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

"Men Run while Women Cry" - James Ebo Whyte

Men Run while Women Cry

It was a night full of laughter for the audience who filled the National Theatre auditorium on Saturday 31^st August to watch the play “Men Run Women Cry” by Uncle Ebo White.

The play opens in a saloon with Efe, the owner of the saloon making some appointments for her clients. Becky enters the saloon to get made up for her wedding and few minutes later, Zoe barges in to explain her bizarre encounter with a man to Efe. While narrating her ordeal, the man enters the saloon, only to be identified by Efe as Yohan Frimpong, the one Becky is getting married to.

A scene in the  play " Men run women cry"

 The play which run for about an hour and half, combines humour with advice and managed to get the audience laughing at some very serious social occurrences. It also seemed to have pieces of advice for both men and women, either married or in a relationship.

In an interview with The General Telegraph Entertainment, Uncle Ebo White said “In men run, Women cry, we were exploring the dynamics in the relationship between men and women and the effects or impact of that on both parties. Whether the relationship is a harmonious one or a stressful one; it is not only one party that suffers, both suffers. Except that men would respond to the same situation in a different way and the women would respond to it in a different way. You will not see a man cry but he would run. A woman may not leave but she would be bleeding. Either one could spell doom for the relationship.”

Playwright  James Ebo Whyte in an interview with the media

Uncle Ebo with the cast in his latest play

He added that his aim was also to portray customer service in Ghana, and suggest some appealing ways that business owners can relate with their clients. “We were also trying to explore customer service so we were doing something more different for Ghana. We are looking at combining family issues with corporate affairs. If you look at the way the saloon was run, it was meant to project good corporate practice. So we were exploring some of the things in the society that we do not talk about. I think that every now and then we should draw attention to it.”

Some members of the cast in the play

Some of the cast expressed excitement at their roles and the feedback from the audience. Shirley Alexandre, who played Efe, said she faced a challenge of having to learn to script within a short period and was glad that things worked out eventually. Rudolf Annang , who starred as Juda (Efe’s Husband) said he also had a difficulty of having to learn how to speak improper English. He added that despite the challenge he faced he would not mind starring in subsequent plays of the playwright as this was his first time.  Some others mentioned that they also picked up lessons from their roles. 

The cast  doing a formation to end the play

WHY YOU SHOULD START DRINKING GREEN TEA NOW!!!!!!!!!

Why  you should start drinking Green Tea now!

 25 Reasons why you should start drinking Green Tea now (Antilipemic Tea from Tiens )

Green Tea has increasingly become a very popular drink worldwide because of its immensely powerful health benefits. It is extraordinarily amazing what Green Tea  can do for your health. And if you're not drinking 3 to 4 cups of Green Tea today, you're definitely NOT doing your health a big favour.

Here are the 25 reasons why you should start drinking Green Tea (Antilipemic Tea from Tiens) right now:

1. Green Tea and Cancer

Green Tea helps reduce the risk of cancer. The antioxidant in Green Tea is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times better than vitamin E. This helps your body at protecting cells from damage believed to be linked to cancer.

2. Green Tea and heart disease

Green Tea helps prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering the level of cholesterol. Even after the heart attack, it prevents cell deaths and speeds up the recovery of heart cells.

3. Green Tea and anti-aging

Green Tea contains antioxidant known as polyphenols which fight against free radicals. What this means is that it helps you fight against aging and promotes longevity.

4. Green Tea and weight loss

Green Tea helps with your body weight loss. Green Tea burns fat and boosts your metabolism rate naturally. It can help you burn up to 70 calories in just one day. That translates to 7 pounds in one year.

5. Green Tea and skin

Antioxidant in Green Tea protects the skin from the harmful effects of free radicals, which cause wrinkling and skin aging. Green Tea also helps fight against skin cancer.

6. Green Tea and arthritis

Green Tea can help prevent and reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Green Tea has benefit for your health as it protects the cartilage by blocking the enzyme that destroys cartilage.

7. Green Tea and bones:  The very key to this is high fluoride content found in Green Tea. It helps keep your bones strong. If you drink Green Tea every day, this will help to preserve your bone density.

8. Green Tea and Cholesterol

Green  Tea can help lower cholesterol level. It also improves the ratio of good cholesterol  to bad cholesterol, by reducing bad cholesterol level.

9. Green Tea and obesity

Green Tea prevents obesity by stopping the movement of glucose in fat cells. If you are on a healthy diet, exercise regularly and drink Green Tea;  it is unlikely you'll be obese.

10. Green Tea and diabetes

Green Tea improves lipid and glucose metabolisms, prevents sharp increases in blood sugar level, and balances your metabolism rate.

11. Green Tea and Alzheimer's

Green Tea  helps boost your memory. And although there's no cure for Alzheimer's, it helps slow the process of reduced acetylcholine in the brain, which leads to Alzheimer's.

12. Green Tea and Parkinson's

Antioxidants in Green Tea help prevent against cell damage in the brain, which could cause Parkinson's. People drinking Green Tea  also are less likely to progress with Parkinson's.

13. Green Tea and liver disease

Green Tea helps prevent transplant failure in people with liver failure. Researches showed that  Green Tea destroys harmful free radicals in fatty livers.

14. Green Tea and high blood pressure

Green Tea helps prevent high blood pressure. Drinking Green Tea helps keep your blood pressure down by repressing angiotensin, which leads to high blood pressure.

15. Green Tea and food poisoning

Catechin found in Green Tea can kill bacteria which cause food poisoning and kill the toxins produced by those bacteria.

16. Green Tea and blood sugar

Blood sugar tends to increase with age, but polyphenols and polysaccharides in Green Tea help lower your blood sugar level.

17. Green Tea and immunity :  Polyphenols and flavonoids found in Green Tea help boost your immune system, making your health stronger in fighting against infections.

18. Green Tea and cold and flu

Green Tea prevents you from getting a cold or flu. Vitamin C in Green Tea helps you treat the flu and the common cold.

19. Green Tea and asthma

Theophylline in Green Tea relaxes the muscles which support the bronchial tubes, reducing the severity of asthma.

20. Green Tea and ear infection

Green Tea helps with ear infections.  For natural ear cleaning, soak a cotton ball in Green  Tea and clean the infected ear.

21. Green Tea and herpes

Green Tea increases the effectiveness of topical interferon treatment of herpes. First, Green Tea compress is applied, and then let the skin dry before the interferon treatment.

22. Green Tea and tooth decay

Green Tea destroys bacteria and viruses that cause many dental diseases. It also slows the growth of bacteria which lead to bad breath.

23. Green Tea and stress

L-theanine, which is a kind of amino acids in Green Tea, can help relieve stress and anxiety.

24. Green Tea and allergies

EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate)  found in Green Tea  relieves allergies. So, if you have allergies, you should really consider drinking Green Tea.

25. Green Tea and HIV

Scientists in Japan have found that EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) in Green Tea  can stop HIV from binding to healthy immune cells. What this means is that Green Tea can help stop HIV from spreading.

Now, your health is in your hands. You know you're smart. So, start drinking three to four cups of Green Tea every day for a drug-free and healthier YOU!

By Hak Desain Milik Imanuel Sonny Winata. 2009.                       

EATING FRUITS - the benefits

EATING FRUITS - the benefits

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to
eat fruits.

What then is the correct way of eating fruits?

It means not eating fruits after your meals. Fruits should be eaten on an empty stomach. If you eat fruits like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

Why fruit is the most important food.

Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so.In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns
 to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.

So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals! You have heard people complaining - every time I watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet etc - actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!
Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will not happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

 There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

 When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, not from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins. But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice.

If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

Types of fruits and its importance

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.
 APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants &flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE: Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 orange a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

SAMPLES OF FRUITS

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.
Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer! Can you believe this? For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.

It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.

Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup, warm water after a meal.
 

HISTORICAL JUDGEMENT DAY BABIES

HISTORICAL JUDGEMENT DAY BABIES

By Eyra Doe and Martha Teiko Daitey

Thursday 29^th August, 2013, shall forever remain a historic day in the lives of Ghanaians. But like any ordinary day, it certainly marks the last day on earth for some people and the first for others.

Coincidently the number “29” seems to have some uncanny importance as the major persons involved  in the 2012 Election petition,  John Dramani Mahama and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, were both born on the 29^th-John was on the 29^th November and Nana 29^th March.

Though President John Mahama has not yet celebrated his birthday this year, some of his fans expressed the belief that this is a memorable day for him and the party.Consequently, out of sheer curiosity, The General Telegraph visited some health facilities in Accra just to find out the number of babies born on this historic day with the auspicious hope that they might all turn into great personalities someday.

As of 2: 00 pm on Thursday, the Osu Maternity Home, La General Hospital, Police Hospital, Korle Bu Hospital had recorded 1, 12, 1 and 15 births respectively, including a set of twins. This total of 29 babies consisted of 16 girls and 13 boys.

Most of these babies came at dawn and were all in good health as well as their mothers.

 A look at the historical judgment babies depicted innocent babies looking into the world with fresh eyes. With some crying and others sound asleep, we could only read from their faces, the need for peace to sleep some more and grow healthily.

Some mothers interviewed at the La General Hospital expressed appreciation to God and excitement at the sight of their babies.  The words of one echoed all of them: “We are grateful to God for a successful delivery and we know that the court ruling will be as smooth as our delivery.”

The mothers were optimistic as well that the babies would bring luck to the nation in these historic moments.

A mother who could not hide her excitement, proudly told us that given the opportunity by her husband, she would gladly name her son “Yaw Ghana Verdict”. Who knows, perhaps the lady your son may go in for in years to come might be “Yaa Verdicta”.

 Just as the mothers expected, Ghana indeed has become the victor in the end, 

One of the many historical babies

TO LOSE A 1000 LIVES

TO LOSE A 1000 LIVES

Last week Wednesday, one of the stores of the Melcom Group of Companies, a retail outlet collapsed in Achimota in Accra. A “few” lives have been lost. A number of people have been pulled out of the rubble as survivors. Some have been able to tell their stories, their horrors, their anguish and their shock. Ghanaians flocked to the venue and some lay men did volunteer to help pull out some people.

Melcom distaster

 The Fire Service, the Police, NADMO, Zoomlion and all other agencies including a supporting team from Israel have done well at helping the victims. I cannot say whether some are still trapped but I can say that if measures are not put in place, if the Fire Service themselves do not adhere to venue capacities and stop event organizers from overcrowding event venues, if they do not agree to event organizers filling aisles with temporary seats because of a few little cedis that are given to a member or two, a lot more lives will be lost. A lot more, and I dare say, a 1000 more lives will be lost because of greed.

Some audience at a show at the DOME

Greed because the Event Organizers k now very well the capacity of the venues, yet they always over print their tickets. How else will the venues get to be over crowded? Does the Ghana National Fire Service not have the mandate to shut down a program and a venue and end it all because of overcrowding? Have we not had many incidents of people dying because there was not enough egress as of the time of the calamity? What again was the main issue for a lot more people dying at the Accra Sports Stadium sometime ago? Why do I often see Firemen at Event Venues, in their uniforms, finding it difficult to maneuver their ways through the crowd yet they do not make any calls to end the program and prevent a disaster?

I watch TV. I watch movies. I witness a scene where one character is having a party in his apartment. I see a few people who are moving about freely and yet, next thing, there is a knock on the door, the party is halted and the guests are forced to move out. Why? Because the apartment has a limit on the number of people it should accommodate at all times. Here too our venues have limits. They are almost doubled all the time with the scariest part being the upper floors of the National Theater having all seats filled and having people standing there because the ground floor is totally full. Are we that greedy? Yes!

One of the many invited "foreign acts" to Ghana thrilling fans

Do we always have to wait for an unfortunate event to happen, hear our “leaders” talk and blame others and do nothing about it after a few weeks? Do we have to have leaders of these institutions who are clearly not doing their jobs still at post, even after lives have been lost? Do we care at all about the lives we seek to govern?

People get trapped and die through this Melcom Disaster and you have the AMA Boss still at post. All institutions that are supposed to check buildings and are directly related to this incident still have their heads at post. Is it not their negligence that has gotten us to this situation? If a Doctor is proven to have been negligent, what happens? If a Lawyer misrepresents the law, what happens? If a Graphic Designer gets so negligent as to use 2011 dates on a 2012 calendar, for which 20,000 copies have been printed, what happens?

In elsewhere, people resign over extra marital affairs. Extra marital affairs may not have any direct bearing on their work output, yet once it becomes news, they resign. Here, we have people who are so negligent that their direct work kills people and yet we continue to have them at post! Sigh!

Excited crowd at the DOME

In all this, while some politicians halted their activities in these rather crucial times to sympathize and support the victims and their families, we have other insensitive ones who make dry jokes about their opponents with this disaster. And mind you, after such a stupid blunder, this politician is still at post. Are we serious at all? I am tired of these media talks about building permits and what should have been done and what not not. I am tired of hearing them. Lives are lost. My concern now is that lives will be lost again and that is rather preventable. Let us work at preventing another disaster. I need support.

I heard Jon Germain talk about overcrowding at such shows and he admonished event organizers. Jon, in view of the looming danger, and with my acceptance that your voice is louder than mine, please keep talking. Keep pressing the authorities and the event organizers to be more sensitive. They should not print extra tickets. If the place takes 2000 and would want to give out complimentary tickets, they should sell 1500 and issue 500 complimentary tickets. No live is worth a 1000 more of GHC40.

Dear Musicians and Actors and popular Ghanaians, I need help with this advocacy. Please admonish the leaders to only fill venues to their capacity. You are you because we pay and come for your shows. If a venue caves in today, some will die, some will survive, you may die, you may survive, but should you survive, you probably won’t get a show for a long time and mind you this is Ghana. Rebuilding such a venue will take another forever. We need you to entertain us. While we all talk about all this, let’s focus on preventing another disaster. Let’s save lives. Please help. 

By Sakyiwaa Mensah