Magid Ambushed
There was commotion at the Udeme Hotel in Bayelsa State, Nigeria last Saturday when Ghanaian actor Majid Michel showed up at the hotel’s pool side.
Guests who had been invited to attend a wedding reception at the hotel abandoned the newly-married couple and pounced on Majid, hustling and bustling to take photographs with him.
Photographers who were at the hotel for the wedding ceremony took advantage of the development to make brisk business and managed to get the crowd to queue up for photos.
Mothers gave their babies to Majid to carry them for the photo-taking while fathers posed by him, with children chanting, “Majid”, “Majid”. Even waiters and waitresses joined the queue to take photographs with Majid.
Nollywood reports said the reception given Majid was unusual and it was only Aki and Pawpaw who are known to have such crowd-pulling abilities.
Majid, who was hopeful of winning AMAA’s best actor in leading role, for his movie ‘Pool Party’, popped up at the poolside of the hotel where some of his colleagues were.
Meanwhile, on arrival at the Mutala International Airport, Lagos on Thursday evening, some fans at the airport asked the actor to find them some cash because they were able to recognize him. They followed him to the crew’s bus till he coughed out some cash for them.
Source: NewsOne
Abigail Semeha
THE misunderstanding between the president of Ghana Actors’ Guild, Nii Odoi-Mensah and one Abigail Semeha over claims that the latter has been extorting money from amateur actors in promise of movie roles, has taken a dramatic twist.
Accusations of sex have started flying around, backed by text messages that talk about refusals of lunch dates and demand for money.
NEWS-ONE has seen some alarming text messages apparently sent to Odoi-Mensah by Abigail, threatening to ‘wash his dirty linen in public’ if he did not stop badgering her.
One of the said messages read: “Odoi Mensah, why are you disturbing my life? Is it because I didn’t give you the 1500 cedis or is it because I refuse all the lunch dates? I am a daughter of GH and you can’t infringe on my right.
If I hear from any one again that you are saying I am a prostitute and a thief, I will put up a press conference to wash your dirty linen in public.”
Another one read: “I will let GH and its President know that you take huge sums of money from
actors before giving them out to producers and also sleeping with the girl there. If you are well-oriented about law you will know that cases in court are not talked about until verdict is given. Do you think your position was given to misbehave with.”
NEWS-ONE earlier reported that Mr. Odoi was angry about Abigail’s alleged operations of collecting money from amateur actors in the name of organizing auditions and giving them roles in a Nollywood.
Mr. Odoi-Mensah has described the conduct of Abigail as fraudulent and accordingly petitioned the Director General of the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) over the matter.
The petition, sighted by NEWS-ONE, alleged among other things that Abigail usually collected money from amateur actors and that she was once arrested by the Tesano Police over the matter and sent to court when she could not refund the money.
The petition said on March 2 this year, Abigail once again assembled a number of amateur actors at a restaurant near the Ako-Adjei Interchange in Accra and collected an amount of GH¢50 from each of them, under the pretext of getting them roles in a movie.
But Abigail has counter accused Odoi-Mensah of having a personal score to settle with her and only using this case as way of getting at her.
“Odoi-Mensah has a personal problem with me, so anytime he sees that I am involved in something, he intentionally calls the police people to come and embarrass me.
“Unless I get to the police station to explain myself before the police would know that what we are doing is business. But at the end of the day, when they call him, he does not come,” she told Peace Fm’s Entertainment Review weeks ago.
When contacted by NEWS-ONE, Mr. Odoi-Mensah maintained his stand that Abigail had indeed collected money for auditioning and that she was in even league with ace actor Emmanuel Armah, adding that it was unlawful to charge before auditioning someone for a role.
He said it was also wrong for producers to form acting clubs and ask wannabe actors to buy forms to register.
“I am advising upcoming actors to stop paying money to people in the name of audition.
Those who are also in these production houses who have formed their own actors’ club, we say stop it. I am repeating it, no one has got the right to own an actor.
What you do is, you audition a person, pick the person, use the person, finish with the person and leave the person so that actor can work with another producer.
The moment you keep an actor, it means you will pay the person every month. You must take care of the person as a worker in your company.”
Source: NewsOne
Bola Ray
Bola Ray of Joy 99.7FM, who is known in real life as Nathaniel Kwabena Anokye Adisi, Nana Aba Anamoah of TV3 and boxer Joshua Clottey have been appointed ambassadors of the SOS Villages in Ghana.
The three personalities, with the exception of Joshua Clottey, who was not at the ceremony, were unveiled at a well-attended outdooring ceremony held at the Grandma Alice Hall of the SOS Village in Tema last Thursday.
They will serve as mouthpieces and spread the SOS Children’s Villages Ghana messages, serve as role models and mentors for all SOS children and maintain a positive influence and image.
They will also be advisors to the Communications and Fundraising Department of the institution, providing insights from the general public perception.
The three ambassadors are reputable personalities who are passionate and committed to solving the problems of the orphaned child, child abandonment and destitution in collaboration with SOS Children’s Villages Ghana.
Bola Ray, Nana Aba Anamoah and Joshua Clottey are also expected to win a minimum of 50 committed givers for SOS Children’s Villages Ghana.
The SOS Village Board vice president, Mr. Sedufia, in an address, underscored the importance of ambassadors to the village’s quest to provide a home for the homeless.
He said the three ambassadors were coming on board at a time that SOS Ghana was on the verge of extending their services further to the Ashanti region and two more communities in the Greater Accra region, namely Chorkor and Ashiaman.
Bola Ray, on his part, said he was delighted to be back at the Village after a donation to the village in January. He said this was just the beginning of bigger things to come.
The Drive Time host on Joy FM revealed that the honour was a dream come true for him, stating that true to the ambassadorial pledge, he was going to be dedicated to the cause.
He admitted that children were vulnerable and they needed the support of all. “We are going to use our networks to raise funds to support the home,” he assured.
Nana Aba Anamoah, who said she loved children, also expressed her delight at the role bestowed on her, pledging “we will be working together; I will be making more friends for the village…”
As a passionate reader, she said she was going to encourage the children in the village to read since it was a powerful tool for their personal development.
The event was also attended by the SOS Tema Village Director, Isaac Ackon, Nana Efua Rockson, Mothers of the Village, some of the children at the village and media personalities.
Lexxus Legal
Congolese Hiphop star Lexxus Legal will on Wednesday, March 30 perform at the Alliance Française in Accra as part of the 2011 edition of Francophone Month.
A leader and founding member of Gross Negro Thought (GNT), Lexxus is a leading figure of the Hiphop scene in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His lyrics are often hard-hitting and denounce the evils that haunt Africa in general and Congo in particular.
His second solo album, titled ‘The Art of War’ (2009), offers a basis for reflection in order to develop and define a strategy for ending wars and famines in Africa. He is also developing activities for the advancement of Hiphop in Congo through his label known as Alternative Root.
Although proud of his origins, his songs comment on the frivolity and lack of direction by African leaders, while nurturing a dream of a peaceful and united Africa through his music. An affable musician, Lexxus has enchanted fans in diverse African countries and beyond.
Voted best Hiphop artist in the DRC in 2009 during the second edition of Ndule Awards, (which comprises music journalists and the public), he provokes and challenges African leaders to come out of their slumber as he raps and sings from the bottom of his heart.
Lelo, another musician from Congo, will open the show for Lexxus with a curious blend of soukouss, traditional bantu sounds and R&B, which also carry tender, comical and committed messages on current affairs.
Francophone Month 2011 is being sponsored by L’institut Français, French Embassy, Alliance Francaise, Member countries of La Francophonie represented in Ghana, Bollore Africa Logistics and Irani Brothers.
Others are Africa Cola, CFAO Motors, Orsam Ltd, Air Liquide, AGS Frasers International, VW, Auto Parts Ltd, Total, Golden Stork, Novotel, Da Viva, Enjoy Accra and Golden Exotics Ltd.
By George Clifford Owusu
Diana Hopeson
STAKEHOLDERS IN the music industry, acknowledging the various difficulties affecting them, have called on Government to help put effective structures in place to build and grow the sector.
At the 2011 MTN Ghana Music Awards Forum in Accra, stakeholders emphasised that the creative industry needed to be adequately projected onto the international scene, adding that this called for Governments help and support.
The forum, which was under the theme ‘Help Grow our Music – The Role of the State, Media, Financial Institutions, Artistes, Producers and Marketers,’ was heavily attended by several industry professionals, musicians, government representatives and the media.
The chairperson for the forum, Hanna Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry, assured that the government had put in place modalities that would ensure that the creative industry was duly projected to be where it deserved to be.
She therefore called for brainstorming and consensus building on the possibility of musicians taking advantage of the digital platform – where musicians got to sell and reap benefits from their works online (internet).
The chairman of the National Media Commission, Ambassador Kabral Blay Amihere, in his address, said musicians offered far better branding of the nation than official emissaries posted to represent the nation in foreign lands.
He called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to put in place a programme that would occasionally send a crop of Ghanaian musicians to go and perform abroad for the Ghanaian community and outsiders in general.
He also called for a united musician’s body; a tool he said would aid and promote their wellbeing.
James Agyenim Boateng, Deputy Minister of Tourism, also entreated radio stations to make it a point to devote a lot more of their airtime to promoting Ghanaian music.
The event was witnessed by notable personalities in the industry including Theresa Ayoade, CEO of Charter House (Organisers of the Ghana Music Awards); Diana Hopeson, Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) President; George Aleinu of the National Communications Authority and musicians like No Tribe, Samini, Kwabena Kwabena and Richie.
By Esther Awuah
Nana Akua
Choice 102.3 FM will on April 7 organise an outdoor musical event dubbed ‘Highway 102 Exposure Party’ at the Rockstone’s Office in Accra.
The event, which kicks off at 8pm, is being organized by the station to introduce its presenters and the face and voice behind its most listened to drive time programme, ‘Highway 102’.
The event will bring together a number of Ghanaian celebrities and stakeholders from both the music and movie industries, among others.
Some of Ghana’s seasoned radio presenters billed to attend the event include Bola Ray of Joy FM, Jessica Saforo of Citi FM, J. Foli of 4Syte Tv, Jeremy, Norcus, all of Y FM and a host of others.
The much awaited event will witness performances by Kwaku T, D’ Crime, Tiffiny, Efya and Irene.
‘Highway 102’ is the drive time show on Choice 102.3 FM with Nana Akua aka Vashti as the host.
By George Clifford Owusu
Jackie Appiah and one of the children
Star actors Majid Michel, Jackie Appiah and director Frank Raja on Saturday put smiles on the faces of children who aspire to follow in their footsteps.
This was at the launching of a new children’s movie titled ‘Mekel’s Angels- This is our story’, at the African Studies Block of the University of Ghana. The three top movie guns joined a number of school children who patronized the ceremony.
The new movie is aimed at encouraging a culture of educating children through entertainment.
‘Mekel’s Angels- This is our story’ is about four heartless kids who are kidnapped and subsequently dropped into a vehicle. Later, they find themselves in a mysterious house which they have no idea of its location. There the intrigue begins as the children try to use their intellect to not only escape but also find out why they were kidnapped.
The launching ceremony, which was followed by a premiere on Saturday afternoon, was put together by MC Multimedia. It attracted a number of personalities from the educational sector as well as government.
Jackie Appiah, Majid Michel and Frank Raja were at the programme to inspire the children to learn harder and develop their talent. Also present were some of the cast of the movie.
Some of the children held guests spellbound with some interesting performances including singing, dancing and other acts.
The cast of the movie also received awards for their performances in the movie.
Project Manager, Samuel Kweku Antwi, told BEATWAVES that the movie was targeted at sharpening the talents of the children, who he said had acting talent. “The movie is aimed at controlling children’s unruly behaviours. Lately parents complain that their wards are very stubborn, so we are trying to use the movie to change the kids,” he added.
He said they would be touring schools in Ghana with the movie, after which they would consider going to some African countries.
By Francis Addo
Ghanaian movie producer Socrates Sarfo has used a shaving stick to graze down the thick pubic hair from the vagina of an actress who played a role in his new movie, ‘What Sex Can Do,’ says information reaching NEWS-ONE.
Socrates, also known as the ‘Hot Fork Man’, is noted for producing adult rated movies and a source close to his crew told NEWS-ONE how the said pubic hair was shaved.
“We were on set shooting the movie and one of the actresses had to shave her pubic hair in front of the cameras but she was being dull so Socrates took the shaving stick and did it for her in front of the cameras and all of us,” the source said.
It is not yet clear which particular actress opened her vagina for Socrates to shave but NEWS-ONE has gathered that he cast a number of female stars including Baby Blanch and Kalsume Sinare.
The source also managed to get NEWS-ONE a not-too-clear photo of the said actress while she was shaving her vagina just before Socrates took over with the shaving stick.
Socrates Sarfo would not pick his phone calls when NEWS-ONE tried reaching him over the matter and a text message sent to his phone was also not replied.
The photos that were sneaked to NEWS-ONE however showed that indeed someone had her vagina shaved.
It is surprising to note that controversial producer Socrates Sarfo has not succumbed to the incessant insults on his character as a movie maker as a result of the kind of movies he produces.
The source said the scenes in the movie connote the title of the movie and also stars some accomplished actors.
“Socrates has a way of beating the Censorship Board. However, it is still not certain if the Board would allow him to release it, because this one is hotter than ‘Hot Fork’ and ‘Adults Only’,” according to the NEWS-ONE source.
In Ghana, Socrates has been branded a porno movie maker and has been bashed a number of times.
But he saw nothing wrong with his kind of movies as he described them as erotic movies.
Whatever it is, Socrates needs to find more vocabularies to teach a section of the local media what the media term “pornography movie” means as his upcoming movie would definitely face the condemnation his earlier movies faced.
A couple of weeks ago, NEWS-ONE captured him trying to teach the media what pornographic movies were, saying that Ghana’s media was ignorant and did not know the difference between an erotic movie and a pornographic one.
Source: NewsOne
This year’s much awaited MTN Ghana Music Awards Festival Forum is scheduled to take place at the Alisa Hotel on Tuesday, March 22, at 9:30am.
The forum, which is organized yearly before the awards, is to give the stakeholders in the music industry a unique opportunity to channel some of the attention garnered by the Awards Festival into pushing for a specific agenda in the industry.
The forum, which is under the theme ‘Help grow our Music: The Role of the State, Media, Financial Institutions, Artistes, Producers and Marketers’, will attract important personalities which include the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Hon. Alex Asum Ahensah, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Hon. James Agyenim Boateng, as well as a host of others.
This year’s forum is organized as usual, with the support of the World Bank Country Office (Ghana), and is expected to attract the attention of the State with the keynote address by Hon. Hannah Tetteh, Minister for Trade and Industry.
Guru, the Hiplife artiste who shot into the limelight with the controversial hit he collaborated with Obrafour, ‘Kasiebo’, is still making a lot of waves on the music scene.
His latest hit track, ‘Mmaa Kuo’, takes a satirical look at the attitude of Christians who indulge in immoral activities they preach against.
According to Guru, “the plan is simple, every time I release a single, I try to impact society positively, hence in this single, all I did was to touch on the wrong doing of many acclaimed young Christians in our societies.”
In explaining the concept of ‘Mmaa Kuo’, Guru adds: “It’s an everyday happening; the ladies we meet in our clubs happen to be the same ladies we meet in church and sometimes some of them pretend to be too holy for worldly stuffs during service, but they end up doing more than expected.”
The message is more evident in the music video of the track, which has just been released.
Directed by Stip for Solid Multi Media, the video is well thought out and relays the very hypocrisy that is laden in the formulaic metaphors and characteristic rhymes delivered by Guru on the joint.
With the current buzz that both song and video are receiving, ‘Mmaa Kuo’ might just be the sophomore hit (after the success of ‘Democracy’) that Guru needs to continue his fast rise in the industry and imprint his style and brand on the Ghana music scene.
As the Empire Records artiste himself puts it, “I am just getting started.”
Read the original: