Congrats to MzVee, deserved BET nom or not

Late last week we had a big news in the entertainment industry. Once again our dear country has had a musician being nominated in Best International Act – Africa category for the next BET Awards. I am going to assume that it is no news to you that I am referring to female artiste MzVee.

This nomination comes on the heels of another Ghanaian, Stonebwoy picking up the same award at the last BET Awards being the second Ghanaian to do so after Sarkodie, with whom he was nominated along with other big names on the continent.

To put it in context, Stonebwoy’s winning was no mean achievement as he was placed in a category full of big stars on the continent besides Sarkodie. The other nominees were A.K.A (South Africa) Yemi Alade (Nigeria), The Soil (South Africa), Fally Ipupa (DR Congo), Wizkid (Nigeria), and Sauti Sol (Kenya).

That list will give any first time nominee some jitters. It was on that basis that Stonebwoy was written off. He was on paper the weakest despite having won the Artiste of the Year at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards a month or so earlier.

This conversation is not so much about Stonebwoy as it is about the one who just got nominated – MzVee. Just like they did when Stonebwoy was nominated, some have gone to town to condemn the nomination of MzVee that she doesn’t deserve it.

I hear a radio pundit was even bold enough to say that MzVee should come and explain how she got nominated. How ridiculous can you be? How can you have access to a strong medium like radio and spew such dross? Why should the one who “was sitting her somewhere” and got nominated be the one to explain to you? Who even are you to demand such an explanation?

In any case the young lady has been nominated along with some heavyweights in the category and it seems like another uphill battle for the relatively young musician. The monster list includes AKA (South Africa), Black Coffee (South Africa), Cassper Nyovest (South Africa), Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania), Serge Beynaud (Cote D’ivoire), Wizkid (Nigeria) and Yemi Alade (Nigeria).

That list will send a chill down the spine of any other artiste let alone one who only last year won the New Artiste Award at the VGMA. 

However, I believe that with a lot of effort she can be named the Best International Act – Africa at this year’s BET Awards.

It is true that MzVee burst into the limelight not long ago. She was the winner of the maiden Unsung Category at the VGMA two years ago and then followed with the New Artiste Award the following year. Thus, there are more senior people ahead of her.

However, I am sure the organisers of BET Awards do not care how long you have been in the game but what impact you made. To be honest, if I were advising them on a choice from Ghana I would not have recommended MzVee, but that does not mean she doesn’t qualify.

The organisers know what criteria they have and on what basis they decide who gets nominated. I don’t think Yemi Alade and Wizkid are the only ones from their country who could be nominated nor are those from the other countries, but they are those who have been chosen.

The 23-year-old Vera Hamenoo-Kpeda is the Chosen One and the one we should all support, vote for and hope she emerges winner. But even if she doesn’t win, MzVee has written her name in gold and neither you nor I can do diddle squat about it.

IS BERLA MUNDI CONFIDENT OR DARING?

I have been listening to the Touchdown on Live FM a lot these days. That is the show that airs after Sammy Forson’s late afternoon show and hosted by Berla Mundi Ardadey. At least I have been doing so since Jeremie focused on the morning show and left this for Mundi to host.

Thus Berla Mundi whose foray into radio began in earnest when Live FM was launched and she was the presenter of the entertainment segment on the Mid-Morning Show with Antoine Mensah and the late afternoon show with Forson.

Before making it to radio, Berla was a TV presenter. She hosted a few shows on GhOne including Rhythmz TV as well as OmniBuzz and Daily Buzz. She was also the presenter of Miss Malaika and other shows on the channel.

My observation of Berla since she got on radio is that she is one person who can say anything on radio without any regard to how that would be perceived by her listeners. Sometimes you cringe when Berla is about to say something and bam! she says it.

Berla is a confident girl. She speaks her mind regardless of who is listening. The one other female presenter she reminds me of is Caroline Sampson, especially when she used to host The Y Lounge, which she incidentally also took over from Jeremie.

The topics are relevant to the age group that listens and both she and the panel address them as they ought to and it is obvious from the messages they read from Whatsapp and Twitter that they are tuned to the right people.

It is obviously not a programme for my age and of course I find myself poking holes in all the arguments both she and the guests make, but I am not the audience for who the show is produced so I can take the chill pill.

I also think the music is good and it goes directly to appeal to the young people I am certain the show is targeted at and so is the news and tidbits that she drops on the show every weekday.

All that said, I think she is carefree, but very relaxed on the show and that manifests in how well she flows with both those in the studio and the contributors from outside.

Her brazenness which I cannot decide whether it is confidence or daringness aside, I think Berla’s show is becoming one that addresses issues of young people in contemporary times. There seem to be no subject that Berla won’t touch including: sex, reproductive health, relationship, sex-tape and name them.

Touchdown looks that the show that would define Berla’s radio personality as a sassy, vivacious, informal and if you like very daring.  Listen to her on Live 91.9FM on weekdays from 7pm and decide.

@TheGHMediaGuru