I wonder why Kumawood or Ghallywood has not come out with a movie about NAM 1 & Menzgold? This is our own story. No producer has also acted on Ackah Blay Miezah, Abedi Pele, Osibisa Band etc. We will be here and Hollywood will come and tell our story for us. I have not seen any quality production on Kwame Nkrumah, the big six and the struggle for independence.
Even our own iconic figure Kweku Ananse, we don’t have any serious production on it. All the coupe d’etats and revolution that hit Ghana and Africa, we are yet to see any good quality production on them. The overthrow of Muamar Gadafi, Idi Amin, Yaya Jameh, Lauren Gbagbo, Mobuto Seseseku, Jomo Kenyata, Emperor Haile Selassie etc I am yet to see any production on them.
Africa has as much stories as it’s resources but cannot produce anything quality out of it to make money and to tell our children. Gone are the days you must depend on history books to understand happenings. The children must watch movies and understand our history.
Hollywood did a fantastic job with Sarafina which acted the Apartheid in South Africa quite well and the same with ‘Stoway’ in the ‘Deadly Voyage’ which was acted beautifully. It tells the story of the Takoradi boy and his friends and how most of them landed in the bottom of the sea instead of abroad. We had the likes of David Dontoh and Omar acting beautifully on our screens.
Aside the movies our Journalists today have all been reduced to Political, Entertainment and Sports Journalism because it makes money and it’s an easy route of escape in the noble profession. Journalism has been reduced from education and research to gossip telling, blackmailing of political opponents and reporting about some of the silly utterances and behaviour by some unruly popular musicians, actors and actresses.
Our sports shows are primarily focused on throwing the light on foreign leagues instead of the local leagues. Our TV stations are full of wrestling and foreign sports. Our airwaves are full of foreign music instead of our own and for once I thank Kumawood for rescuing our movie industries from the Nigerians. Gradually ‘A’ list artistes like Stonebwoy, Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, Wiyala etc are also rescuing our music from the Nigerians and foreigners. Before it wasn’t good at all.
Band music like Marriot International Band, The Appollo High Kings, Osibisa are gradually losing their grounds in the entertainment scene. Samini is one musician I respect alot as he has stopped miming and encourage other artistes to take up live bands. This is all good for creativity as it creates jobs for the drummer, guitarists, pianist etc. We encourage more of such in our music scene.
Before we use to have cultural dancing as part of our school curricular so you finished school having learnt one dancing step or two in our culture but now it’s not prevalent like it use to be. We hardly hear of the Wolomei etc and they are hardly featured in any award categories in VGMAs so they are gradually dying out. Nowadays they only play at drinking spots and pubs.
Painting which is a very noble profession is also seen as a safe haven for low standard students in Senior High School. Students who do visual arts are considered to be below standards so many students force themselves to do science even though it’s not their field. They end up not doing well in the science or are not accepted in science because their grades were low in Junior High School and end up becoming miserable in life.
You don’t hear of art exhibition being organised in Ghana as it is done in France, USA, Italy etc. Visual Artists are one of the most respected professions outside Africa in Europe, Asia, America etc but not in our continent here in Africa.
Stage Acting as it was done before has all reduced in our time. Thankfully Uncle Ebo Whyte is seriously holding the fort but he alone cannot do it. Gone are the days in Allians Francais where is always an exhibition, cultural dancing, acting etc. Nowadays it has completely reduced.
People love to lay the blame on government but government cannot leave it’s pressing needs to attend to entertainments and our arts industry. All government can do is to give a budget allocation, the rest depend on private individuals. We must all structure our tastes to consume local content not only in terms of commodities but in our entertainment and arts industry as well. This is the only way we can create jobs in that sector and maintain our arts and culture as a people.
