[ 2011-04-12 ]

Ofori Amponsah - I take full responsibility for my poor performance in NY

Ofori Amponsah flops in New York show
Minutes after filing the story about the
technical-hitch which resulted in many Ghanaians
disappointed at the multi-Ghana Music Awards
winner, Ofori Amponsah's abysmal performance at
the New York's Park Central Ball Room last
Saturday, March 26, 2011, the highlife star has
shouldered the full blame and put none at the
doors of neither the promoter nor bandsmen.

Speaking via phone from his Hotel in New York late
Tuesday, the 2006 Ghana Music Awards Artist of the
Year, Ofori Amponsah told Hi Newspaper and
www.myhiworld.com's Editor-in-chief, Verus Nartey
that he was ready to take the full blame for the
hitch that did not allow him to give out his best
last week resulting in his fans blaming the
promoters, Hashim Haruna's Boogie Down Promotion
and Dansika, the live band that backed him.

"By the time we detected the hitch which could
happen to performers anywhere in the world, we
couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't abandon
my fans in the middle of my act because the sound
output was bad.

I know some ego-driven musicians would have done
so, but I thought that rather would have been
disrespectful to my fans", he said.

"Also I couldn't switch from live band to 'mime'
as that wasn't my style", he continued.

The $30-per-head show which attracted over 1,200
persons went on in that bad flow until the fans
couldn't take any more.

When asked whether the bad sound output was due to
Ofori Amponsah's failure to have enough rehearsal
sessions with the live band, the ceo of Boogie
Down, Hashim Harun said: "I don't think it was as
terrible as the so-called informant reported to
you. You know people would always complain no
matter what you gave them.

It was a great show and I have had hundreds of
e-mails from people congratulating me about the
show, which is my biggest so far; though I think
there is still some room for improvement, which we
would work on as the tour progresses".

But did Kwaw Kese refuse to perform at the show
when asked to fill in for Ofori so that the live
band hitch was sorted out [Kwaw Refuses Ofori
Amponsah Bail Out .U.S. fans disappointed], Hashim
said: I can understand Kwaw. He is a big artist
and definitely couldn't step on stage without the
due arrangement and preparation.

He came there to support us but not to perform.
When he said "the time wasn't okay", I understood
him. We have plans to roll out concerts with him
here and this has changed nothing about those
plans. Yes, I contacted him but immediately
understood him when he thought "the timing was
bad".

Meanwhile Hashim has debunked rumours that the bad
sound quality experienced was due to Ofori
Amponsah's failure to show up at rehearsals with
the live band. "He has been with us purposely for
this tour for a month prior and he actually stayed
in the same hotel the event took place and had
been rehearsing for over 3 weeks with Dansika, a
band that have on several occasions backed a
number of high profile Ghanaian artistes including
Amakye Dede".

Last Saturday was Ofori's first solo tour of the
U.S having already played as guest on a Daddy
Lumba gig some four years ago.

Meanwhile Ofori Amponsah has told Hi Newspaper in
an exclusive interview from his New York base that
he would surely return to New York, but this time
to Bronx, before he ends the tour as a way of
compensating his fans for the earlier performance.
"I would put up a special face-to-face activation
with my fans for the opportunity to take photos
with them and interact with them", he said.

According to the highlife star, he is working on
this project with the Doctors Association of Ghana
in the United States to bring in some health
supports to Ghanaians back home as one of the main
objectives of the tour.

The tour, according to Hashim Haruna, moves to
Chicago's Wild Hare on March 30th, 2011, with all
technical problems sorted

Source - Ghanamusic.com

... go Back