A DOLL'S HOUSE

SEE WHO IS GETTING MARRIED, MY GOODNESS

2010-12-23T04:44:00.000-08:00

I used to walk about like a million other girls foolishly and stupidly believing men are cheats. But i recently enrolled in a university and my eyes are opened. Please follow me on a DOLL'S HOUSE and i will deliver you from this menace with little drops of my lecture notes.

I recently watched a movie "Our Marriage, their Wedding". Did you know a wedding is just any marriage ceremony? it does not need a ll the pageantry that comes along with it...? And are we not forgetting when people are getting married that it entails a lot.

Women don't just seem to understand why men are always cheating-well that includes me but maybe if we worked so hard on our relationships just as we prepare for our examinations, maybe, just maybe the men will stop cheating.

Take me for instance, i have no idea about sweetheart's favourite dish, what type of dresses he loves seeing on me, what type of hairdo makes him love me more. No, I have no clue about that so i walk about in any dress and hairdo just because they are in vogue. Tell me how many girls think about their boyfriend's feeling when going to the salon.

Well do you know what happens because of that inconsiderate action of yours- he sees other ladies in the dress and hairdo he likes parading about in town and he has no other choice than to chase after them.

Now believe it or not Ghanaian men are so suppressed and inhibited that they never comment on what their women wear. whether good or bad they keep it to themselves lost and frustrated in their society imposed chauvinistic status.

Think about that and for this Christmas bring him into the picture and solicit his opinion and you will be surprised. Wait if he is the typical Ghanaian man, he might not know what he likes so as you walk with him check the type of women he looks at a lot when he think you are not looking!
And the men please it will not kill you to tell your women they look ugly in that dress or ravishing enough for you to ... you know!!!

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

2010-05-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

THEMA, AN AFRICAN AMBASSADOR

2010-01-20T04:31:00.000-08:00

Not always, at least not on our African soil do you see an enthralling and passionate woman hobnobbing with celebrities on the world’s finest destinations. She is almost like the Oprah Winfreys and Tyra Banks of our tropical world. And rightly so, the latest Official International Face for Dark and Lovely Hair and Body products has been doing her own thing as African ambassador for channel O.

If you watched the maiden episode of Big Brother Africa 4, you would have noticed Nonhle Thema’s wiggly and twisty personality in a near naughty manner in the house. Don’t be fooled by that, Nonhle does not misuse her striking qualities as an African celeb smash; she is an embodiment of a career woman. Preceding her stint as the South African Vuzu TV host, she enjoyed lengthy career as the host cum producer on channel O.

Cynthia Shange, her mother was one of the first black women to enter the Miss World in 1972, so you see; one cannot fault her for her endeavours. Her mother’s role play as a mentor goes beyond that. “My Mom is classy and very sexy at her age. I learnt how to apply make-up and how to walk in her heels. She is the epitome of style and class”

The twenty six years old matriculated from Sundown High School in Sandton in 1999 and left home the same year. She later studied marketing and also took to modeling, doing TV commercials and partaking in beauty contests before landing her first job as an events coordinator. She would forever be indebted to her late boss Ayanda Maswazi Tshabalala and his family, for employing her when no one would.

A thrilled Nonhle takes an insightful and touchy stand on her beauty. “I think people love my personality and spirit more than my looks. That's important for me. Looks do not guarantee you success but personality provides longevity. I also believe my Master and Creator, "God" shines through me”. She has nonetheless hit the clichéd Most Beautiful(s) in Cosmopolitan Magazine's 30 Awesome Women 2007, FHM 100 sexiest woman in the world list of 2008, and named Sexiest South African Woman by SOWETAN readers,

O’Access, an hour long musical show filled with interviews exposed her to stars like Akon, Rihanna, John Legend, Chris Brown, Neyo, 50 Cent, G Unit, Beenie Man, Bob Marley's sons, Fantasia, Lil Wayne, J Holiday, Soulja Boy and Jermaine Dupree. As a mouthpiece of her fans at home, she is able to tell the world that Africa is not a depressing home, not at all and that’s an honour to her.
Nonhle breathes life into the proverbial saying that the child who knows how to wash the hands eats with the elderly. Nonhle Thema Angels Programme, Street Bangers, O-Boma are her production babies but it doesn’t end there for her. She is in fourth season on O Access and was the African rep at both the Channel O Music Video Awards and the BET Awards. To her the experience was awesome with the other journalists wanting first hand supposed African magic from her.

“Never ask yourself what the world needs, rather ask yourself what it is that makes you come alive” and praying to remain focused and dedicated are her walking principles in the spotlight. This woman is thick and Africa should be ready, nothing about her suggest this is the last we are hearing about her.

LIFE WITHOUT HOPE

2010-01-14T01:42:00.000-08:00

Hundreds of young women trip into our cities from various villages to carry loads. Most of these young women are from the north of Ghana and a few from the coasts. The situation is what has resulted in the inevitable, “Kayayei Menace” that we have been battling with for years.

Accra and Kumasi are both commercial city centres with business all year round and therefore provide what these poverty stricken youth would call, “greener pastures”. A current research done on 700 kayayei by an NGO reveals the bear and grim facts. A quarter of these load concierges have only primary school education and the rest with no formal education whatsoever. The stakeholders have not been passive in their search for a solution; the ministry of women and children affairs (MOWAC) held a validation workshop on, “Repatriation of kayayei”. 2432 of them between the ages of 6 and 36 years were repatriated between June and November 2007. But one would ask if there has been a decrease in the number of kayayei in Accra? It is open knowledge that when they are sent back, they return to Accra because the situation that brought them down here still persists.

A number of NGO’s like the social affairs agency have proposed the setting up of a multi-sector body to study, brainstorm and find lasting solutions to the menace. Governments, NGO’s and human right activists talk of plans to bring solutions year in and year. One cannot also help but fathom why these girls decide to come down here.

When ethnic misunderstandings are constantly breaking out in some parts of the northern region, the rational thing for some of these girls is to seek refuge where security is guaranteed. They end up here with no relatives, daily income or skills. The only way out then is to do menial jobs in the market place where the only skill required is physical strength and be called, “Kayayei”

Abhorrence of the infamous female genital mutilation also compels the courageous ones to come down here. Though polygamy has solved some social issues, it is currently one of the causal agents since young girls do not consider marriage to men as old as their grandfather as they did in the past.

The removal of subsidies on agricultural inputs makes farming more expensive especially for women who have limited access to land and credit facilities. This coupled with severe dry seasons has resulted in fewer jobs for those involved in agricultural activities which are the basic economic activities in the northern region.

The very lucky ones end up as servants in private homes to perform domestic tasks and earn a slightly higher income than those on the streets. Unfortunate ones on the other hand have to make do with inappropriate shelter, food and places of hygiene. Absence of these basic needs violates quiet a number of personal rights; girls are subjected to sexual harassment from their male counterparts at night. This usually results in unwanted pregnancies. Imagine living without a roof over your head, without a washroom, kitchen or a mattress. This is what a kayayei calls a home at night.

There are over a hundred kayayei who work on the roadside of Novotel. They pay GH 1: OO each week to keep their things in a storeroom of the hotel. Their place of abode is by the roadside where they spread mats to sleep on. Daily income is mostly saved with credit unions; with this money they support families back at home.

Sakina Awani is a sixteen years old Junior Secondary School graduate. Her father has passed away and her suitor who supported her is now gone back to a Teacher Training School. Hence she travelled to Kumasi and worked for three months to carry goods. She heard business in Accra was better so she came here to work and secure enough money to help in her soon-to-be marriage. Someone had taken her 5cedis as at the time of this interview.

Sakina starts her day by parking her stuff to the room in Novotel hotel. Then she stands by the roadside to be on the lookout for those with heavy loads to carry them. On the average she gets 50 pesewas for one load. It is a common practice for them to negotiate a price with a client and yet when they are being paid, they demand for more. Sakina said this happens because sometimes as they carry the goods, they realize it is too heavy for the amount they are taking.

She complains that though the boys who hail from the same neighborhood do not bother her; those of other tribes sexually harass her. Sakina is afraid she might get pregnant very soon and thereby make it impossible for her to marry. The government she said cannot end this menace just by repatriating them but by adequately setting them up in various trades and vocations.

NOT JUST A “BEAU”

2010-01-13T08:48:00.000-08:00

Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe; well that’s a long deep rooted Ga name for a man who can hardly speak his father tongue. Perhaps the novelty of that name christened with Boris Frederick Cecil and a great physique helped in propelling him to model for Ralph Laurent, Perry Ellis, Yves Saint Laurent and The Gap while attending Virginia Commonwealth University. En route the recent Ghana Fashion Week, he did well to trace his Ghanaian heritage by gracing the event with his presence.

The platform for Kodjoe to become a favourite character on screen was on the hit series, Soul Food as Damon Carter. He also blossomed into a rare gem as he dabbled in Hollywood movies like Love & Basketball, Brown Sugar, The Gospel and Madea’s family Reunion. On Broadway, he's worked opposite James Earl Jones and Phylicia Rashad in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

His international acclaim was debatably certified in Starship Troopers 3: Marauder , Surrogates and Resident Evil: Afterlife. Named as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by people Magazine, it is no surprise he is deemed a supermodel, a feat achieved by a few men in fashion world.
Boris Kodjoe plans on helping his grandmother write a memoir about her gruesome holocaust experience. He revealed in an interview that someone once reported her, but she was lucky that when the SS came to investigate and found her hiding in a back room, one of the officers was in a good mood and didn't arrest her.

It was a time of sheer terror and no one knew what was going on, and everyone knew somebody who had suddenly gone missing for no reason. And apparently you didn't talk about it over the dinner table at night. They were just paralyzed with fear. You didn't utter a word about what could possibly be going on or about what they had heard. It was a very scary time.
In a twisted situation, his German grandfather only agrees to the marriage between his mother, Ursula and Ghanaian father, Eric Kodjoe only after he is born(1973, Vienna). At age 4 he started shaving and feeding his grandfather who had lost both hands in a war. Poignant, deep and emotional are how he describes the religion his mother taught his siblings; Patrick and Nadja and him. Though partly Jewish they had to find their own way based on different religions.

Kodjoe is quad-lingual: German, English, French and Spanish and is mulled over to be a power couple with Nicole Ari Parker by his side. They are not exactly a mainstream Hollywood family. Together with their daughter Sophie Tei-Naaki Lee Kodjoe and baby son, Nicolas Neruda Kodjoe, the family relocated from hustle and bustle LA to a pretty-sedated Atlantis. They did this because they needed a place that spoke to them culturally. Perhaps it was also to help in dealing with Sophie’s ailment; spina bifida.

The Sophie's Voice Foundation is a means to raise awareness to let people know that in US alone, there are 60 million women at risk of having a child with spina bifida, the most preventable birth defect in the world. It can be prevented if pregnant women would take their dose of folic acid every day.
For someone who wants to be remembered as a great dad it is startling his phobia is being a father and that’s simply because “… along with unconditional love comes unconditional fear…” that is one of the things they never tell a new father.

OBAMA IN GHANA

2010-01-13T08:41:00.000-08:00

The first ever black American president touched down on our homeland Ghana, to the uttermost surprise of Africa’s` powerhouses- Nigeria and South Africa, not to mention his fatherland Kenya.

Whether it was for him to outline his vision for the African continent or probably for Michelle Obama to explore where her possible roots are- this would feature in prominent historical books for generations to come.

In Ghana however, it would also go down memory lane as the day ministers and especially former President Jerry John Rawlings became professional camera men.

EXPLICIT GH. MOVIES

2010-01-13T08:37:00.000-08:00

Play back in your mind-those days we used to fidget in our seats as kids because a flirtatious scene was playing on the TV screen and an elderly person was around. Now we seemed to have become open minded and more accepting about sexually sensitive movies, but what hit us when we saw both Shakira and Heart of Men definitely brought to the open we are just not ready for that calibre of screen work.

Casts of the movies have vehemently refused to accept them as explicitly overboard. Some viewers have used every obscene word that comes to mind to describe these movies. To put it mildly; our core traditions as a people have been threatened and all this is in the name of reaching international standards!

From all indicators, the controversy manifested in a good commercial yield and the business world would in no way flinch away from producing such works, so the battle is on, as to whether we are having another blow at our core traditions again can only be answered by time.

KANYE WEST DID IT AGAIN

2010-01-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

It was not surprising when Kanye West climbed the stage of 2009 MTV Video Music Award Ceremony; he is a habitual interrupter at such events. But when he mounted the stage to rant against Taylor Swift in favour of Beyonce Knowles for Best Female Video, the crowd was taken aback.

So was a stunned Miss Knowles; when accepting her own Award, she called the teenager back for her to finish her acceptance speech. The internet buzz and rage in opposition to West after this show down has been maddening.

And it looking so much like Kanye West’ act has backfired big time-Taylor Swift now has fourteen awards tagged to her name after the fiasco and has been voted as the Entertainer of the Year by People magazine. How higher can a twenty -one year old climb?

DANDALA- This Dandala Is the Epitome of the Odyssey of an African Man Besieged with Society’s Expectations and His Personal Fla

2009-11-24T04:14:00.000-08:00

He is not your drop-dead gorgeous kind of guy but his African red lips have an easily smiling look that is guaranteed to attract. Hlomla Dandla is a well educated and travelled man who has been acting and directing South African movies which transcends into major parts of the African continent. When you are a core element of productions like Isidingo, Jacob’s Cross, Generations, All You Need Is Love, Interrogation Room, Land Of Thirst, Gaz’lam and Jozi-H and the son of a man who was once the head of all African Christian council, scandal is bound to bed you. This

Dandla is the epitome of the odyssey of an African man besieged with society’s expectations and his personal flaws. The thirty-five year old got divorced from his wife ironically after presenting the reality show, “All You Need Is Love”.
Dandla was born in London and has therefore been tagged as one of the people who sometimes find themselves lost as to where they really belong. ‘Baby making machine’ as he is called has three different daughters from three different women. Though he is famous, he is bound by a society that frowns on Christians having children outside wedlock.

Though English was his first language, he thinks and dreams in Xhosa because that is the language his parents speak to him with. Despite being acculturated, he says, “It is very funny, when I get upset, even at home, they know when I am speaking Xhosa that, “Alright, he’s not filtering anymore”. He appreciates the people and the land since people are ready to offer a helping hand anytime.

Amidst all glamour, he acknowledges that he is not a city boy by a long shot. His hometown is quiet arid but something sparks whenever he goes home. He has been circumcised as expected of every young man and he feels quite proud of himself for that attainment which meant he could partake in family meetings. A family meeting in Dandaville (the place is literally full of Dandalas) is a must for him since it offers spiritual refreshment.
The Scandal of baby making was followed by another rumor that there were more skeletons in the closet. This made him admit on air that the only truth was that he had three different baby girls from three women. After conceding, he added that, “I am learning more and more that I am traditional man. I thought I was a modern man. I am also a family protector, a king of my castle”.

Dandla directed, “The Bet” which was screened on all South African broadcasting channels. This interested him because it was meant to spark a debate on values like peer pressure, HIV/AIDS and pre-marital sex within the society which he felt spoke to him on a personal level. The Bet was God-based and as such a very delicate subject because of his father’s status and what he was being lashed out at. He might not be a bishop like his father but to him one of the best platforms to preach was the production. Religion he says has become too judgmental and preachy so he rather engaged people in the movie.
Prayer was an integral part of his childhood and it still was but people and maybe his father were not seeing it that way. He drew on his own experience with his father to direct a part of the movie to make a statement that flaws does not mean it is all lost. To him most fathers would not be patient with their wards when they for instance find drugs in their school bags as it happened in the movie. In his mind he could not help but imagine his father shouting, “Do you think I am stupid” even as he denied knowledge of the drug.

Dwelling in flaws to him is not the best; rather allow it to give you direction. That is why he thinks the timing for the movie was perfect. “It seems there is too much negativity in our society. There is backlash from the apartheid era, but we need to work on these issues. We pulled together to fight the regime and it worked eventually. Surely we can rise up again and overcome our difficulties?”

FASHIONISTA H. MONTIA- THE BEAUTY IN ME

2009-11-24T03:47:00.000-08:00

She clinched the Miss Malaika crown at the age of eighteen, becoming the youngest queen of the Miss Malaika series. It did not just end there for her; she carried along her innocent, refreshing and sexy personality to niche a name for herself in modelling. The feat she has achieved is bound to take place as the young lady says her determination drive is so high that sometimes it scares her. Since she doesn’t want to be just another model passing through the well established modelling world of New York, she is back home working tirelessly in the quest to become “a model that helped build fashion and modelling in Ghana.” She is currently working to promote her, I AM FASHION concept. What’s On caught up with the beauty queen during one of her rounds on Oxford street, Osu RE to get first hand information on who she really is and the aftermath of Malaika.
WHO IS HAMAMAT?

“She is a simple girl who doesn’t really like simple things. I do things to fit me as a person and I’m also an extrovert.”

WHAT IS THE SECRET BEHIND YOUR BEAUTY?
“Hmm! I have used shea butter since my childhood. I know that sounds surprising but my grandmother is a naturalist who was awarded by the ex- president, Mr. John Agyakum Kuffour. She has also being honoured a doctorate degree by a group doctors who learnt from her though she has never been to school. So you can imagine the extent to which she influenced my parents and me. At first, I thought it was not fashionable but with my dry skin, I realised it is the only remedy for me.”

GIVE US A BRIEF BACKGROUND ABOUT YOURSELF.

“My parents are Mr. Ibrahim Montia and Mad. Arsha Taimoko. I have two other siblings. We hail from a small town called Kandia in the Upper West region.”

DO YOU THINK FAME TOOK AWAY THE NORMALCY OF GROWING UP?

“Yes it did since I had to mature quickly to match up to the new status. I could not hang out with my friends as often as I wished but then, I knew it was all for the best. It felt like being camped in a box but I don’t regret what has become of me so far.”

DO YOU MODEL FOR ANY FAMOUS DESIGN THAT WE KNOW OF AND HOW EASY WAS IT LANDDING THE JOB?

“Yes I am on for Akon’s Konvict, Forward, Baby Phat and Bravo TV. So far, I think modelling for Konvict, Akon’s clothing line, landed me on the modelling pedestal but it wasn’t easy getting there.
In New York, thousands of potential models go for audition on daily basis. They did not take into account whether one was a beauty queen or not. I was schooling and at the same time going for castings each day. It became very difficult and frustrating but I never gave up until an agency called me to work for Konvict.”

WORKING FOR KONVICT MEANS YOU MET AKON PERSONALLY. WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION AT THAT MOMENT?

“I can’t really describe it because when I saw him, everything looked normal. But when I got home, my sister made so much fuss about it. Then it finally hit me.... wow! I have really met the man. I was so thrilled. Later he got to know that I was an African so we automatically clicked because we had something in common. The next experience was great because I had finally met someone who was darker than I was. Meeting him, one can tell he has not allowed fame to thwart his focus on life”

WHAT MADE YOU GO FOR MALAIKA?

“I had just completed Achimota Secondary School and was seriously searching for a job because I was restless. A cousin of mine saw the advert on television and informed me of the pageant and the car involved. That was what really got me interested but I was a tomboy so I had to quickly change into the girlish type to fit in.”

AT AGE 18, WHAT GAVE YOU THE ADVANTAGE OVER FELLOW CONTESTANTS TO CLINCH THE CROWN?

“I think they all took me for granted because they were in the tertiary institution and older than I was. They looked so elegant and I could not help but respect them as we do to our seniors at the boarding house. I was always thinking of what I could do right that they were ignoring. I was late in preparing my speech at a time when other contestants were already memorising and fluently presenting theirs. I was also confused about what to perform as my talent. So on the eve of the finals, I kept playing with my laptop until a Michael Jackson song started playing and ‘bam’, I got my talent. But the dance routines were not easy and at a point, I wanted to quit all together.”

WHAT IN YOUR OPINION HAS DRIVEN YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
“I think God and my family are my backbone. From the onset, some friends and members of the extended family criticized me because of my age and Islamic religion. It nearly hindered me from taking part in the Miss Malaika pageant but my parents gave me the full support.”

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

“That list is long! I wanted to be a doctor, then an air hostess and whole lot of other professions.”

HOW FAR WOULD YOU WANT TO TAKE YOUR MODELLING CAREER?

“I am still a model for my agencies but now I want to lay a stronger foundation in Ghana. After my experience in New York, I think the average Ghanaian has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to which attire to wear and for which occasion. So i hope to use my, I AM FASHION Media Consultancy to groom aspiring models and those that are already in the business to be the best in what they do. Again, plans are far ahead regarding a TV show I will be hosting. The show is going to be about fashion and will line up designers and makeup artists who will provide useful tips for all body types. So people should watch out.”

WHICH OTHER PAGEANTS DID YOU TAKE PART IN?

“I won both Model of the Universe Africa and Model of the World Personality. I placed fourth at the Model of the Universe and got to the Top 10 of Face of Africa.”

WOW, THAT’S QUITE AN ACHIEVEMENT! SO WERE THERE ANY CHALLENGES OUT THERE?

“I don’t really consider this as a challenge but I realized I was the only black girl in the Model World pageant. We went out one day and a little boy ran to me and licked my hand; those around started laughing. I asked what was going on only to be told the boy thought I was a chocolate statue. I was so embarrassed but it also looked very strange. Now I just laugh whenever I recollect the incident. There was also an incident of an airport aid ignoring my heavy luggage to help the next white passenger. That shocked me because I thought racism was a thing of the past.”
ANY PARTING LYRICS?

“I’m more experienced than before and I have so much to offer. Ghanaians should get ready because the fashion and modelling scene in Ghana is going to be big and more exciting.”

MIMI-LEAVE ME ALONE

2009-08-14T06:10:00.000-07:00

It is really exciting, the way she managed to weave controversy around her to become one of the most talked about contestants in the ‘Big Brother Africa House’. In the house, she brought out some of the different characters we all possess but she would never portray them on TV. Yeah, she did not bring home the money but she accomplished her aim. You don’t agree with her? Well she says: just “leave me alone.”
Wilhelmina Abu Adani grew up in the garden city and was named Mimi by her first boyfriend. She says those days it was very cool to be in the most popular school so she pestered her parents to change her schools so she could attend schools like Holy Spirit International and Martyrs of Uganda to finish up her J.S.S education.
She completed her secondary school at Aburi Girls Senior Secondary and then went for a degree in chemistry at University of Cape Coast. She spent a year at the Tema Oil Refinery as a chemist and travelled to France to get a degree but ended up in University of Alicante in Spain to learn Spanish.
Mimi says she has always been a big fan of reality shows and that enabled her to follow Big Brother Brazil and Big Brother UK since they were initiated. It was thus a dream come true when Big Brother was introduced to Africa. She auditioned for the show in 2007; she admits that her contenders at the audition were of high profile but she sailed through to grab the spot for Ghana.
Her modus operandi to win when she entered the house was to be an, “I don’t care” type of person who has no taste of fashion. She thought this tactics would make her the most unnoticed person in the house. She also used the method of playing on the minds of other house mates. “This method I used back fired big time”.
Unknown to her, Africa was getting pissed off by her shabby way of dressing including her always messy hair. Mimi also became a big time gossip in the house and one could never tell who her next informant was going to be and to whom it would be divulged to. Unfortunately for her, her tactics worked for the housemates since it kept them on their toes.
Her relationship with Ricco was never a secret in the house but she insists nothing ever happened between them because their closeness was only for the sake of friendship. In the house she never realized her mistake because she was not being put up for eviction and thought her plans were working out just fine.
“It was quiet challenging to be there since one had to be an all-round person to be able to perform tasks like children’s puzzle which I had always taken for granted”. As to how she felt when she got home, she said, “excitement and disappointment”. “I was excited because I was finally out of the maddening BBF house and disappointed because I did not get my hands on the money”.
Her eviction met some criticisms but she is adamant about her stance regarding her performance. One would therefore see her as arrogant and stubborn but she says that is just because it takes a lot to change her views on an issue. This she said has prevented her from making mistakes in life, “though it has also made me lose some things in life”.
The title of her first single release, “leave me alone”, she says, was for her critics but the message of the song goes for boys who can’t pay for big girls like her: “if you no get dollar, make you no hala”.
She was of the view that the lack of presence of female musicians in Ghana is because all of them are doing sweet flowing love songs the likes of Keisha Cole and Beyonce will do. The irony, she says, is that the female musicians in Ghana do not perform energetically as our male counterparts. She is, however, optimistic that female musicians would eventually catch up since their numbers are increasing gradually. There are quite a few of us like “Mzbel, Irene, Becca and Eazzy”.
Her story as a female musician, she believes, would be different because of the two record labels managing her: Movingui Records and Empire Entertainment. Mimi describes her person as “sporty” and says her performances are going to be filled with energy like Ghanaians have never experienced before. Her Album is expected to hit the music market in the first week of September.
Currently her two latest singles “Tattoo” and “Fama me” (written by Chase) are blazing on the air waves. Though she admits she is no longer in a relationship with her boyfriend, she debunks rumours that the breakup was due to incidents from ‘Big Brother’; “currently am single, mingling and chilling”. Mimi believes, “for someone to believe in you, you must believe in yourself”.

SPIRIT OF PLAYMANSHIP

2009-08-14T06:04:00.000-07:00

He is the most unassuming person one could come across and has no form of education in literature, yet plays like, “Confused husbands, Unhappy wives”, “Mr. President Your Move”, “What Dad Left Behind” and “The Devil In The Mirror” were brought to life by him. These productions have been success after success and so What’s On decided to interview the man who is making night-life in the city more entertaining and educative.
Who is Ebo Whyte?
Very typical of him, he says Ebo Whyte is a man with grey hair, two hands and two feet. “We all laugh over that before he continues”: I am James Ebo Whyte, married to Mrs. Florence Whyte for twenty six years. I did statistics at the University of Ghana and taught myself marketing and accounting. I have fathered adopted children to the university level after which they begin life on their own. Because they are not biologically mine, I never name any of them after myself.
How did you start Roverman Production?
I started producing plays in 1975 for ‘Youth for Christ’ where we performed in town halls and community centres. In 2002 I did two productions which did not go too well, one of which was “Mr. President, Your Move”. Then later on, my business partner, Mr. Wireko asked me to do another play because it had been some time since I had done one. We agreed that he takes all the financial risks. We started and it went very well and we did “Mr. President,Your Move” again because the political environment suited the theme.
Are you naturally a skilled Playwright or were you tutored and what made you start writing?
Every playwright is naturally skilled. No school can ever teach that except the basic elements. In the classical play, “Tartuffe”, where the man of God was a villain, I did not like that fact so I decided to write plays that bring out the good in men of God. But now I know even men of God can cheat.
How difficult was it for you to contribute your quota to the facelift of the theatre industry?
Theatre productions have never been dead, in the first place. Every church at least produces two plays in a year. On commercial basis, however, it was basically due to curfews of the military era which resulted in the killing of our night life on the whole. The stable political life, I admit, gave way for some of us to come out this way. The patronage as of now is by a few people because a whole generation lost contact with the theatre and they naturally found other forms of entertainment. So once this political stability is sustained we can have more of this.

There is no doubt themes of your plays are identifiable with the norms of our society; do you think they are impacting well on society or people just watch them for entertainment sake?
Let us not undermine the essence of fun and entertainment. Our work productivity is known to increase when people have fun; people don’t fight in traffic when they identify similar situations in my plays. All the same I believe the plays are impacting quiet well since I have testimonies of a foreigner making up with the wife after watching, “Confused husbands, Unhappy wives”. There is also a top-notch businessman who took a day off to be with the daughter since he realized he had been missing out a lot. This was after watching “the devil in the mirror”.
How different are your directorial concepts from other directors?
I have a different mindset about Ebo Whyte, the playwright and the director. When directing I interpret the characters as individuals and as a team. The cast must also bring out the character well. Again I give my cast the freedom to give their own interpretations which must be consistent with the plot, set, costume and even dialogue delivery. They all write an essay on who they think the character is and the relation to other characters. The first three weeks of our rehearsals are all about creative brainstorming.
How are you coping with the challenges in the industry?
I handle it just as one would cope with challenges in life. You must make up your mind this is what God wants so you do it, no matter what.
How and where do you get your ideas for your plays? Is it from a scene in real life or you pull you curtain and you witness a fight and an idea occurs to you?
For a creative person, it’s difficult to explain but an encounter can play in your mind; you write and rewrite until you think it is practical and well groomed.
What inspires you?
God inspires me.
The rates of your productions make it quiet impossible for some people to watch; since interest in play productions are already on the low side can there be another way to get more people to be drawn in?
I have not met anyone who says the rates are high. The rates have actually compelled other production houses to cut down their prices. If you do not create a value for your show, you attract the wrong crowd.
Which is your favourite production so far?
My favourite is always my next play; one must always look into the future.
Do you ever think of going into movies?
Currently I want to be doing what God has placed in my hands.
Do you see a future for the theatre industry?
I foresee a very huge success.
What next should we expect from Roverman Productions?
We are going to have more efficient and effective productions. We have to find ways of getting better.
What is your philosophy?
We are here for a purpose. It doesn’t matter how long it takes and a person’s richness is defined by the number of people he has made rich.

Kelewele – ‘THE GOLDEN DISH’

2009-08-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

About a year ago Kate got a new friend who ate kelewele regularly. Kate personally did not fancy eating kelewele because she was keeping an eye on her diet. The friend brushed her off claiming it would take more than a little kelewele to put on extra weight.
Kate bought some and it tasted good with its hot crispiness blended with groundnuts. She became so glued that she could smell it a mile away. Kate continued in her new addiction and even started preparing the kelewele at home in order to get it in large quantities. From then on it became a desert to every meal Kate could add it to.
She was browsing once and checked the nutritional value of her favourite pastime. Kate could not believe her eyes and as a doubting Thomas she checked another blog to confirm what she had read. My fellow kelewele eaters, this is the news.
Before I go into its nutritional values, however, I would like to let those who are not familiar with kelewele to get acquainted with it. Kelewele is a Ghanaian snack which is called hot plantain crisps in English. They are made from ripe plantains which are normally cut into small chunks and coated with a mixture of spices. The spices could include ginger, onion, garlic, sekoni (aniseed), hwentia (black pepper), salt and pepper. The sweet small chunks of the ripe plantain with the spices are then deep fried in hot oil until it turns golden brown.
This could be served with rice or usually with fried or roasted groundnuts. Kelewele is normally sold at key points by the roadside late afternoons and at night. The next time you happen to be in these areas make sure you get your special kelewele: Tema community 1 at Casino, Community 2 at the BBC area; from the DD base, on the second junction after Adabraka Police Station and in Madina opposite the Methodist church. You do not have to worry at not finding the exact place because the appetizing aroma and the queues would invite you to your delicacy.
Plantain in itself is highly nutritious. It is a good source of potassium, magnesium and phosphate. It is full of vitamin A, C and carbohydrate. Dietary fibre can be found in plantain and that I know sustains and prevents you from eating regularly.
Now to the issue I have been evading all this while. Kate’s research revealed to her that ripe plantain contains sugars which have been broken down hence its sweetness. The softness of the ripe plantain and the deep frying is what results in the crisp, golden brown edges we all love. The groundnut it is served with is rich in protein.
This precious delicacy is a good source of nutrients needed to balance our staple meals. Be sure to wash it down with orange or any vitamin C based fruit. This mops up any harmful effect it might possess. Don’t forget to take as little groundnut as possible; we sure don’t want to be burdened with too much fat. That would be too great a price to pay for eating the sweet kelewele!
What’s On sampled views from the public why they like to eat Kelewele:
Gyamfi, 35: “After your meal it can be served as desert, it helps to make the whole eating process a lot more exciting”
Ellennora, 23: “I just love its crispiness”
Christine, 17: “With all that oil, I don’t venture there. I want to keep my shape”
Prince, 28:“I don’t know why but I like it. I guess it is because it is from plantain which doctors say is very good for us. And with the groundnut! It is sweet, just sweet…!