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Gabby Replies Critics of his "Ghanaian Movies" Post
Gabby Otchere Darko[/caption]
Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a key member of New Patriotic Party (NPP) has responded to critics of his recent comment on the Ghanaian movie industry.
Gabby had written on his Facebook page that he was appalled by the quality of some 10 Ghanaian movies he watched recently.
“I took my time to watch randomly ten Ghanaian movies and never felt so disappointed. It brought home to me one major deficiency in our development.
The apparent lack of deliberate consciousness on the part of the creative industry in the development conversation,” he posted on Facebook.
He also suggested that the arts be used to help make the creative arts part of the development agenda, making reference to how America used Hollywood to change their development narrative.
“For the best part of a century, has been deliberately used by America to push successfully American cultural ‘supremacy’ agenda; it has been used as an effective instrument of military or economic indoctrination,” he further noted.
Some creative people including actress Yvonne Nelson replied Gabby’s post, suggesting that Gabby’s judgement on creative arts matters was low.
“Kumawood has created jobs for so many people! It has put smiles on a lot of faces in our country! Your judgment is just so low! Disappointing!”
She said instead of complaining on social media, Gabby could prod powers that be to put in place the right systems for the arts industry.
“Leadership!!!!! We need structures in place and some encouragement not this! What do we do when TV networks get cheaper content from India and Latin America?” Gabby fires back However, Gabby feels the import of his earlier post has been misconstrued. He took to Facebook on Wednesday morning to respond to his critics. Read the full explanation below: I hope I have provoked a healthy debate. It is not meant to denigrate but rather to generate a discussion about using entertainment more for development, social justice and education.
There are many Ghanaian celebrities who use their influence in a positive way to promote a cause and we celebrate them. We saw many Ghanaian celebrities stepping out onto the streets during the pitch darkness of Dumsor to protest and we celebrated their activism.
The debate I seek to provoke, however, is that we do not have enough filmmakers, musicians, etc, using their films or music, etc, to promote social justice, educate and entertain or to plug into a greater consciousness, like the theme Ghana Beyond Aid. How do we define that theme of consciousness that has resonated across the globe to effect change in our society and beyond?
How do we use our creativity to change the mindset of our people from a culture of dependency and inadequacy to one of a confident AFRICA and Africans united in knowledge of their value and ready to push harder and smarter ahead? That is not to say those leading our creative industry are not good or brilliant in what they do. No!
I am only calling for more Ama Ata Aidoos, Chinua Achebes, Spike Lees, and Ousmane Sembènes.
Bob Marley, Nina Simone and John Lennon recognized the power of music and used their powerful voices to spread strong messages, to provoke discussions, to challenge stereotypes and to promote social justice. Solange, Common, Chance and even John Legend are such strong modern activists.
I will end here with an Instagram post by Questlove in 2014:
“We need new Dylans. New Public Enemys. New Simones. New De La Roachas. New ideas!” he wrote. “I mean real stories. Real narratives. Songs with spirit in them. Songs with solutions. Songs with questions. Protest songs don’t have to be boring or non danceable or ready-made for the next Olympics. They just have to speak truth.”
Source: citinewsroom.com]]>
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Ice Spice remix stamps Cash Cobain’s “Fisherrr” as the Song of the Summer
Billboard Rookie of the Month, and multi-hyphenate NYC star, Cash Cobain has just linked up with Ice Spice for the long-awaited video remix for “Fisherrr”(feat. BaySwag) [18m+ Streams]. After bubbling the past few years with R-rated anthems over his own ethereal production – creating the playful “sexy drill” sound that he’s pioneered and taken to mainstream heights, Cash Cobain is stamping himself as a serious song of the summer contender with this remix.
Following up his two smash singles “Dunk Contest” (8m+) and “Fisherrr” (pronounced, ‘for sure), Cash is primed for his moment in the spotlight –– hitting 1M Monthly Listeners on Spotify, Top 3 NYC Shazam Charts, having occupied the #1 + #3 slots of the NYC Apple Music Charts, hitting #45 on the Urban Radio Charts and counting, and now landing Ice Spice’s third feature ever –– in the words of COMPLEX, “the summer of 2024 is looking very slizzy”. On the highly-anticipated remix, Ice Spice is simply in top-tier shape.
Adding her signature magnetic ‘it-girl’ flair, charming cadence, and instantly-coinable one-liners, she bolsters the lightning-hot single into astronomical territory with the opening lines –– “Got an attitude but I’m feelingless, so I ain’t mad at you, And I’m tatted too on this fatty-tude, I’m the baddest boo”.
The long-overdue collab from the two Bronx natives is seamless, with her being a tailor-fit alongside the ethereal, dreamy production and silky smooth verses from Bay Swag and Cash. With the recent releases of “Dunk Contest” (watch Genius ‘Open Mic’) and now the Ice Spice-assisted remix for “Fisherrr” (feat. BaySwag), Cash Cobain is using his collaborative momentum from last year to continue elevating his signature sound, showcasing its influential and ever-growing widespread appeal in the process. In the words of Cash:“It’s a beautiful record. It feels amazing, it feels like NYC is back stronger than ever with me and Spice -– two Bronx legends. Get ready for the song of the summer.”
Last month, Cash took over NYC with his birthday show, ‘Slizzyfest’ at Irving Plaza –– a night that was slated as a stacked lineup of NY’s finest, with rumors of an A-list superstar surprise set. After chatter spread online and the hype reached a fever pitch, the crowd became too much to handle and the show was ultimately canceled –– but Cash wanted to give the fans their money’s worth so he ventured into Union Square and threw a makeshift show with his crew, a Bluetooth speaker, and hundreds of adoring fans (read ‘I Went to Cash Cobain’s Slizzyfest and All I Got Was That Classic NYC Feeling’ via Rolling Stone + statement in Billboard).
Also in Billboard, Cash recently teased potential collaborations with Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, Don Toliver (seen filming a music video here), Lil Yachty and more –– a surefire sign of the worldwide stardom soon to come. These recent releases arrive on the heels of a career-defining year in 2023 that closed with the production of PinkPantheress‘ “Nice To Meet You” (feat. Central Cee), which debuted at #20 on Billboard Hot 100 (he also starred alongside her in a nationally-syndicated Apple commercial for the new MacBook).
This was preceded by producing Drake’s “Calling For You” (feat. 21 Savage), which debuted at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, DJ’ing at Travis Scott‘s Cactus Jack x Audemars Piguet event, and releasing his critically-acclaimed debut solo album Pretty Girls Love Slizzy with Giant Music.
Please find links to stream the new “Fisherrr” Remix (feat. Ice Spice) below, and stay tuned for more announcements:
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