[ 2013-12-31 ]

Emelia Brobbey was alleged to have shoplifted in London

2013 In Review: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
December 30 will see Ghana Movie Awards happen at
the Accra International Conference Centre tonight
and it’s the hope of all stakeholders that, the
organisers will live up to expectation and put up
a great and credible show.

2014 is a couple of days away as we wait to
officially bid farewell to 2013. Depending on your
experiences, the year has been either good or bad.
But generally, the year has been an eventful one
for the arts and entertainment industry. Did you
know that, there were a lot more events this year
than we have experienced in the past years,
especially in December?

Despite the year witnessing a record number of
shows, 2013 had been a year that some shows
flopped because they were poorly organised.

Some were substandard, even though enough efforts
were put into their planning. Of course, there
were few one could simply describe as well
organised.

Africa Worships with Sonnie Badu, Donnie
McClurkin’s Ghana Stands in Worship, Big
Eruption Concert and Decemba2Remeba by Citi FM
were the best and well organised events in the
year for me. RTP Awards and the 4Syte TV Music
Video Awards were the most poorly organised events
of the year.

The Bad

2013 also saw the demise of showbiz personalities;
talk of Seth Frimpong, a Highlife legend, Ronnie
Coaches of Buk Bak fame and recently Dr Paa Bobo,
another Highlife great.

A couple of things fall under the saddest news for
me. Closure of the biggest event venue in Ghana,
the Dome at the Accra International Conference
Centre was not funny at all. What the closure has
done is that, event organisers had no option but
to go back to the main Conference Centre and the
National Theatre and pack patrons like sardines as
well as put undue pressure on those venues. It
also made some organisers increase ticketing
prices to probably break even.Ronnie CoachesRonnie
CoachesRonnie Coaches

I witnessed the 9th Africa Movie Academy Awards
(AMAA) and the maiden edition of the AfricaMagic
Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA), both in Nigeria
where Ghana didn’t do well at all in terms of
the number of awards won as a against the number
of nominations obtained.

UK boy band, One Direction during a visit to Ghana
made some derogatory statements about our dear
country. One of them tweeted about the slums and
poverty in Ghana. According to Wanlov, Lydia
Forson and Ama K. Abebrese, the boys should have
focused on the positives and not the negatives and
consequently slammed and lambasted them.

The Good

For about 63 years since Ghana participated in the
Miss World pageant, she has not come anywhere
close to the prestigious Miss World title but in
2013, we came so close to snatching the crown.

Miss Ghana 2012, Caranzar Naa Okailey Shooter who
represented the country at this year’s finals
made the country and Africa proud when she placed
third.

This is a no mean achievement at all.

As a result of being part of the top three, Miss
Naa Okailey Shooter automatically became Miss
World Africa 2013, a first time for Ghana. Great
achievement by all standards. That was the biggest
news for me in the year under review.

Far away at Eko Hotel in Lagos, Jackie Appiah
picked the AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards
Best Actress of the Year award. It was the maiden
edition and she beat great Nollywood and South
African actresses with a Shirley Frimpong-Manso
movie Perfect Picture.

My heart is always at ease when people who have
enough share with the less privileged in the
society. As usual charity events took centre stage
in the year 20113 with various celebrities
visiting and donating to charities in the
country.

Ghana’s Lady Gaga, Diamond donated some things
to the Weija Leprosarium. At least, she proved
that, she’s not only good in wasting her money
on expensive clothes and bags. Actress Yvonne
Okoro also refurbished a play ground for the
Dzorwulu Special School. Just last week, host of
Fashion101 and lawyer, Sandra Ankobiah also
donated items to the SOS Children’s Village in
Tema.

That is not all, Sonnie Badu on his birthday
visited, donated and celebrated his day with four
orphanages in Accra and Aburi. He also donated and
celebrated the Yuletide with the old folks at Help
Age, Osu Correctional Centre and the 37 Military
Hospital all in Accra.

The beauty queens were not left out of the charity
and donation craze. The Miss Ghana Foundation led
by the 2012 and 2013 queens made some donations to
some charities homes in Accra. This year’s
delegates of Miss Malaika were also involved in
some charity activities.

The holder of Ghana’s only BET Award, Sarkodie
launched his clothing line; Sark Collections.

The Ugly

The arrest of comedian and versatile actor, Agya
Koo for VISA fraud by the Anti-Human Trafficking
Unit (AHTU) of the Criminal Investigations
Department (CID) Headquarters in Accra was ugly
news for me. He later settled the people who he
had allegedly duped and even promised to shoot a
movie with the story.

In October 2013, controversial musician Wanlov
received a slap from Blakk Rasta which turned into
a scuffle between the two artistes. The two have
been at loggerheads ever since the former showed
his genitals to television host, Delay. Wanlov the
KubolorWanlov the KubolorWanlov the Kubolor

There is no ugly news in the year than the alleged
shoplifting scandal involving Ghanaian actress
Emelia Brobbey in London. As a result of the
incident, some innocent people were deported from
the UK.

Another arrest which was necessary but perhaps how
it was done was time wasting was the arrest of
musician Deeba for defiling his 8-year old step
daughter in the UK. Investigative journalist, Anas
Aremeyaw Anas was involved in the famous arrest. I
think it was time wasting using resources to
organise an audition just to arrest someone who
gallivants on the streets of Accra.

Of course I couldn’t have recollected and
written about all that happened in 2013. All the
same, 2013 has been a good year for the
entertainment industry in Ghan and I believe 2014
will surely get better. So let’s start the new
year with a hearty ‘Happy New Year!’ wish from
me you.

Source - Daily Graphic

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