Kelvin Ikeduba has been the notorious ‘bad boy’ of the Nigerian movie industry for as long as anyone can remember. But that does not mean the cross over actor is as bad in real life as his roles in movies have portrayed him. While some say the likes of Jim Iyke, Hanks Anuku among other bad boy actors have long faded into oblivion, Ikeduba has remained visible and undaunted even in the face of being stereotyped. The tough-talking actor is widely known by his fans as ‘a gangster’ because of the natural affinity he has for the “bad boy” roles...

After 30 years of being in the music industry, Gospel music group, Daughters of Glorious Jesus have taken a step in raising a new generation of artistes. The veteran singers recently unveiled the first signee on their music label Priseine Hub Ltd. The ceremony, which took place at the Sunlodge Hotel in Accra saw the group, made up of Cynthia Appiadu, Edna Sarpong and Monica Owusu Ansah, pour blessings on Afia Sika who has served the group as a backing vocalist for 15 years. The lead singer of Daughters of Glorious Jesus, Cynthia Appiadu, said apart from being a talented...

When musician Kesse gave his life to Christ and decided to turn his back on secular music for the Gospel sector, he knew there would be challenges but he was ready for them. And that is perhaps the reason he says he is not surprised that his colleague Gospel musicians are not showing him love as he expected. “When I was in the world, I was told there was more love among secular musicians than Gospel artistes and I am now seeing the truth. There is stigmatisation from Gospel musicians. “They see you in a certain way and think you...

‘Have you ever had someone tell your story, take your voice … and replace your face until no one else can see or hear you?” These are the powerful words that Nigerian actor/director Genevieve Nnaji speaks to introduce the Netflix initiative Made By Africa, Watched By the World. Mixing new, original content with older African classics that have not previously been streamed elsewhere, this initiative, much like Strong Black Lead (2018), aims to showcase content that centres black stories but – unlike Strong Black Lead – it will be by and about Africans. It creates a path for stories that specifically address different slices of...

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dreadful impact on all sectors of the arts, necessitating companies, producers and creative individuals of all sorts to modify plans and tactics in order to stay afloat. That’s why the Vodafone Cash Agrofie magazine entertainment programme is coming back after nearly a year off our television screens, in a virtual format that the producers believe viewers would find as exciting as the previous episodes. The programme seeks to impart discerning information on cultural practices, social behaviour and development attitudes to viewers in an entertaining way. Participants usually win a variety of prizes. According to...

American reggae and pop singer-songwriter Johnny Nash, best known for the 1972 hit I Can See Clearly Now, has died aged 80, his family has said. Nash, whose health had been in decline, died at his home of natural causes on Tuesday, his son told US media. The musician began singing as a child and made his major label debut with the 1957 song A Teenager Sings the Blues. Nash, born in Houston, was one of the first non-Jamaican singers to record reggae music in Kingston, Jamaica. His single I Can See Clearly Now sold more than a million copies and reached the top...

THERE is no doubt that Dancehall artiste Jupitar is talented but his releases have been few and far between. In fact, since the release of his hit single Enemies, not much has been heard of him. So while people recognise his talent, there is a perception that he is lazy but in a recent interview with the Graphic Showbiz, Jupitar said it was not true. According to him, anytime he goes for interviews, the one question he gets asked a lot by fans is whether he is lazy. “I get not less than five questions from my fans asking if I am a...

As a surgeon; and a renowned literalist and poet, Prof. Lade Wosorno has lived both lives using his skills to bridge the gap between science and arts. Also, his proficiency as a great essayist has endeared him to many in the literary world; thus, it will be a good chance for patrons at this year’s edition of Ghana Reads scheduled for the Korle Gonno Community Library on Wednesday, October 7 to tap into his rich knowledge as one of the guest speakers. The event, which is the third in a series since its inception, is the brainchild of Ghana Reads Initiative and...

MANY people have given their opinion on what they think can be done to revive the movie industry, and for veteran actress Adwoa Boahemaa, popularly known as Mama Cali, government should fund the industry. “I have heard that government will put up some theatres for us as well as a film village but I believe if some appreciable amount of money is also injected into the system, it will go a long way to revive the industry.” “We get some royalties from ARSOG and it used to be quite substantial but these days, it is very small so, perhaps, government...

IN October 2019, the Director of Creative Arts, responsible for Programmes & Projects at the National Commission on Culture, Socrate Safo, revealed that the Ministry for Tourism, Arts and Culture would start an insurance scheme for players in the creative arts sector. He told the Graphic Showbiz at the time that the insurance scheme for the creative arts industry had become necessary in light of the sorry state of some veterans in the creative industry. However, almost a year down the line, the number of people who have signed on to the scheme is nothing to write home about, raising questions about...