2 Gospel music giants clash over music awards nominations
Despite the coolness that Cwesi Oteng demonstrated in the face of provocation by colleague gospel musician Nicholas Omane Acheampong over the Vodafone Ghana Music Artiste of the Year award, and the subsequent on-radio apology by the latter, the quarrel between the two giants continues to simmer.
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Last two weeks , Omane claimed on a radio programme that Oteng did not deserve to have been nominated for an award in the topmost Artiste of the Year category and asked that the organisers withdraw his nomination. He said that Oteng’s song God Dey Bless Me was not popular enough last year to earn a nomination.
Rather his own song, Zaphaneth Paneah, was more popular all over the country and although Omane did not say so specifically, the implication was that he should rather be the one to have that nomination.
Oteng did not respond angrily to Omane’s outbursts and subsequently Omane apologised and it appeared that matters had died. But no.
Last Thursday Cwesi Oteng snubbed Omane Acheampong on E-Talk, an entertainment programme on GH-One, when he refused to sit on the same set with him.
Cwesi Oteng, who had earlier been interviewed by the host Amanda Jisseh, declined to stay when Omane Acheampong was expected to join him. Poor Amanda, who at the beginning of the show had promised viewers that the two will be involved in the discussion, was left with no option than to tell her audience about the goings-on backstage.
When Showbiz contacted Cwesi Oteng last Monday he confirmed his action but did not concede that it was a snub. According to him, after being interviewed and explaining his side of the story, he saw no need to be on the set with Nicholas to argue.
“I wanted to avoid the situation where we will argue and create a scene on set that is why I took that decision. Besides, since this issue came up, I have decided not to comment on it because that is his view and he is entitled to it. I respect him a lot and didn’t want to argue with him because a lot of people look up to us as role models”.
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He said he was grateful to God for his career success and remarked that, “An award is just a surplus as a gospel musician and my aim is to use my God given talent to minister to people. I believe that it is God who lifts me up”.
Meanwhile, on the show last Thursday, Omane Acheampong disclosed that he didn’t say that Cwesi Oteng should be withdrawn from the category but only asked why he should get a nomination for the ultimate category when he only promoted his album only in Accra.
He asked the media not to pitch him against his fellow gospel musician but they should rather ask questions regarding the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards as he was doing.
In an interview with Showbiz, the Director of Production at Gh One, Nii Ayittey Hammond who was part of the board which made the selection for the various categories described the on-going fracas between Cwesi Oteng and Omane Acheampong as the expression of divergent views.
He said that both parties were entitled to their opinions and if Omane Acheampong believes that an artiste did not deserve to be in a category and that person felt offended, “ is he not expressing his opinion too?” he asked.
“It is a matter of opinion and if one person out of the 25 million Ghanaians thinks that the board didn’t do its job well, others too have the right to disagree and that is what is happening”.
Story by Gifty Owusu-Amoah/Graphic Showbiz