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The Creative Arts Industry in any country is the powerhouse that provides the avenues to telling compelling stories through diverse arts and connecting cultures through a shared experience.

Contrary to the challenges the Ghanaian Movie Industry is facing, quite a few remarkable stories or films written and directed by Ghanaian Talents seem to breaking boundaries and gaining international recognition.

‘Keteke’, a highly touted Ghanaian drama movie which was released in 2017, has been nominated for the NDR Young talent Award 201 in Hamburg, Germany.

The film was directed by Peter Sedufia, a graduate of NAFTI (National Film and Television Institute) in Ghana and produced by Laurene Manaa Abdullah.

The storyline of ‘KETEKE’ which translates as ’TRAIN’ in the Akan language, focuses on the rail service system which was the only means of transportation back in the 80’s and how a heavily expecting couple who preferred to have their first child in their village, found themselves in the middle of nowhere after missing the train.

How will a heavily pregnant woman and husband survive in the middle of nowhere? Who can help in the middle of nowhere? What will happen if they get no help? Most importantly, what will happen to the unborn baby?

If you are as curious as I am, meet the director and also get the opportunity to watch ’KETEKE’ on the following dates;

Sunday, 29.09 - 17:00  at CinemaxX 2

Tuesday, 01.10 – 17:00 at CinemaxX 8

AnnMarie Fox has got a lot of love for her land of birth but feels that the love is not reciprocal. Simply listen to this Comic-loving and super vocal woman`s track entitled “Land aint loving me” and you will clearly hear her cry for some love and respect for her and her loved ones.
We were honored to do an exclusive one on one interview with her and you can read all about it down below.

Q: Can You please tell our readers your real name as well as your stage name?
A: My real name and stage name is AnnMarie Fox

Q: How old are you?
A: I love to keep the public guessing!

Q: Where are you from and Where were you born?
A: I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York

Q: At What age did you start making music?
A: I started writing poems and composing melodies at age 10, but I’ve been involved in chorus/choir and dance classes since the age of 8.

Q: What genre of music do you particularly love?
A: I don’t have a particular genre that I love more than the other. Some days I’m in the mood for R&B/Soul, Hip-Hop, Soca, Classical, Jazz, House, Dance, Latin, Rock…I love music.

Q: Who is your favorite artist and why?
A: Michael Jackson, in my opinion, is the consummate artist. His conviction, showmanship, relentless hard work and creativity inspired me to want to perform.

Q: What are your hobbies? 
A: I’m an avid comic reader and collector. “Nerd-raging” if that can be considered a thing.

Q: Do you play any musical instrument?
A: If vocals are considered an instrument I play that and I dabble on the piano a little.

Q: Where do you get your musical inspiration?
A: I draw my musical inspiration from mine and other people’s real life experiences.

Q: Do you write your own music?
A: I have written everything that I have released so far. I wouldn’t mind collaborating with another writer.

Q: If you were given a chance, which Artist would you love to perform with?
A: If given the chance, I’d love to work with Janelle Monae. She reminds me of a female Prince. Beyonce is a given.

Feel free to listen to her music on sound-cloud and also watch some of her videos on youtube

WorldStarHipHop founder Lee O'Denat also known as "Q" has died at the age of 43. We're told that Q, the face and CEO of WorldStar, died in his sleep Monday night. According to TMZ. O’Denat started WorldStar as a mixtape-hosting site in 2005. Ultimately, the site gained notoriety as a video aggregator, posting a variety of clips, notably fight videos. An autopsy is still being awaited. Although a source says that "Q" died of a heart attack.

WorldStarHipHop founder Lee O'Denat -- better known as "Q" -- had been on a fierce path to slim down in the weeks leading up to his death.
He had been going to the gym and hitting the treadmill -- sometimes at 5 AM. People close to him say he was over 300 lbs. at his heaviest, but had been shedding weight to look his best for his new MTV reality show ... slated to premiere in the Spring 2017.


The show revolved around 43-year-old Q, his website's crazy videos and celebrity guest appearances. We're told Q had been telling friends how insanely busy he'd been juggling the show and his new gym life.
May his soul rest in peace.

A little white boy was upset that they had to wait for quite some time while at the doctors office and became very angry as well as aggressive with his mom.


The little boy tried running away at first but mum went after him and put him back in his sit. Then a few minutes later while she tryed to restrain him from moving, he goes ahead to hit her and pull her hair.


People in the room simply sat down and watched the entire scenerio and did nothing or say nothing to help the woman. What ever happened to "it takes a village to raise a kid". I guess not with this current generation.

On that faithful Saturday, I was the barbecue master for the youth party and had no choice than to listen to their kind of music. I usually listen to lyrics of the legend Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Burning Spear, Lucky Dube, I Jah Man and many others, yes strictly roots reggae. So papa why are you listening to Shatte Wale’s “AYOO”, asked the little kids. You always condemn and label this music as noise. The truth is that I have never taken the time to listen or play it.

The music was played repeatedly, honestly I had no choice than to pay attention and sing along. While the kids were moved by the rhythm, I was touched by the message. The controversial musician started by saying something is about to happen to Ghana. “They are killing our future and nobody cares to say something” AYOO!!! Ghana is dipping into anarchy and nobody cares. “AYOO” literally translated from the EWE language “He who refuses to do the right thing today pays the price tomorrow”.

The controversial musician continued by saying anytime he voices out they say he is a bad boy. We see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil and feel no evil, provided they can fill their stomach. The country is sitting on a time bomb.

Ghanaians have mortgaged their country to the Chinese, their soldiers are guiding and protecting Chinese owned mining fields. Trust me the worst culprits are post independent graduates, their appetite for quick wealth is unquenchable and unimaginable.  

Youth-Unemployment
Unemployment state in the country is undesirable, there are no strategic plans in place to address the issue neither do we have any meaningful data in place to begin with. The education system is not helping either, we continue producing white color seeking graduates year after year. Technical and vocational institutions have been relegated to the background, while we setup new universities every year. You should be lucky to know someone who knows you, to fix you somewhere. Good grades matter less, connections matter most.

Yes, the universities are big businesses, unfortunately not tailored to suit the needs of the country nor the job markets. My American friend will say“discombobulated”.

But then why not produce high in demand graduates for export. When care is not taken a day will come when these young frustrated talents will take the law into their own hands. Shatte Wale kept saying people are afraid to voice out their opinion for fear of intimidation and isolation, but that day is coming when we shall say “AYOO”

Security
The country’s deteriorating security challenges is another unattended issue, armed robbery is the other of the day, the rich have built huge security fences along their homes, lacking fresh air and suffocating in their barricade homes. The gangsters no longer bother jumping the walls, they wait outside for them. The country is close to becoming lawless, rural folks having the guts to kill security officers all in search of survival. If care is not taken a time will come when people will be snatched from moving cars. A starving man is an angry man. The question one may ask is the society gradually deteriorating into anarchy?

Food-Security
One may say in the abundance of plenty, the visionless is wanting, almost every farming land in Ghana can be cultivated all year, nevertheless the people have to import onions and tomatoes from neighboring countries . Soon they will start importing not only rice but plantain and cassava from China. Food production has been on the decline for decades and it seems there are no measures in place to curve the situation. Meanwhile Ghanaians have Farmers Day which goes with a National Holiday, Shatte Wale may ask “What are they celebrating”

Galamsey
Galamsey has been part of Ghanaian system for decades, why has it become that topical today? Yes it is destroying the water bodies, farming lands are not only been destroyed but infected with chemicals thus making harvested crops poisonous. The rural dwellers were long into Galamsey, but the impact was not that devastating until the “Accra Pen and Paper” gentlemen with their multinationals pals decided to have their fair share. They always want it big and if possible all for themselves. They came in with heavy equipment’s. What took the local boys to a century, it took them days to destroy.

The question is how long shall we be led by our stomach… we don’t care what happens to the unborn. Nobody cares about the bad roads, all we care about is driving fancy cars on them, nobody cares about bad health system, we are more concerned about affording it outside the country, nobody cares how you become rich, all we care about is having our share of the money. We have lost it all, no cultural lineage.

Until we accept we are engulfed in greed, and that we sinking very fast, we will not be able to save ourselves from this grave. Shatte Wale will continue to sing loud “AYOO” Have we become a people without direction? What legacy are we leaving for the unborn, create, loot and share? We have ceased to speak our mind, be constructive and objective citizens.

Leadership
We have ourselves to blame, we have succeeded installing Followers as Leaders, and then turn around to question their inability. People who need to be directed are in charge and steering affairs and leading us no where and nobody cares. AYOO!

Desmond John Beddy -/TopAfric Media Network

Natasha Balogun won the Miss Naija Netherlands 2013 beauty pageant. The show which took place last night, Saturday, August 31, was well attended.
Katherine Osahon was the first runner up (second position) while Janet Omotayo Dare took Second Runner up (Third position)

Natasha worked really hard at attaining this honor. She was one of the two girls who came all the way to Topafric Radio in Hamburg, Germany for an interview with Tony Air of the Whats Up Naija show.
The show took place in Amsterdam, Netherlands, at the No Limit Business Center. The association called Stichting Sitina organized the event.
Molie Balogun a.k.a Lolita the runs girl hosted the show. She is a very funny comedian who is famous because of her YouTube comedy sketch called Naija Runs Girl.

She is naturally funny and her humor is true but comical.
Topafric wishes to congratulate Miss Natasha Balogun and the runner ups on a job well done. We also wish to give the organizers two thumbs up.

Topafric

2013 is the year of the feel-good dance. After Gangnam style and Harlem Shake is "Azonto". The Internet is full of videos in which Azonto is danced. The dance trend from Ghana is already a hit in the U.S, UK, and Germany.

But what exactly is Azonto? And how can one dance Azonto? Here you can learn more about the right movements and dance elements of the national dance of Ghana, the feel-good dance. It is also a great workout for arms and buttocks, which makes it also really fun!
What is Azonto?

Azonto is a dance and music genre with roots in Ghana. It is a fun way Ghanaians express joy. The movements are derived from traditional African dance "Kpanlogo" which is mainly danced in the coastal area of Ghana. The music industry in Ghana is booming, and the rhythms are inseparable from the dancing.

The origins of Azonto come from the neighborhood of Jamestown in the Ghanaian capital Accra.
How to dance Azonto?

Azonto dance is not difficult; everyone can dance to it, whether young or old. The main thing is to have fun and not take everything too seriously. There are only a few basic fixed steps for the legs and hips. In any case, you have to wiggle your hips, bend one leg alternately rotated outward, bend your knees and dance in rhythm.

The movement of the legs is somewhat reminiscent of Michael Jackson moves but much faster. And with Azonto, the hips are constantly swaying. A large part of the Azonto dance involves the arms. The arm and hand movements mimic everyday activities. One can mime actions such as swimming, driving, boxing and praying with an ironic undertone.
It is also typical to roll ones fists in front of the body and then stretch into the air. Generally speaking, one can do what they desire, the imagination has no limits.

Azonto and music
In Accra, the musician is Gas Milla since his hit Abodatoi and the accompanying video as King of Azonto . The rapper Fuse ODG now provides his song Azonto for worldwide distribution. Azonto is the official song for the CEV Volleyball European Championship Women 2013. The song was  a collaboration with producer, Killbeatz, and Ghana's most famous female rapper Tiffany. The video is basically a guide to dance Azonto. The video you can be see here .

In Germany, the Hamburg crew TO & StunnaKid make music with the Azonto beats and also dance the Azonto while performing. Lydia and Babsee, Azonto dancers, constantly release videos on YouTube and face book which tremendously help in making the dance more popular in main stream Germany.
How can I learn Azonto?
Some German dance schools already offer Azonto courses. But you can also click through numerous YouTube videos to learn Azonto.
Have you ever danced Azonto? How do you find the Azonto dance? Leave your comments below
Topafric

I have observed various beauty pageants going on in Hamburg and all I can do is just shake my head. It´s either they are not professional or they flop. Some of these pageants don’t  have anything meaninful.

 I took part in a beauty pageant last year and before contesting my friends warned me not to take part in it because they know how “Africans” behave. It was not entirely a negative experience because I got to meet new wonderful people.

I asked myself and different people why there are so many Miss Africa pageants going on in one city and I got different answers. First answer was and I quote “Africans don´t like to cooperate with one another because everyone wants to be the boss” Second answer was “Most organizers just want to make profit out of the show and out of the girls”. I got many more answers but let´s just leave it at that. I will advice Africans here to cooperate and make one big show. Also what is the Aftermath of this Event for the girls? Most organizers just focus on the show aspect, they don´t plan for the girls, there are no projects in their names.

They don´t even gain popularity. The German media does not even know any of the winners except the present miss Africa Bremen. I want the organizers to know that it´s not just about making a show, it’s also about giving something back to the Society.

Before organizing a pageant you have to ask yourself the following questions

Who - Who will be competing in your beauty pageant? Young women? Grandmothers? Fathers? A beauty pageant can include any group of people. Narrow it down, so you can create the rules and regulations for applicants.

When - What date will your beauty pageant be held on? Check local
calendarsbefore deciding on a date as you do not want to compete with another similar local event or schedule it on a holiday.

Where - Where will your beauty pageant be held? Start with city and, in the next steps, we'll talk about venue.

Why - What is the reason for holding a beauty pageant? Is it a fundraiser? Is it to promote self-confidence in young women but not a potential money maker? Is it to publicize an organization? Is it so you can choose the right person to receive a scholarship? Are you trying to find modeling agency candidates? You must have a reason for staging a beauty pageant, or it's just another event no-one will come to.

What is going to happen to the girls once the show is over - Do we have projects which the winner is going to be coordinating, and how are we going to make her popular not only in the African community but also in the German media?

If you keep this in mind, you can now move on to organizing your Miss “whatever”.

Written by Kolawole Ajibola

Saturday, September 7th, 2013, Hamburg enjoyed a Comedy Night with the great African Comedian “Basket Mouth”, at the Auditorium Maximum presented by Billionaire Laughs Entertainment. It was actually his first time visiting Hamburg, Germany.

As usual our African brothers and sisters who suffer from AALS (Africans Always Late Syndrome) came late to the Show. It was supposed to begin at 11pm, but then finally started two hours later. People came dressed to kill.
The show was moderated by Tony Air of TopAfric Radio and Lady Anette. The audience was entertained with performances by German Dog (comedian), musicians like JC, Michael Davies, Niki Tall, and Young Crhyme.
Around 2am, Basket Mouth turned the whole atmosphere into laughter and happiness. The people were amazed by his appearance and way of being sarcastic. He made them forget all their worries and sorrows thru laughter.

He also came with a serious message saying “Africa is the future“and refreshed our minds while giving some interesting News about Africa and Nigeria in particular. Even though we live in Europe, we are still Africans.

The audience had a lot of negative remarks about the show. Below are a few of what was said:

The pre show artists were terrible. The organization was horrible, the organizer was completely confused and rude.
The show only lasted 3 hours, Basket mouth should have been made to perform much later to avoid the audience from leaving so early.
There was no after show party as promised.
As a young journalist I wish to say this;
Billionaire Laughs Entertainment should be proud that they were able to bring Basket Mouth to Hamburg.
They should in the future allow professional organizers to take up such shows.
A lot more free tickets should be circulated into the system to help entice others to come.
Billionaire Laughs Entertainment should never lie to the people. The organizer lied to everybody about the arrival of Basket Mouth. The truth was that Basket Mouth arrived early Saturday morning and not on Friday as the organizer was preaching.

Written by Christian Kenou

Daniel is a multi-talented musician. He can play the piano and has a glorious voice also. Whenever you hear or see him sing, you forget all your sorrows and your soul will be uplifted.

He recently finished recording a single and granted Topafric an exclusive interview:

Thank you for taking the time out to answer our questions.

Q: What is your name?
A. Daniel Jeddman

Q: How old are you?
A. I'm 27years of age.


Q: Where are you from? Where were you born? Where are your parents from?
A. I come from Ghana, I was born in Accra, and
My parents are all from Ghana.


Q: What age did you start singing?
A. I started singing at the tender age of 7, means I have
sang for 20years with experience. My dad, Bishop Collins Adu-Boahene
and mom, Rev. Gifty Adu-Boahene has being my greatest inspiration of
all time! Love them so much.

Q: What genre of music do you particularly love? Jazz? Hip-Hop? RnB? Gospel Etc……
A. Wow cool question ;)...I love Jazz, I sing Jazz and
actually I am a professional pianist as well. Also love RnB
and Gospel alike. I love Akan and Ga songs as well, I mean
my local African dialect songs...

Q: Who is your favorite artist and why?
A. Smokie Norful; His style is just rocking! The nature of his
inspiration is indescribable. He plays the piano and sings
from within. One can sense He sings from the heart. And above
all His personal life is a living testimony to me personally.
His songs like
I NEED YOU NOW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhmbTReGkDs&feature=player_detailpage

RUN TILL I FINISH http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=t6lytrEKyNo

Q: What are your hobbies?
A. I love to read spiritual book; biblical book to be precise,
piano, cooking, soccer, and music history research.

Q: Who is your mentor or hero?
A. Smokie Norful from the USA.

Q: If you were given a chance, which Artist would you love to sing with?
A. Quite a difficult question believe me...But permit me to choose my
best 3! Donnie Mclurkin, Smokie Norful and Alicia Keys. But I strongly
feel Smokie is the BEST for me. I have his voice range... ;).

Q: What would you like our readers to know about Daniel ? Feel free to tell our readers more about yourself. Things like your goals in life, and what you currently do. And also let them know where they can get your music……

A. I first of all want to thank THE ALMIGHTY-ALL FAITHFUL GOD for this rightful opportunity
to also be part of this media platform.
Actually, I’m currently working strongly on my first album hopefully expecting great hits
from amongst the 10 under tactical construction. For the past years the Lord has really
been a father beyond imaginations. The things he saved me through and how far He has brought
me to. I currently got inspired and programmed a SINGLE I entitled; WHEN I REMEMBER, it talks
about the remembrance of the past and how far the Lord has seen me through. A symbol of adoration.
I successfully registered this SINGLE Label with Google, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and almost all the other
music stores. These are the LINKs below to PREVIEW & BUY this spirit filled SINGLE from the stores only
for 0.99euros or 1euro to support my music ministry and your life will be transformed and properly informed.

LINKS BELOW TO MUSIC STORES FOR PREVIEWS AND PURCHASES.

iTUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/de/album/when-i-remember-single/id680351493?l=en

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=daniel+jeddman

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=daniel%20jeddman&sprefix=daniel+j%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Adaniel%20jeddman

Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/artist/5w7f6socqFEppwa62VGgsY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wlLXO9VSXx8


Please gladly click the link below and LIKE, SHARE and INVITE as many of your love ones,
friends, and wonderful families to contribute on what the Lord has already started with
me.

https://www.facebook.com/miinister.daniel

Thank you and we wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors

Topafric

 

He will be performing live in Hamburg, Germany on the 7th of September @ the Auditorium Maximum located at the University of Hamburg. But below is a brief history on the comedian. Bright Okpocha aka Basket Mouth started comedy in 1990.Although it wasn't categorized to be standup comedy; it was called wording in other words yabbing, which he did all through his secondary years.

In 1991 Bright discovered his skills in drumming, which he did for over 5 years after wards. During his days of being an instrumentalist for his church and a band at that point, he also discovered his skills in rap music and later diverted into that path in 1994.

In 1995, he, his friends and brother formed a group called da psychopaths. It had 7 members but they split before they could even release an album or single.

Bright and his brother Godwin immediately formed a group called d oddz and later added a third member (muyiwa osunrobi). Together, they did a couple of shows but couldn't break through the music industry as their brand of rap wasn't accepted then. In the year 1996/1997, they got admitted into the University of Benin where basketmouth studied sociology while his brother studied anthropology. They performed at a concert and got booed off the stage, Bright decided to drop the mic as a rap artist and grab the mic as a standup comedian.

His 1st standup comedy was a disaster because the crowd got irritated and booed him off the stage. Later that year (1999), he came back after a series of research on what brand of comedy could sell in UNIBEN; that was the beginning of Basket mouth’s inception and acceptation into the world of standup comedy.

His professional stand up act came into existence in the year 2001 and his big break came when he met Ali Baba. In 1999, Basket mouth got involved in events management alongside his comedy acts. He and his friend (Bayo Adekeye) promoted and packaged shows that featured the likes of plantation boiz, remedies, and a host of other artists. It was during that period that Laff n Jamz was conceptualized.

On the 1st of November 2000, the concept came to reality featuring Ali Baba, Paul Play, Teju babyface, mandy, Mr. Patrick and a host of others. Immediately after Laff n Jamz in UNIBEN, Ali Baba told Bright to come down to Lagos to expose his skills. It was hard to combine studies and standup comedy but it was done.

After Basket mouth featured Plantation Boiz in 2000, they asked him to anchor a monthly show that was held at the den in Ikeja. It was during that period that Bright impacted the entertainment industry in Lagos.

Things got bigger and better when Bright was invited by Tequila events to perform alongside Julius Agwu on a tour that hit over 30 higher institutions around Nigeria. Basket's emergence in Lagos can be traced back to the year in 2000 when he performed at a concert called hanging with the home boys; his performance wowed the audience and he won their acceptance. He extended his act to the monthly motherland concert hosted by Lagbaja. Afterwards, Ali Baba introduced him to Opa Williams who then featured him in the now most popular comedy show in Nigeria and beyond (Nite of a 1000 laughs).

The name BASKET MOUTH hit the big screen when he featured in international concerts that witnessed the likes of Joe, Boys 2 Men, Sean Paul, Beyonce, Wyclef Jean, Dru Hill, Akon, Snoop Dogg, Ciara, Chris Brown and many others. His international gig was in Europe (2003) after which he stayed off the foreign scene until his debut performance in Atlanta at the Nigerian Reunion in 2006. This performance led to series of performances and bookings in the United States and other countries including South Africa.

Back to back through the last 4 years, Bright has won the National Comedy Award for Best Comedian of the year, Best Standup Comedian on the year (2005/6). As a follow up to the growth, he formed a company called humor unlimited (2004), (stage play) -Devils kiss (2004), and in 2006 took it higher by forming a one man standup comedy show which made history in Nigeria [Basket Mouth Uncensored 1,2,&3]. He later established a consulting/event & Artist management company (Barons World Entertainnment) in 2006.

Basket Mouth is currently one of the brand ambassadors of one of the leading telecommunications companies in Africa (Globacom) till date, Basket Mouth stands out as one of the names to reackon with in the entertainment industry

basketmouth.tv

billionairelaughs.com

Young Crhyme aka Money Mendoza released his long awaited music video to the track “Glass of Hennessy”. This video was elegantly filmed by Benny John (Backyard Pictures).

 The music video is more of a short film which portrays more of the drink “Hennessy” as a grown man’s drink. A top shelf drink for the man who struggles for the best in life.


The intro music is reminiscent of the 60’s track by Sam Cooke “A Change Gonna Come”. It does take you back to that era of trials and tribulations by African Americans. A time when there was demand for change in equality. You see that in the film as Young Crhyme aka Money Mendoza sits in his hotel room sipping on some Hennessey and watching Martin Luther King on TV. It portrays a time when Black Men were looking for their top shelf Cognac such as the drink “Hennessy”.


Meanwhile, the main track is a sample from “Ashanti’s Rain on Me” beat uniquely put together while Young Crhyme flows to it. You also get a lil bit of ice cube’s “Today was a good Day” beautifully intertwined into the track.

The story line to the film is intriguing just like a Bonny and Clyde story but in a more modern time/set. Santa Marta plays the role of Bonny, a ride or die bitch who is ready to kill for her man. You will definitely love the short film and most especially the music.

Two thumbs up to Young Crhyme, all the actors and actresses, and last but not least, the director/film editor. Great Job!! Guys

Topafric

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