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BEING HALITA: CHISOM AGOAWUIKE’S ROAD TO GLORY

November 20, 2022

Innocence, as believed, is the weakest defense, however, it has a single voice that can only say over and over again, I didn’t do it. That was the plight of Halita, a naïve and beautiful 19-year-old who was forced to flee her village to escape an arranged marriage to a malevolent man. She lived and worked as a maid in the house of the Zamani’s, a powerful and wealthy family. Trouble always seems to find a way to flirt with Halita, even when she tries her best to avoid it. Halita is a drama series set in the Northern part of Nigeria. The motion picture shares a narrative about love, ambition, and betrayal whiles touching on an aspect of human trafficking. Halita was taken from her village and brought to the city to seek greener pastures, unfortunately, she was sold to the Zamani’s. Though her circumstance may not be clearly defined as human trafficking, experts perceive and treat such conditions as one.

Many naïve girls are falsely sold dreams of a brighter future only to be turned into slaves, and in some cases, sold overseas where the unfortunate ones end up as prostitutes. But in the case of Halita, her predicament turned out to be a blessing, nevertheless in the house of the Zamini’s, evil is always lurking in the dark, and no matter how blameless you may be, you can end up in a war with the good, the bad and the ugly. Chisom Gabriella Agoawuike plays the role of the main protagonist, Halita, and indisputably, she brought the character to life. There’s no better actor fit to play the lead character than Chisom, she made the character her own, and probably without her, there will be no Halita. Chisom has that charm that makes you fall helplessly for her, even when she’s not Halita, just a look into her eyes could get you smitten, and without a shred of doubt, she is one of the rising Nollywood actors that will soar greater heights. Fortunes finally turned in favor of Halita as it was later revealed she was a member of the Rishante family. Seven years after the explosive events that Surrounded the Zamani family and Lufu group, the Rishantes have created a new life for themselves in the Rishante mansion and the saga continues. At the moment, we know Chisom is perfect for the role of angel, but beneath her angelic appeal, is there a darker side we are yet to discover? Well, we look forward to seeing her play a cold-hearted character, maybe she’s “badder than bad”.

Music

SHE CAN BANG THAT BEAT: SORAIA RAMOS DOES NOT MAKE NOISE, SHE MAKES MUSIC

November 10, 2022

Soraia Ramos is really someone you must listen to. She’s got good vibes, a great voice, and is excellent at producing catchy melodies. Though she grew up in France and Portugal, the highly spirited Cape Verdean songbird is now flying the greatest height as one of her home country’s internationally recognized musical exports. Despite her western influence, Soraia’s music sticks to her African roots. “I have always loved the language from my country which is Creole, and always felt my voice sounded better in Creole, so I decided to sing in Creole. I felt that this music brought out a side of me that I didn’t know existed and this brought strength into my music,” she told BBC Africa.

After gaining popularity by creating cover songs for her favorite jams, Soraia Ramos took the bulls by the horn and started working at carving a niche for her own songs. “Diz-Me” is her first major hit. “I wrote about my reality, what I was living through – I put that down on paper and turned it into songs,” she said in the interview. Today, Soraia has found her spot at the top charts of the disputed African Luso-pop landscape. With a distinct soulful voice on a blend of kizomba flavors and R&B melodies, and a desire to continue in the footsteps of Cape Verde’s ‘Queen of Morna’ Cesária Évora, Soraia Ramos is progressively taking Cape Verde’s culture with her around the world. If you love to listen to diverse African music, you definitely must add Soraia Ramos to your playlist. Her recently released song, ‘Trompete’ with Portuguese singer, Nenny is a must-listen. It’s a dope joint that deserves a spot in your heavy music rotation playlist.

Arts & Culture

WHEN NORMS COLLIDE: MARITSA USES TAEKWONDO TO RESCUE THE VULNERABLE FROM EARLY CHILD MARRIAGES IN ZIMBABWE

November 7, 2022

Last year, the story of Natsiraishe Maritsa, a young girl on a mission to rescue the vulnerable from early child marriages in Zimbabwe using Taekwando, one of the most systematic and scientific Korean traditional arts, that teaches more than physical fighting skills, gained global recognition. According to UNICEF, child marriage is on a steady decrease in Zimbabwe though this phenomenon is common in mining towns, farming towns, and border towns. Girls as young as 10 and below are pushed into marriage due to poverty or traditional practices though the law states that neither boys nor girls are allowed to legally marry until the age of 18. Maritsa’s Taekwando class is made up of children from the age of four to teenagers that are now married. They regularly meet in her parents’ home, about 15 km away from the capital, Harare.

Maritsa says her taekwondo ground is a safe zone for the girls and after each training session, they talk about the dangers of child marriage where young wives share their experiences including verbal and physical abuse, marital rape, pregnancy-related health complications, and being hungry. “Not many people do taekwondo here, so it’s fascinating for the girls, both married and single. I use it to get their attention. We are not ready for this thing called marriage, we are just too young for it. The role of teen mothers is usually ignored when people campaign against child marriages. Here, I use their voices, their challenges, to discourage those young girls not yet married to stay off early sexual activity and marriage,” says Maritsa.

Even though she has limited resources, 18-year-old Maritsa is committed to helping other girls through her initiative called Vulnerable Underaged People’s Auditorium which seeks to create awareness concerning the dangers of early marriage. She’s been awarded the IOC Woman and Sports Award for Africa. “Taekwondo tenets empowered me to fight for child marriages and had positive results for people to who I impacted the Taekwondo tenets to. With Taekwondo, we are indeed champions of freedom, justice, and peace,” Natsiraishe Maritsa said.

Music

Black Sherif: The Traveller Who Never Knew He Was A Villain

October 7, 2022

Out of the blue, he emerged with a first sermon and took the country by storm. Then he became a traveler who took the road that wanted wear, and this made all the difference. Today, Ghanaian rapper, Black Sherif has become a global phenomenon inspiring many not to give up on their dreams. In an industry where it’s easier for the camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a musician to earn a living from the craft, Blacko successfully created a niche for his brand to become one of Ghana’s global superstars to put the country on the map with a distinct voice.

Coming from a ‘Zongo’ neighborhood of Konongo on the outskirts of Kumasi, Black Sherif has transcended into a creative force who uses music as a tool to speak for the voiceless in the ghettos and also share experiences about his life to motivate his followers that look up to him. Using poetic devices to achieve auditory effect through his lyrics, Black Sherif has evolved to be a musical genius and outstanding performer that fears no rhythm. After dropping series of impressive bangers, he’s now out with his debut album, ‘The Villain I Never Was’, a 14-track musical project which showcases Blacko’s lyrical dexterity and versatility. Nigeria’s Burna Boy was the only feature on the project as the ‘Second Sermon’ – remix is listed on the album.

“It took me everything to give life to this body. The one thing in my life that I gave everything up for. There is life in this body, I hope it treats you good and speaks to you like I want it to,” he says. Every story needs it hero and a villain. So, who’s Black Sherif? The hero Ghana needs to compete on the international market or the villain clipping the wings of his industry colleagues? Whatever you believe, he’s neither a hero nor villain…he’s simply Black Sherif.

Click on the link to stream/download the album: https://bit.ly/3ekT94l

Arts & Culture

The Digital Weaver: Alexis Tsegba Uses New Media To Change The Dark Narrative About Africa

September 20, 2022

At a tender age, Alexis Tsegba taught herself how to draw, but it wasn’t until after she studied law at the University of Reading and completed her Masters in Creative and Media Enterprise from the University of Warwick that she realized her full potential in the artistic world. Now a visual artist, Alexis specializes in digital collages. She has been experimenting with digital collages for almost two years. Alexis finds inspiration by observing. She is always looking for patterns in things, people, and emotions or wandering off to strange places on her own. Her greatest inspiration is going through life as herself, observing her emotions and those of others, and creating her own version of reality.

The Nigerian-based artist is a person with eclectic interests in various art forms such as painting, photography and architecture, and digital collage, which is her ultimate medium to merge her interests in a way that allows her to tell stories and express herself without limitations. Her works often feature striking subjects in surrealistic landscapes. The artist enjoys telling stories and asking questions through her art in a way that is aesthetically pleasing and draws the viewer in to keep on looking. While utterly dreamy, many of her collages are packed with covert symbols designed to raise specific questions in the viewer’s minds and challenge traditional notions on specific themes such as Afrocentrism, Afro-futurism, love, and gender expression.

Alexis Tsegba believes Afrocentrism and Afro-futurism are unique because they contribute toward changing the narrative on Africa as a dark continent in need of saving. Afro-futurism also allows her to show what her ideal Africa could be; one where people are kinder and more tolerant of differences while relying on technology to enhance aspects of the culture that enrich us.

Music

The R’2bees Legacy: Are The Hitmakers Sweeping The Streets They Once Ruled?

September 15, 2022

When Ghanaian music group R2bees dropped the remix version of ‘I Dey Mad’, they took the country by storm and instantly became a popular household name. They became the masters of the game. Seas rose when they gave the word. They had the Midas touch, and every stone they touched turned to gold. After being in the industry for over a decade, R2bees appeared to be hibernated. And just when many thought the duo was sweeping the streets they once ruled, Omar Sterling suddenly emerged with a solo hip-hop album, ‘Victory Through Harmony’. Later they followed with ‘Site 15’ and then last year, they dropped their fourth studio album, ‘Back To the Basics’.

Recently, a new revolution has begun. Afrobeats is the new sound of Africa, and the Nigerians seem to have control over its wheel. Following the current trends, musicians from Ghana and other African countries have been overshadowed, and after analyzing the Nigerian invasion, several of them have now realized their castles are standing on pillars of salt and sand. But is the story the same for Mugeez and Omar Sterling? Is it game over for R2bees?

If you are familiar with who they are, then you know they simply refuse to be broke. In July, Omar Sterling released a 3 track hip-hop EP, ‘Paedae Drop A Flow’, and a few days back, R2bees came through with brand-new singles, ‘Need Your Love’ featuring Gyakie and ‘Another One’ featuring Stonebwoy. Competition across the African continent may be steep, but the Ghanaian duo do not look perturbed, they run their own league.

Music

Chairman: Kweku Smoke’s Drill Hits Deep On A Different Vibe

September 11, 2022

Without a doubt, Kweku Smoke is one of the ambassadors of the drill wave that took over the streets in Ghana. Though his lyrics appear fierce, Kweku Smoke does not rap about drugs, violence, or hype gangsterism like the dark drill music from the Western World. The Drill genre existed in Ghana way before the ‘Kumericans’ pushed it ferociously into the limelight. “When we started drill here, it was hard for people to even understand this kind of music. Ghanaians, we don’t like hip-hop, it’s not our thing. But gradually, drill is taking over, most young people are doing it now. It’s a good way to promote hip-hop, and in our drill, you can feel the local vibe,” he told Pan African Music.

Inspired by his late brother, Smoke’s debut album, ‘Snoop Forever’ released in 2020 shared intriguing street tales that was worth the attention. Following up, this year, he drops “Big Shmoke” on which he affirms his “hedonistic and boisterous persona”. The 6-track EP released in June featured Bosom Pyung, Yaw Tog, Reggie, O’Kenneth and Jay Bahd. From bouncy trap, ballistic flows to heavy drill anthems, “Big Shmoke” serves a variety of joints to get hooked to if you love Ghana’s drill wave.

Kweku Smoke recently released visuals for “Chairman” off the Big Shmoke EP. On the track, he goes toe-to-toe with Yaw Tog and Bosom P-Yung. Check it out:

Articles

The Fanbase Wahala: Are Die-Hard Fanbase Movements A Menace To Ghana’s Music Industry?

September 9, 2022

For the past few years, there’s been an interesting debate across Ghanaian radio stations about the value of a musician’s die-hard fanbase system. To some people, the die-hard fans usually branded as movements, empires, nations, and so on are the woes of Ghana’s music industry. “I don’t believe in having a fan nation; the ‘Nations’ in Ghana music industry are killing it,” highlife and afrobeats star, Kuami Eugene sometime back shared his opinion about the subject on Day Break Hitz. However, others believe these fanatics are the engine that propels the artist to success; no matter which side you stand with, one fact remains true, in today’s music world, acquiring a loyal fanbase helps the artist to attain career goals. Every musician needs a following to build a sustainable brand.

As an entertainer, you need superfans to make it to the top and stay there. Whichever name you call them, provided they accept the tag, they are people that care so much about your brand – in every debate win or lose, they stand by you, buy your merchandise, and stand in queue for many hours to get tickets for your shows. We never wish for chaos, but in certain instances, when things get out of hand, rivalry generated from fan base movements can lead to catastrophe. For example, the war of words between Jamaican dancehall singers, Mavado and Vybz Kartel turned into bloody warfare between Gully side and Gaza, where people died. It took the President’s intervention to bring calm.

On the bright side, infamous dancehall maestro, Shatta Wale’s Shatta Movement, probably Ghana’s largest fan army with popular slogan, “SM4Lyf”, is the backbone of his empire. Shatta Wale has established a strong relationship with his SM fanbase, particularly the ghetto world. He motivates them, understands their struggles, speaks for them and they adore him for that. In fact, the Shatta Movement is the heartbeat of the Shatta Wale brand, – when it stops beating, it’s the end of the road for the street king. Manifest has got his “Manifans”, there’s “SarkNation” for Sarkodie, and Stonebwoy’s “BHIM Nation”.

The story is no different in Nigeria. The “Marlians” hold down the fort for Naira Marley, Wizkid has got “Starboy FC”, which ensures he runs the streets, and perhaps, the “30 Billion gang” would go all out for Davido. There’s not been a confirmed nickname for Burna Boy’s fanbase though it’s purported to be the “Outsiders”, but whatsoever, his superfans made him the African Giant.

Truly, having die-hard fans who would ride or die with you is a blessing for your career as a musician. Nevertheless, not having such a movement does not guarantee you cannot excel. It’s your job to identify a niche that connects with your brand and continue to get them hooked to your joints. Movements like the above-mentioned groups are only problematic when they break the laws, but they are not the downfall of the Ghanaian music industry, they rather bring excitement to the game.