiafe advice women to desist from applying unknown pomade to their breasts, pushing their breasts up and wearing brassieres with rings in them, adding that they can be worn once in a while, but not always. She further enumerated that the use of some Agricultural products, like DDT which have been banned the world over  and the impact from the environment are few of the risk factors  for breast cancer, since there is no known cause.

When asked if her aim for embarking on awareness creation for 12 years has been achieved, she disclosed that 12 years is short a time to achieve the aim of awareness creation. “12 years in the life of an organization is a long time but not much. In our part of the world where we have myths and misconceptions surrounding the disease there is the need to do more. Creating awareness helps reduce fear and demystify rumors surrounding the diseases”.

“Five years back, we were not getting survivors, but now we have and they are bold and we still have a lot of work to do. I believe together we can make an impact. We don’t want to see women come to the hospital with breast cancer in the worst form. We could not wait for them to come to the hospital, so we had to do that. She emphasized”.

Dr. Wiafe Addai called for the use of the private public partnership (PPP) among individuals and private institutions to help in creating awareness. According to her, her outfit aside creating awareness has trained 100 nurses for the ministry of health and is hoping to do more. Currently there are over 500 cancer survivors in an association who act as counselors and help in the awareness creation.

One of such survivors Raheemah Quaye who also is Miss Breast Cancer survivor 2012/2013 shared her experience on how her husband abandoned her and her family also stigmatized her thinking she was infected with HIV/AIDS.

Mrs Quaye thanked Dr Wiafe Addai for helping her stay alive and encouraged all women that  one could live  through breast cancer.

NORTHERN AFFAIR COMES TO TOWN

                      

                                  Northern Affair comes to Town

                             …As Jon Germain debuts his acting carrier

Joselyn Dumas is a beautiful nurse married to Jon Germain, a rich and abusive husband. She falls in love with John Dumelo, a medical doctor living in a village, where she was posted to. Her husband shows up one and the story continues…

Jon Germain and sister Mabel

Northern Affair, the much talked about movie directed by Leila Djansi, was on last Thursday premiered for a cross section of the media. One thing that was noticeable apart from the excellent location was the acting skills of presenter, musician and now actor Jon Germain.

In an interview with the movie debutante, he couldn’t hide his surprise at his own performance, “This is my first time acting in a movie. I have never acted before.

Leila flanked by John and Joselyn

I never thought I could act - it took my sister, Leila and my mother to convince me to take this up. I had been receiving scripts for a very long time but I always told them I don’t think I can act. So I think I did my best.” He stated adding that that the experience has caused him to revere actors in a special way, as it takes a lot of effort for a flawless act.

Director Leila Djansi stated that the movie, which bears a semblance to “And Then There Was You”, was shot for commercial purposes. “I just wanted to be a little bit more commercial and do something for fun. It’s simply a love story, just a passion project for all of us.” She stated.

Beverly flanked by John Dumelo&Jon Germain

The passion project turned out well and would be “outdoored” at a grand red carpet premiering event at the National Theatre in Accra on January 3, 2014. Written and directed by Leila Djansi, it is produced by Access Media, owned by Mabel Germaine with support from Ifactory Live.

The movie was premiered in Ho during the Christmas. 

MY SON HAS NO WIFE- RONNIE'S FATHER DECLARES

                    My son has no wife – Ronnie’s father declares

The late singer Ronnie

Father of the late Ronnie Coches, Decarlo Coches Quainoo, has stated that his son had no wife at the time of his death.

He added that his son never married any of the women who are parading themselves as the wife of the late singer. According to him, they were all his girlfriends.

“He is not married to any of the women. They are all his girlfriends”, he stressed.

In an exclusive interview with this journalist, Decarlo further disclosed that he had knowledge of five children, out of the seven acclaimed children of Ronnie.

“I know he has three children, till he later told me he has two more, making five”, Decarlo stated.

When asked about the fondest memory he has of his son, since he was not around him most of the time, he said; “I like his stubborn nature, though he does not listen to me most of the time. His handsomeness, I am sure he picked from me. “ That is why all the girls were after him”.

Decarlo Coches Quainoo, father of Ronnie

Decarlo, who admits that he did not have a close relationship with his son due to his constant travels out of the country, is not happy about information in the media that his son had about a thousand girlfriends. He has cautioned the media and all who seek information about Ronnie and his children to contact the office of MUSIGA or his office (Decarlo) at Anyaa.

The father of the musician expressed his appreciation to all for supporting them in their grief.

Ophelia Adusei, the "recognised" wife of Ronnie

In a related development, a friend of the late musician (name withheld) revealed to this  journalist  that the late musician had seven children with seven different women. According to her, the eldest is 13 years and each of the children lives with their mother, since the musician did not perform his fatherly obligation. She added that Ronnie’s mum has no knowledge of some of her grandchildren, but she only got to meet some of the children, a day after the singer’s demise in their family home.

Our informant also confirmed to this paper that Ronnie married one lady in the US for his papers, to confirm his stay in the US. According to her, Ronnie lived with Ophelia Adusei for 11 years and Ophelia is somehow the “official” wife known to the family.

One of the five baby mama's of the singer

The rather sad informant also disclosed that Ronnie had been complaining of heart pains for a while, mostly after every stage performance. She said the singer never paid close attention to the problem, till it became severe.

The ex-member of Buk Bak hiplife group, Ronnie, 36, was the first of four children. He died Thursday morning November 21, at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital after a heart attack.

End

NADIA BUARI EDUCATES ON DRUGS THROUGH "DIARY OF IMOGEN BROWN"

Nadia Buari educates on drugs through "Diary of Imogen Brown"

Actress Nadia Buari has denied speculations that her reason for moving into the production of her own movies is that scripts were not coming in.

On the contrary, the actress stated that she had been waiting for the right scripts that would challenge her craft, which she never had. She added that she has never played a drug addict or a retard role before, hence being the lead role in her own production “Diary of Imogen Brown”.

In an exclusive interview , the actress explained that many people auditioned for the lead role, but none of them made it for the role. According to her, she never wanted to be a part of the cast. She wanted to enjoy her new role as writer, producer and director.

“When I started I wanted to have someone play the Imogen character. I wanted to give people the opportunity to showcase their talent, but it is not about I have to do it all. It’s a project that is dear to my heart that I wanted to execute, but the thing is after months of auditioning, I was not able to get the right character and I was waiting for the right time. I was also looking for an unknown face to play the character of Imogen brown, since it is a huge character, I just did not get that and so in the end, I decide to play the role since I was not getting anyone”, she explained.

Nadia at the premiere

The actress who has been absent from the screens for a while, further stated that the movie project was not the reason for her absence, she said “every time I have to work on this movie something comes up, either am on set for a movie or I have to be away for a while and I always say, since it’s my movie I can work on it later, but I realize there is no perfect time”.

According to Nadia, Diary of Imogen brown, a real life story is aimed at telling everyone and mostly the youth, who make up over 50 per cent of Nadia’s fan base that drug is a killer. “They should just know that the movie is to showcase the effects of stress individuals undergo in challenging relationships and their recovery processes. A lot of times when you are going through stuff, you feel like this burden is too big for me and what can help me overcome it- they result to drugs and alcohol, which end up hurting themselves and crushing, as opposed to the super hero person, they thought they would have become. Drug is a killer”, she iterated.

Some of the cast members in the play

Answering questions from a section of the media at the premiere of the movie at the conference centre, Nadia admitted that juggling her role as a director, writer and producer was amazing, a herculean and challenging task for her, but she found strength.  The actress added that her decision to move into movie production and direct stems from the fact that she studied and majored in theatre arts in school, so it was right for her to put that into practice.

At the press conference, her Hollywood “boyfriend” of BFF as she calls him (Jim Iyke) was there to support as well. Being an actor and an inspiration for the movie, the actor disclosed that Diary of Imogen Brown went through four drafts before the final draft; he added that he offered support and “kept quiet and took orders for the first time, acted and got paid for it”.

Nadia supported by Jim Iyke at the Press conference

Nadia also revealed that all the characters in the movie with the exception of Mr Iyke auditioned for their roles. She said I wanted to use new talents, so it was difficult but in the end, all worked out well. Diary of Imogen Brown   is a story of a successful business woman who had it all and almost lost all due to drugs.

The movie according to Nadia, is not to make money but to send the message on the effects of drugs to a larger audience, hence the premiere in three different regions; Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi. She says that the movie is a Christmas gift to her fans; hence the subsidy of the premiere rate to GH 15.00 and proceeds from the movie is geared towards the Nadia Buari foundation.

On the Buari reality show, the actress said that it is on hold, since most of her family members are out of the country pursuing their education, but the reality show would resume, once they are all together again.” It’s something I want to showcase to the world. I’m blessed with a wonderful family; my mum, dad and my siblings and I feel like the world should know how blessed and lucky I am”.

Diary of Imogen Brown, which features the likes of Soraya Mensah, Heba Khaled, Kevein Boateng,Prince Mingles,Beatrice Dadson, Jim Iyke and Nadia was premiered in Accra at the Accra International conference centre on Decembver 23, 2013, Takoradi  at Akroma Plaza on Decedmber 24^th and In kumasi at the Golden Tulip Hotel  on December 26^th. Diary of Imogen Brown is a Nadia Sidiku Buari Production.

LEILA DJANSI'S HOLLYWOOD MOVIE IN GHANA

                           Leila Djansi’s Hollywood Movie in Ghana

“And then there was you,” the latest movie by UK based Ghanaian Director Leila Djansi last Friday successfully premiered at the Silverbird Cinema.

The movie, which took about a year to produce, received thumbs up from the large number of audience who flooded the auditorium to view it for the first time ever. Miss Leila Djansi explained that the movie, which is a love story, is about taking chances “and hoping that whatever you do is the best shot you are taking.” She stated.

A scene from the movie

The writer and director added that, the major challenge faced in the making of the movie was that of casting. “Casting was quite difficult because it was done during the pilot season,but ultimately it worked out.” She stated and mentioned that things were also easier due to the cast for the movie, “There is really not much difference between the Ghanaian and American actors because the talent is there, however, American actors have certain tricks to the trade, and they do it as a habit.” She added.

  

The movie will run for the next two weeks at the Silverbird Cinemas in Ghana. However, its official international premiering is slated for the 14^th of February 2014 on the DSTV, BET channel. Miss Leila Djansi hinted the General Telegraph of a possibility  that the movies will be put on CDs for sale.

According to Leila, who is also the producer of the movie “And then there was you”, another movie titled “Where Children Play” would be released next week, possibly at the Silverbird Cinemas. The movie is a feminist story about a woman finding healing.

Leila with some of her crew, Ama K and Azumah Nelson

Unlike her other movies, that were premiered in other regions in Ghana, “And then there was you”, would only be in Accra. Leila explained “I have lots of writing to do as am doing movies back to back, so I would not be able to take the movie round other regions in Ghana, but if people have DSTV they can watch the movie on BET, since BET bought the rights from DSTV.

The entertainment desk asked Leila Djansi where she gets her inspiration for writing from and this was her answer “I will never write about something I cannot relate to. Something that is at my heart is something I would write about. My parents are philanthropists. They are social workers so I get to meet people and they tell me about their challenges.  So they are stories related to people.” She explained.

Leila with some of the cast

Amongst the celebrities at the premiering was legendry Ghanaian Boxer Azumah Nelson and Ama K. Abebrese.

A scene in the movie

Leila Afua Djansi, is an American and Ghanaian filmmaker who started her film career in the Ghana film industry. She has lots of movies to her credits with the greatest and award winning being Sinking Sands, I Sing of a Well and Ties That Bind. The writer, director and producer has featured the likes of Jimmy Jean Louis, Ebbey Bassey, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and Yemi Blaq in her movies.

MEDIA AND BROADCASTING AWARDS 2013 LAUNCHED

           Media and Broadcasting Awards  2013 launched

THE Institute of Media Practice (IMP) has launched the Media and Broadcasting Awards (MaBA) at a ceremony in Accra.

The ceremony at the Silver Lounge witnessed the president of the Institute, JOT Agyeman, mentioning that the MaBA had been conceived about ten years ago.  He added that the awards would  be an annual event that seeks to recognize and honour individual journalists and media organizations for excellence in specific areas of national life, including health, education, sanitation and entertainment.

                                                                                        

President of the Institute of Media Practice (IMP)

He further added that the jury for the Media and Broadcasting Awards had been  mandated to come up with awardees, who would  be proper role models and examples of what  true media practice in Ghana is.

“We will guarantee that as we hand over the baton, those who will take our place will see in us a profession worth living and dying for”, he reiterated.

Unlike other Media and Broadcasting awards, the MaBA will establish a Media and Broadcasting Hall of Fame, where exceptional media practitioners with long proven records will be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame. Also, the MaBA will award a Media and Broadcasting Student of the Year as well as the Media Entrepreneur of the Year.

In his  address, the president also announced that come March 7, 2014, the  jury  made up of  Kofi Akpabli, author and two-time CNN African Journalist of the Year  award winner, Kofi Tsikata, Senior Communication Specialist, World Bank Ghana Office;  Akwasi Agyeman, Vice-president  of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association; Florence Toffa,  Country Director, Mobile Web Ghana and Kofi Bucknor, a former  Director of Television  at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation,  who is the jury president, will come up with the names of the nominees for the 16 categories of the awards.

JOT Agyeman expressed optimism that those who will emerge the  eventual winners in the various categories will be proof that the future of the media landscape is very bright.

“I am confident that come 7^th of March 2014, the names of the great and the good will leave no doubt in our minds that the future of the media landscape is very bright”, he emphasized.

The launch of the MaBA was graced by some media practitioners and some of the jury members. It was supported by the National Media Commission and its Chairman, Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere.

The  awards  event is being organized by the  Institute of Media Practice (IMP),  a research-based media institute in West Africa  that offers  internationally  recognized research  and  data for organizations that require data for business.  It was this institute that compiled the Ghana Television Report.

THE GHANA MOVIE INDUSTRY AND SELF-OWNED PRODUCTIONS

The Ghana movie industry and self-owned productions!

MOVIE productions in Ghana look like a lucrative venture now.  This is akin to what obtains  in Nigeria, where most of the actors and actresses are shifting into movie productions. Our Ghanaian movie stars are also doing same.

First was Selasie Ibrahim with ‘The CEO’, ‘Shackles’ and ‘Secret Burden’. Then came  Lydia Forson with ‘The Masqueraders’ and Yvonne Nelson with ‘Single and Married’  and ‘House of Gold’.

Van  Vicker followed  with ‘The Hands of Time’ and ‘Joni Waka’;  Yvonne Okoro with  ‘The Contract’;  Kafui Danku with ‘Letters to My Mother’ and Bibi Bright with ‘Lost in His Glory’.

Selassie Ibrahim's production

Now Juliet Ibrahim is ready with her much-hyped and talked-about movie ‘My Number One Fan’,  and more will soon follow from the camps of  Zynell Zuh and Eddie Nartey who are  working on ‘When Love Comes Around’ and ‘Could This Be Love?’ respectively.

Cross-border collaborations

For most of these productions, the actors and actresses go to the extent of featuring actors based in Nigeria, South Africa and other countries beyond Ghana.  One other interesting twist is the introduction of popular comedians, musicians, their friends and siblings and now Big Brother housemates. One of my recent discoveries is the inclusion of some characters from the Kumawood industry.

Perhaps this development  is in response to the incessant pleas for English and Twi movie actors to work together or as a way of reaching the Twi audience in Ghana, who seem to enjoy more  of movies in the Agya Koo vein. In Zynell’s upcoming flick, it is reported that Nollywood lover  boy Jim Iyke is to be featured, while Eddie Nartey’s flick features Twi  actor Kwabena Nkansa, known as Lil Win; Confidence Haugen and good old Mikki Osei Berko.

Yvonne Okoro's production

This will be the first time that the ‘Golden Boy’ of  Ghanaian movies, Majid Michel,  will be acting alongside a Twi actor and the other characters aforementioned.  I am actually wondering how that will turn out and the medium they will be communicating in. My guess is that it will be a replica of the ‘Joni Waka’ saga by Van Vicker where Agya  Koo spoke Twi while Van portrayed the American boy.

Are the multiple roles necessary?

This advancement in the movie industry is a plus for these actors and actresses, but it is beginning to look like a competition, especially on the part of the females.  I wonder if their aim in shifting into movie production is either to prove a point or just to follow the crowd.  It beats me to see  actors and actresses turn producers and starring in their own movies. As one entertainment journalist friend of mine queried, ‘Is it a must for them to be in the movie as characters or is it that when they are not part, then  the movie will be incomplete?’ 

A star-studded production by Juliet Ibrahim

The picture is compounded when one considers the fact that  the actors are the directors as well as the producers of the same movie! How does that work? (I certainly would need some sound  education on this.)

On the other hand, I am tempted to ask the actors-turned-producers  if they ever wish to be considered for such roles by other producers. This is because if they are indeed producers, who would want to consider them for an acting role in a movie, or even a ‘waka pass’ one at that?

The latest production by Nadia Buari

On the whole, these self-owned productions are  generating  lots of competition in the industry, fostering collaborations between our Ghanaian stars and movie stars from other countries.  A marketer tells me, ‘It is helping the sale of the movies in our neighbouring countries and, above all, attracting the Twi market’.

My wish  is that diligent work would be done in connection with  these productions so that there will be variety in plots.  I believe there are yet more stories to tell and more discoveries of ‘wanabe’s’ to be done!

AND THE LEGENDS WENT AGOG!

AND THE LEGENDS WENT AGOG!

By Martha Teiko Daitey & Frank Owusu Ofori

It was all glamour and dance at the much awaited Kasapreko African Legends Night last Saturday. 

The show opened with a grand performance by Ben Brako, followed by Trigmatic, winner of VGMA artiste of the year 2011. He personalized his “Nobody knows tomorrow” song telling audience what he had to go through before attaining his current musical status. But the audience burst into laughter as KSM mounted the stage to give the audience a toast of what he is noted for, in his capacity as the MC for the night.

Then came Ofie Cudjoe and her relaxing songs. George Darko in his 30th year of music got the audience on their feet with his ‘Money Palava’ and ‘Akoo ti brofo’ tunes. This seemed as a warm up for the serious man Amakye Dede, who had the audience on their feet throughout his performance. Spirits were high by now, and the audience seemed well prepared for the Guest Artiste- Femi Kuti.

Fela performing on stage                                                                               

Indeed the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Femi’s stage entrance was a remarkable one. First came his group of about five trumpeters, followed by his dancers. The three singers dressed in Nigerian costume gave the audience an eye- popping dance art as a starter to Femi’s singing. But the legend toped it all, performing on the keyboard and saxophone alternatively.

The Son of Fela, sang in a similar theme as his dad, admonishing all Africans to fight against corruption and demand transparency from their governments. He questioned why young Africans still want to travel abroad in search of greener pastures. “We don’t need to go to Europe to make a living. Africa is beautiful and Europe saw. Africans must understand that this is what Europe wants to take away from us.” He marked. Femi added another spectacle to his energetic performance “sirened” his saxophone for about 10 minutes non-stop.

After successfully organizing the show for three years, Mr. Daniel Delung, “This is the third year, and it’s been very successful so far. It’s here to stay. We are getting better and better each year, so watch out for the next one,” he said not agreeing to disclose the guest artist for next year.

The event was graced by lot dignitaries including the former first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and some ministers of state. Hon. Seth Acheampong MP for Mpraeso expressed his view on the programme. “It is very useful, coming especially at a time where the nation is recovering from the whole court issue. The timing is very appropriate for winding down after working through the year.”

End

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT TELENOVELAS?

What is special about telenovelas?

First of the many telenovelas to be aired on TV

TELENOVELAS swept through Ghana in the early 2000’s with the introduction of Esmeralda, a telenovela released by Televisa in 1997. It was aired on TV3, then owned by the Malaysians.

It was a new TV station at the time and viewers caught the bud and relished the viewing experience. As many got glued to their TV sets, they fell in love with the telenovela and thus helped in making Esmeralda, one of the most famous telenovelas in Ghana. Other TV stations were soon to follow, including GTV, the Station of the Nation.

Prior to the introduction of Esmeralda, viewers had a taste of a Mexican soap opera dubbed “Acapulco Bay.” It received a resounding applause from the audience and there were reports that some houses were razed down by fire as a result of the  soap opera, since it was aired during one of Ghana’s “dum sor, dum sor” days.

For those who may not know what a telenovela is, here is a little education to help: It is a limited-run serial dramatic programming quite distinct from   soap operas, for telenovelas come to an end after a long run (generally less than one year). Telenovelas, which are sometimes called "tassels" or "comedias,” are produced primarily in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries and are usually shown during prime time. 

The medium has been used repeatedly to transmit socio-cultural messages by incorporating them into storylines. They are also popular in the Philippines and North America.

Soap operas are usually referred to as such because they are serial dramas on television or radio featuring multiple related story lines dealing with the lives of multiple characters. Some soap operas have been known to run for decades.

One of the many soap operas still running on our screens

A flood of telenovelas

Esmeralda told the story of a poor blind girl who fell in love with a rich handsome guy. Her vulnerability and, of course, the rich family’s objection to the marriage kept viewers glued to their  seats. Then came ‘Pangako sa yo’  (Promise to You), ‘La mujer de mi vida’ (The Woman of My Life), La Usurpadora (The Usurper), ‘Valentina,’ ‘Las dos caras de Anna’ (The Two Faces of Anna), ‘La Revancha’ (The Revenge), ‘Cuando seas mea’ (When You Are Mine), ‘Juana La Virgen’ (Joana the Virgin).

FEW OF THE EARLIEST TELENOVELAS

Shortly thereafter, we had ‘Rosalinda,’  ‘Rebecca,’ ‘En nombre del amar’ (In the Name of Love), ‘Passion de gavilantes’ (Passion of Hawks), ‘La hija de jardinero’ (The Gardener’s Daughter),’ Mi pecado’ (My Sin), ‘Teresa’ (Theresa), ‘Tormenta en el paraiso’ (Storm in the Paradise), ‘Mar de amor’ (Curse by the Sea), ‘El cuerpo del deseo’ (Second Chance).

LATER TELENOVELAS

      

                 

Quite recently, all TV stations have been flooded with the likes of ‘El clon’ (The Clone), ‘Un refugio para el amor’ (A Shelter for Love), ‘Triunfo del amor’ (Love Triumph), ‘Lola Calamidades’ (Lola Calamities), ‘En nombre del  Amor’ (In the Name of Love), ‘La tormenta’  (The Torment), ‘Corazon Salvaje’ (Wild Heart), ‘La que no podia amar’ (The One Who Could Not Love). Now we have ‘Una Maid en Manhatta’ (Maid in Manhattan), ‘Collar De Esmeraldas’ (Emerald Necklace), ‘Corazon Indomable’ (Wild at Heart), and many more in the offing.

                                               

          RECENT TELENOVELAS

             

            

Telenovela mania?

Like many other girls, I was enthused and obsessed with telenovelas. I never missed a single episode. I remember halting my studies for exams the next day in order to watch my favourite  telenovela “Second Chance.” My passion for telenovelas was so intense that I could navigate from station to station to watch each and every telenovela. Surprisingly, I had each story line in mind and to a large extent, Youtube became my friend as I always either read the story line or watched via the internet. No wonder guys always say all girls love telenovelas. It is worthy of note that the elderly (teachers, parents, traders), virtually all age groups have joined the bandwagon. Believe it or not, some men cannot do without telenovelas.

Self-scrutiny

Now looking back, I keep asking myself, What benefits have I derived from watching telenovelas? Aside from getting entertained, intrigued and being kept in suspense to envisage what was going to happen next, I honestly feel I have wasted precious hours.  Admittedly, the plots got most people glued to their seats, but let’s face it; telenovelas generally end in the same way, a white wedding or simply acceptance.

Frankly, my love for telenovelas has faded because personal experience with these telenovelas has taught me that it is always a battle of good against evil, a poor girl who is looked down upon ends up falling in love with the rich, or the lead characters find love in the first instance, then break up and then the rest of the story unfolds with they getting back together, with the odds weighing against them. Personally, ‘Second Chance’ and ‘El Clon’ featured different story lines, but in the end love still triumphed.  That has been the recurrent pattern. So I ask, what really is special about telenovelas? Is one story really different from the other?

Those who doubt the above observations may benefit from research from the search engine of Wikipedia which shows that couples who kiss each other in the first minutes of the first episode sometimes stay together for many episodes before the scriptwriter plots a breakup and by the time the telenovela gets to a climax, the couples are united again.

If you are a regular patron of telenovelas, you will notice that they are so predictable that you can miss a couple of episodes and still catch up with the fun and excitement.  This has been the trend of telenovelas from time immemorial and it is sad we have never realized it. I guess when they write ‘Fin’ (End) for any telenovela, we as viewers are satisfied that the cause of justice was served and that those of deviant character deserved what they got!

Sadly, there is a fierce competition between TV stations over who gets the largest viewers.  Considering that telenovelas steal so much of our precious time, it is not healthy that some stations air more than one at a time on any given day.  My investigations reveal that the TV stations pay some rights to the owners of these telenovelas. So is it a way of pulling “traffic” to their station or it is a money-making venture to attract sponsors?

My honest opinion is that  if the TV stations do not  have  anything to show, they should bring back old shows like ‘Taxi Driver,’ ‘Inspector Bediako,’ Thursday Theatre, ‘By the Fireside,’  ‘Children’s  Own’ and all the truly wholesome entertaining stuff that mesmerized us and moulded our childhood right through adolescence.

For the many critics in Ghana, entertainment content is gradually becoming an issue of national concern and needs to be seriously addressed. Are parents not at all worried to see their children glued to TV sets watching telenovelas at the expense of schoolwork?  Telenovelas are fairy tales and life certainly is not a fairy tale!

Finally, to the many TV stations and those yet to spring up, kindly direct your attention more to local content and put a stop to the multitudinous telenovelas. Some of us are just tired of them. We now yearn for wholesome, local entertainment.

End