Gossip
‘The Curfew’, a movie inspired events around the funeral Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II
The Ashanti Kingdom of Ghana, West Africa, is one of the few traditional institutions in Africa to maintain its rich culture since its inception in 1670. Until 1901 when they were defeated by the British, the Ashanti had a growing empire which was very powerful and conquered neighbouring kingdoms in its expansion project.
The kingdom has inspired many documentaries and films as a result of its rich history and tradition. The latest is The Curfew, a movie that was inspired by the funeral of the late Ashanti queen mother, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, who died in 2016 at age 111 and was buried in secrecy in late 2017.
Written, directed and executive produced by Ghana-based filmmaker, Mclistowel Koranteng (screen name Okra Kofi), The Curfew takes viewers through a journey of thrilling discovery, bravery, and activism as experienced by a clueless tourist who chances upon a secret transition ritual associated with royal burials.
“It is a work of fiction whose major plot points are inspired by true incidents. It took a year and a half; from pre-production, production to post-production to shoot the movie,” Mclistowel told Face2Face Africa in an interview.
The filming of the movie was done entirely in Ghana and Mclistowel, who is a Ghanaian, explains that the choice of the West African country is because of “originality, authenticity and the vibrancy of the culture.”
Award winning Media personality Elinam Amenyo (Eli Kharis) , the movie has an unconventional cast of both local and international actors with the female lead role (Benyiwa) played by Princess Fathia Nkrumah, the granddaughter of Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
It took us about five months to finally settle on the final cast, with the Benyiwa character being the hardest to find. We finally found the spirit of that character in Princess Fathia Nkrumah and it was a perfect fit, considering who she is and what the story hopes to inspire,” says Mclistowel.
The male lead role was played by seasoned Ghanaian movie director Pascal Aka, while the role of the tourist (Logan) was played by first-time Lebanese actor, Shadi Byrouthy.
“With the Logan character, the casting process started from the Cape Coast. We were there for location scouting and I remember we will literally stop and ask any white guy we think fits the role if they will like to try their hands on acting. We even went to the international students’ department at the University of Ghana to audition a few of them but had no luck there as well.
“We finally met Shaidi at Osu Republic [A bar in Accra], and the moment the producer saw him, she screamed after him, Logan! So he turned and said ‘my name is not Logan’ and the rest is history,” the director told Face2Face Africa.
Other casts include Congolese-British actor and BBC producer, Emeline Nsingi Nkosi, Ghanaian veteran actors Adjetey Annan, Dzifa Glipkoe, Emmanuel France, PY Addo and many other young actors.
The film comes at a time when Ghana is commemorating the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in America. The “Year of Return, Ghana 2019” was launched in a quest to encourage African Americans and the black diaspora to return to the country where their ancestors were kidnapped and enslaved.
Mclistowel believes the movie will enlighten the black diaspora about African culture and traditions which have been labelled negative for far too long. “I think with this year declared as the year of return, our brothers and sisters in the diaspora, when they return, should know just like anywhere else, the continent has it’s good and defective side.
“It is not enough to just rant about it, but that we should all strive to be a part of the solution and also know that changing the narrative is not about embellishment but by acknowledging and taking responsibility for our shortcomings and ensuring that all sectors get equal representation,” he said.
The Curfew is a co-production project of Blackmore Studios and Adfocus with support from London-based organisation, Sabre Education. It will be released by the end of the year.
Gossip
Highlife Musicians KK Fosu, Bless involved in a car crash at Apam
News reaching Ameyaw Debrah Media is that Ghanaian Highlife musician, KK Fosu was involved in a near-fatal accident on the Accra-Apam on the early hours of Saturday, May 25, 2024.
According to information gathered, KK Fosu was together with his fellow musician, Bless when their car collided with a Mercerdes Benz at Apam junction while on their way to an event at Breman Essikuma.
The ‘Chocho mu cho’ hitmaker, who sustained some serious injuries is currently receiving treatment at a near by hospital.
KK Fosu sustained some injuries as well and is also responding to treatment.
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Gossip
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Gossip
Police arrest Nigerian music star, Portable over G-Wagon debt ..watch how he jumped over a gate to escape previous arrest
The Lagos State Police Command, on Tuesday, arrested popular musician, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, for refusing to pay the debt he incurred when he purchased G-Wagon from a car dealer in the state.
Portable jumps gate to escape as police come to arrest him over alleged unpaid debt for his G-Wagon…. Watch till the end cos he actually jumped the fence for real 😩😭😂 pic.twitter.com/PORc1X3cmK
— Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) May 14, 2024
PUNCH Online gathered that Portable, during the purchase of the vehicle worth N27m, paid only N13m and had refused to pay the N14m balance.
It was learnt that whenever the car dealer contacted him to pay the balance, he usually claimed that the vehicle was bad
When efforts to get Portable to pay the balance proved abortive, our correspondent gathered that the car dealer reported the matter to the police and policemen detailed to investigate the case arrested Portable.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that Portable had been arrested.
He said, “Yes, Portable has been arrested. He bought G-Wagon for N27m, paid N13m and refused to pay the rest, claiming the vehicle was bad. We arrested him today.”
Gossip
Ghanaian footballer, Yaw Yeboah proposes to girlfriend, Gifty Boakye
Ghanaian fashion model, Gifty Boakye has revealed on her birthday that her boyfriend and Ghanaian midfielder, Yaw Yeboah has officially proposed marriage to her.
Gifty shared photos of the happy moment when the Major League Soccer star, who plays for the Columbus Crew, popped the question ‘Will you marry me question?” in front of family and friends.
View this post on Instagram
Yaw Yeboah won two trophies with Major League Soccer side Columbus Crew in 2023. The former Ghana U23 captain scored the winner as the Gold and Blacks defeated Los Angeles FC to win their third MLS title. Yeboah also starred in the Eastern Conference final as Columbus Crew came from two goals down to beat city rivals FC Cincinnati at the TQL Park. Yeboah, who made 37 appearances scoring four goals and providing five assists in the 2023 campaign, was rewarded with an invite to the Black Stars ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Gifty Boakye was born in the USA to parents who had immigrated from Ghana. At the age of 16 her dark complexion created drive and passion in her to begin to model and further to inspire young girls to love the skin they’re in. Today I enjoy sharing my story .life as a model, Entrepreneur, philanthropist, & public speaker now living in Accra Ghana.
After receiving my degree in communications arts from St Johns University, I started my first company NVTIVE in 2017 an online Boutique that pays homage to international cultured in apparel & art. In 2018 I founded Sister S.L.A.Y a nonprofit that empowers young girls ages 11-18 through educational workshops and self-confidence rebuilding.
Fun facts about Gifty, she can rap almost any Jay Z record word for word. She loves spending time with family& friends. Her favorite food is Waakye and in 2017 also Gifty reigned as the face of festival AFROCHELLA. Her guilty pleasure is gummy bears. She was also in a relationship with Ghanaian footballer Thomas Partey.
Gossip
Rema Sparks Big 3 Debate in Nigerian Music Scene
The Nigerian music scene is buzzing with discussions about the ‘Big 3’ artists, with Olamide, Davido, and Wizkid being the most frequently mentioned. (more…)
Gossip
“I produced most of the biggest hit songs in Ghana last year” – Beatz Vampire claims the crown ahead of TGMA 2024
Showbiz and showboating go hand in hand and Beatz Vampire is sticking to the script. As one of the industry’s most sought-after producers, he confidently declares 2023 his own and believes none of his peers even come close heading into the Telecel Ghana Music Awards 2024.
Despite the prominent awards show just a month away–June 1, Beatz Vampire is already anticipating a clean sweep under its rebranded glory. His gaze is set on one of the night’s most coveted achievements: the “Producer of the Year” award. And with four hits credited to him under three artists in the previous year alone, it is easy to see why he is confidence levels are stratospheric.
Last year, the young producer was all over the place. His work on JZyNO and Lasmid’s ‘Butta My Bread’ was a mega success, bringing over 160M streams across platforms. The song’s popularity on TikTok also got under the skin of artists like Nigeria’s Ruger, who tried to downplay its quality and appeal. Beatz Vampire chased this down with equally catchy tracks like ‘Goodsin,’ ‘Likor’ and ‘I Lied,’ which garnered similar acclaim.
Indeed, Beatz Vampire has a good chance of winning the award. Since the nominations list dropped, his name has been on the lips of fans who showed their support. The producer chimed in on his fans’ sentiments, saying: “I feel honored even though this was expected. I produced most of the biggest hit songs in Ghana last year, from JZyNO and Lasmid’s ‘Butta My Bread’ to Olivetheboy’s ‘Goodsin,’ Kidi’s ‘Likor’ and ‘I Lied,’ so it’s only right I am handed the award on that night. Big shouts to the rest of the nominees though.”
Of course, Beatz Vampire is no stranger to the hype around prestigious awards. In 2022, he was nominated “Producer of the Year” at the Ghana Music Awards USA and Ghana Music Awards France. His contributions over the years, like Jahmiel’s ‘Beautiful,’ P-Square’s ‘Jaiye,’ Shatta Wale’s ‘Hajia Bintu’ and ‘1 Don,’ Mr Drew’s ‘Mood’ and ‘S3k3,’ Lasmid’s ‘Atele’ and ‘Sika,’ among others, were super hits of their time. But this year in review is a special one. He believes after so many years of missing out, the award is coming home.
As the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (formerly the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards) draws close, Beatz Vampire stands on the cusp of glory.
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