2013 In Review: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Today, Monday, December 30 will see Ghana Movie Awards happen at the Accra International Conference Centre tonight and it’s the hope of all stakeholders that, the organisers will live up to expectation and put up a great and credible show.
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2014 is a couple of days away as we wait to officially bid farewell to 2013. Depending on your experiences, the year has been either good or bad. But generally, the year has been an eventful one for the arts and entertainment industry. Did you know that, there were a lot more events this year than we have experienced in the past years, especially in December?
Despite the year witnessing a record number of shows, 2013 had been a year that some shows flopped because they were poorly organised.
Some were substandard, even though enough efforts were put into their planning. Of course, there were few one could simply describe as well organised.
Africa Worships with Sonnie Badu, Donnie McClurkin’s Ghana Stands in Worship, Big Eruption Concert and Decemba2Remeba by Citi FM were the best and well organised events in the year for me. RTP Awards and the 4Syte TV Music Video Awards were the most poorly organised events of the year.
The Bad
2013 also saw the demise of showbiz personalities; talk of Seth Frimpong, a Highlife legend, Ronnie Coaches of Buk Bak fame and recently Dr Paa Bobo, another Highlife great.
A couple of things fall under the saddest news for me. Closure of the biggest event venue in Ghana, the Dome at the Accra International Conference Centre was not funny at all. What the closure has done is that, event organisers had no option but to go back to the main Conference Centre and the National Theatre and pack patrons like sardines as well as put undue pressure on those venues. It also made some organisers increase ticketing prices to probably break even.
I witnessed the 9th Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) and the maiden edition of the AfricaMagic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA), both in Nigeria where Ghana didn’t do well at all in terms of the number of awards won as a against the number of nominations obtained.
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UK boy band, One Direction during a visit to Ghana made some derogatory statements about our dear country. One of them tweeted about the slums and poverty in Ghana. According to Wanlov, Lydia Forson and Ama K. Abebrese, the boys should have focused on the positives and not the negatives and consequently slammed and lambasted them.
The Good
For about 63 years since Ghana participated in the Miss World pageant, she has not come anywhere close to the prestigious Miss World title but in 2013, we came so close to snatching the crown.
Miss Ghana 2012, Caranzar Naa Okailey Shooter who represented the country at this year’s finals made the country and Africa proud when she placed third.
This is a no mean achievement at all.
As a result of being part of the top three, Miss Naa Okailey Shooter automatically became Miss World Africa 2013, a first time for Ghana. Great achievement by all standards. That was the biggest news for me in the year under review.
Far away at Eko Hotel in Lagos, Jackie Appiah picked the AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards Best Actress of the Year award. It was the maiden edition and she beat great Nollywood and South African actresses with a Shirley Frimpong-Manso movie Perfect Picture.
My heart is always at ease when people who have enough share with the less privileged in the society. As usual charity events took centre stage in the year 20113 with various celebrities visiting and donating to charities in the country.
Ghana’s Lady Gaga, Diamond donated some things to the Weija Leprosarium. At least, she proved that, she’s not only good in wasting her money on expensive clothes and bags. Actress Yvonne Okoro also refurbished a play ground for the Dzorwulu Special School. Just last week, host of Fashion101 and lawyer, Sandra Ankobiah also donated items to the SOS Children’s Village in Tema.
That is not all, Sonnie Badu on his birthday visited, donated and celebrated his day with four orphanages in Accra and Aburi. He also donated and celebrated the Yuletide with the old folks at Help Age, Osu Correctional Centre and the 37 Military Hospital all in Accra.
The beauty queens were not left out of the charity and donation craze. The Miss Ghana Foundation led by the 2012 and 2013 queens made some donations to some charities homes in Accra. This year’s delegates of Miss Malaika were also involved in some charity activities.
The holder of Ghana’s only BET Award, Sarkodie launched his clothing line; Sark Collections.
The Ugly
The arrest of comedian and versatile actor, Agya Koo for VISA fraud by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters in Accra was ugly news for me. He later settled the people who he had allegedly duped and even promised to shoot a movie with the story.
In October 2013, controversial musician Wanlov received a slap from Blakk Rasta which turned into a scuffle between the two artistes. The two have been at loggerheads ever since the former showed his genitals to television host, Delay. 
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There is no ugly news in the year than the alleged shoplifting scandal involving Ghanaian actress Emelia Brobbey in London. As a result of the incident, some innocent people were deported from the UK.
Another arrest which was necessary but perhaps how it was done was time wasting was the arrest of musician Deeba for defiling his 8-year old step daughter in the UK. Investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas was involved in the famous arrest. I think it was time wasting using resources to organise an audition just to arrest someone who gallivants on the streets of Accra.
Of course I couldn’t have recollected and written about all that happened in 2013. All the same, 2013 has been a good year for the entertainment industry in Ghan and I believe 2014 will surely get better. So let’s start the new year with a hearty ‘Happy New Year!’ wish from me you.
eanangfio@hotmail.com or tweet @anangfio