Entertainment – Page 31

May 19, 2023

Dancehall female sensation Aklerh goes hard on ‘Labadi Gyal’ single featuring Jah Lead

Rising female reggae and dancehall musician Aklerh has dropped some ruthless vibes on her newest single, ‘Labadi Gyal,’ featuring award-winning musician Jah Lead.

Signed to Revolution Records, Aklerh amps up the energy with her sublime lyrics on this new jam, cementing her prowess as one of the brightest dancehall prospects in Ghana.

The single combines traditional Ghanaian rhythms with modern sounds in a way that is unique to Aklerh, and Jah Lead’s mellow vocals give the song further depth and flavour.

Produced by legendary beat maker Cashtwo of Hitfactory Classic, ‘Labadi Gyal ‘ boasts a vibrant and infectious melody that would have audiences grooving along.

The track’s lyrics celebrate the beauty and allure of Labadi, a vibrant coastal suburb in Accra, Ghana, paying homage to the captivating women who reside there.

This collaboration between Aklerh and Jah Lead is highly anticipated by music fans across the continent, as both artistes have been making waves in the music industry with their unique styles and creative approach to music-making.

Plans are far advanced to ensure the song becomes a major hit in Ghana and beyond with its catchy melody and relatable lyrics.

The song is available across various streaming platforms.

Source: Ghana News Agency

May 18, 2023

Cameroonian-born Samuel Fosso wins 2023 Deutsche Borde Photography Foundation Award

Samuel Fosso 60, a contemporary artist who photographs himself in the style of leading historical figures including Martin Luther King and Angela Davis, has won the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2023, the BBC has reported.

The Cameroonian-born Nigerian photographer Samuel Fosso was awarded the $37,000 prize at the Photographers’ Gallery in London.

Samuel Fossi now described as “a man of 1,000 faces”, has since 1970 specialized in self-portraiture and performative photography and his works currently appear in most renowned galleries across the world.

Speaking to the BBC after bagging the prestigious prize Samuel reacted saying;

“Winning this prestigious prize, recognized as one of the most important in the field of photography, means that my work is recognized by the artistic community.

This recognition is very important to me. I feel a lot of joy and pride.” he stated

The Director of the Deutsche Borse Photography Foundation, Anne-Marie Beckmann, said Fosso’s retrospective opened up new perspectives, allowing many more people to discover his work for the first time.

“Through the retrospective, we were able to see his work differently and gain a much deeper understanding of the relevance of his practice today,” she said.

The jury also acknowledged the work of the other shortlisted artists, Bieke Depoorter, Arthur Jafa, and Frida Orupabo, who received £5,000 each, the Guardian reported.

The exhibition showcasing all four artists is currently ongoing at the Photographers’ Gallery until June 11th, 2023.

Samuel Fosso was raised in Nigeria and later fled the Biafran war as a young boy, in 1972 and was taken in by an uncle in Bangui in the Central African Republic.

In 1975, at the age of 13, reports revealed he opened his Studio Photo Nationale to take commercial portrait photographs. He also made self-portraits to fill the unused parts of his photographic films. His work includes using self-portraits adopting a series of personas, often commenting on the history of Africa.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

May 11, 2023

Laayoune, Florida’s Hollywood Sign Twinning Agreement to Boost Cooperation

A twinning agreement between Laayoune and the city of Hollywood in the state of Florida (United States) was signed Wednesday in Laayoune, with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations of cooperation in the economic, cultural, educational and tourist fields.

As part of the decentralized cooperation between Morocco and the United States, this agreement was initialed by the President of the City Council, Moulay Hamdi Ould Errachid and the mayor of the city of Hollywood in Florida, Josh Levy, at the headquarters of the municipality of Laayoune, in the presence of the wali of the region Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, governor of the province of Laayoune, Abdeslam Bekrate and elected officials of both cities.

According to both parties, the agreement opens promising prospects for the consolidation of partnership ties in various sectors, including tourism, environment, culture, arts, academic research and sustainable development, in addition to sharing expertise and strengthening cooperation.

This agreement will offer the capital of the Moroccan Sahara an international influence and partnership opportunities that can contribute positively to its socio-economic development.

This agreement marks the beginning of a closer relationship between the two cities in the economic and cultural fields,’ said Mr. Levy at the end of the signing ceremony of the agreement.

Similarly, he said he was ‘very impressed’ by the quality of investments and educational infrastructure, sports, socio-economic and health in Laayoune, praising the efforts made by the Regional Council and the Communal Council of Laayoune in the implementation of projects.

The mayor of the city of Hollywood in Florida also expressed the wish to further consolidate bilateral relations, through the exchange of visits of delegations from both cities. The priority sectors in Laayoune and Florida are similar and complementary, he noted, citing in particular the sectors of aviation, agriculture and education.

He has, in this sense, called for close cooperation between businesses in Hollywood and Laayoune, to benefit from investment opportunities in both cities.

For his part, Ould Errachid stressed that the agreement, which comes after the decision of Washintgon to recognize the sovereignty of Morocco over its Sahara, aimed to deepen bilateral cooperation in various areas.

He also expressed his willingness to establish mutually beneficial relations in all sectors of common interest with the American city. On this occasion, an institutional film highlighting the potential and assets of the two cities was shown.

Similarly, the members of the delegation attended a presentation on the development programme of the municipality of Laayoune covering the various development projects registered under the new development model of the southern provinces launched by HM King Mohammed VI in 2015.

The American delegation visited the Regional Investment Centre, where they attended presentations on the socio-economic potential, the various projects completed and underway and investment opportunities in the region.

During their stay in Laayoune, the U.S. officials made field visits to several projects completed or underway, where they saw firsthand the efforts made to ensure comprehensive and integrated development of the region.

Thus, they visited the women’s municipal club, the Olympic pool and the sports village, as well as projects related to the construction of the Faculty of Medicine, the City of trades and skills and the University Hospital, in addition to the African Institute for Research in Sustainable Agriculture and the phosphate port in Foum El Oued.

Source: Ghana News Agency

May 9, 2023

Photo exhibition on Nakba victims

A photographic exhibition portraying the Nakba (catastrophe) victims of 1948 will be on display on 15-17 May at the Palestinian Embassy in Luanda, Angola.

This was confirmed by the Palestinian diplomat, Jubrael Al Shomali, while speaking to Angop on May 15, the date on which the conflict between Israel and Palestine began.

Jubrael Al Shomali said that “after 75 years of uprooting, displacement and exile, the number of Palestinian refugees reached about 8 million.

“Israeli brutal actions against the Palestinian people, who even today suffer the bitterness of a conflict, have lasted for decades”, he stressed.

He said that Israel has already settled in more than 85% of the historic areas of Palestine, of approximately 27,000 square kilometers, and 531 Palestinian towns and cities are destroyed.

Data released by Human Rights Organisations and the Palestinian Prisoners Club put at about 1 million the number of people detained by the Israeli occupation forces, since 1976 until today, between men and women.

The area of dispute between the two sides is located in the Middle East, more precisely in Palestine.

The main focus is the city of Jerusalem, a point of strong religious tourist potential and which is considered a sacred place for the three monotheistic religions of the planet: Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

May 8, 2023

Duplicity of Looks Art Exhibition opens in Accra

A Duplicity of Looks Art Exhibition has been opened in Accra with a call on Ghanaians to support the work of artists to help preserve the beautiful African cultural identity expressed in art.

It is an installation of paintings by Nana Frema, an artist, supported with an exhibition grant awarded to her. The show is being run from May 1 to June 1, 2023.

The exhibition features several works that explore the idea of duality that can be applied to everyday lives. The works are aimed at making viewers think about how different looks can be interpreted in different ways.

Eng George Asiedu, the Project Coordinator of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Areas – Sanitation and Water Project in a speech read for him by Eng Gabriel Engman expressed appreciation to the creative works of the artists.

He said: ‘We’ve all heard the phrase ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ but what this show tackles are something much deeper,’ adding; ‘In the collection of Nana Frema’s works in the Duplicity of Looks, it explores the topic in very diverse ways, and the pieces are a testament to the power of arts.’

Eng Asiedu noted that the complicated and the layered ideas of the arts challenge us to think beyond what we initially see by finding depths in our understanding, and urged people who would be patronizing the exhibition to take an art piece home.

He said: ‘By so doing you are not only supporting the artist to continue in her vocation, but you are contributing your quota to the preservation of our beautiful African cultural identity being expressed through the experiences of the artist.’

Madam Akwele Suma Glory, the President of the Women’s Art Institute Africa (wAi Africa) in an address stated that Nana Frema is one of the hardworking young ladies of wAi Africa, saying; ‘For us at wAi Africa, this show is extra special because it is our maiden virtual exhibition edition.’

She said as the harsh economic condition in the world was gradually improving, it was imperative for people to take solace in things like carefully created artwork like the paintings of Nana Frema to rejuvenate us to prepare for better economic opportunities.

Madam Akwele encouraged viewers of the exhibition to take a moment to look at the installation of the art works closely, saying; ‘You will see in each piece the artist’s hopes, aspirations, and dreams. You feel her expectations. You sense her quiet but insistent demand for results.’

Nana Frema, in a remark expressed gratitude to God for helping her with the project while thanking the wAi Africa for giving her and the husband, Mr Frank Nartey the opportunity and support throughout the work.

She also extended gratitude to the exhibition grant team for their encouragement.

Source: Ghana News Agency

May 7, 2023

24th VGMAs: Full list of winners

The 24th Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs) night was jam-packed with lots of musical and fashion thrills.

Excelling artistes and talents picked up honours for their hard work in the year under review.

Black Sherif, one of Ghana’s biggest music exports, won the coveted Artiste of the Year award, having also bagged three awards, including the Best Music Video, Vodafone Most Popular Song of the Year, and Best Hip-Hop Song.

Check out the full list of winners below:

Artiste of the Year

Black Sherif – winner

Stonebwoy

Sarkodie

King Promise

Camidoh

Kidi

Piesie Esther

Joe Mettle