Entertainment
Okbell Majdoub – transforming local jute bags into fashionable products
Has someone ever considered wearing an outfit and accessories made from recycled jute sacks? Well, that is what Madam Okbell Majdoub and her company, J’Karta, stand for.
She and her production team had spent the last one-and-half-years collecting jute sacks and transforming them into fashionable products such as bags, shoes, purses, slippers and shirts for men and women.
Madam Majdoub, interacting with The Spectator recently, said there had been positive response to the products in Ghana and other African and European countries.
She said that the company had so far left its footprints in Ivory Coast, Liberia, the United Kingdom, as efforts were being made to gain more local and international recognition through their quality products.
She indicated that, her outfit had embraced the concept of “sustainable fashion” where clothing was designed and manufactured in an environmentally friendly manner.
Madam Majdoub noted that J’Karta, in 2021 and beyond, was focusing on new and “functional designs” to meet the growing demand of clients.
“We are not just producing because we have to use recycled products. We are ensuring that standards are met to make the consumers feel comfortable while wearing our finished product.”
She admitted that procuring the jute sacks was quite tedious but it could be made easier when more private entities ventured into the manufacturing of such sucks.
Touching on the production processes, the Chief Executive Officer explained that the team relied on quality jute sacks and did adequate sorting to determine the type of product that would be ideal for use.
“The process may be challenging but our prices are not determined by what we do. Our products are affordable and we are looking forward to producing the best and help promote Made-in-Ghana products,” she added.
Madam Majdoub said that she was opened to collaboration from government and non-governmental agencies, to help create employment and develop the skills of local artisans to meet international standards.
By Ernest Nutsugah
The Board of the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) has introduced a new “Swing Period” policy aimed at ensuring songs released late in the year receive fair consideration for nominations.
The new policy, introduced in the 27th edition of the awards, allows songs released in December to be considered in the following awards year if they meet specific eligibility requirements.
According to the organizers, a song must have been released in December of the eligibility year, must have demonstrated measurable impact within the year under review, and must not have received a nomination in the previous edition of the awards.
The Head of Public Events and Communications at Charterhouse Productions, Robert Klah, explained in a statement that the decision followed three years of consultations with stakeholders in the music industry.
He said the policy reflects the scheme’s commitment to ensuring that songs with strong impact are not disadvantaged simply because they were released late in the year.
Under the newly introduced policy, two songs have received nominations in the 27th edition of the awards.
They are “Messiah” by Sarkodie featuring Kweku Flick, and “Excellent” by Kojo Blak featuring Kelvyn Boy.
The board said both songs gained significant attention and audience engagement after their release, making them suitable examples of the situation the Swing Period policy seeks to address.
According to the organizers, the new approach is part of efforts to ensure the awards continue to recognize excellence in Ghanaian music while adapting to changes in the industry.
They noted that with evolving music release patterns, digital consumption trends and global audience dynamics, the awards scheme will continue to refine its processes to maintain credibility while ensuring deserving works receive recognition.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The time has come for musicians who were outstanding in the year under review in 2025 to earn nomination at Ghana’s prestigious music awards.
The much-awaited nomination for the 27th Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) is slated for today, March 14, 2026.
As part of measures to build up anticipation, the announcement will commenced with an hourly unveiling of nominees across all official TGMA social media platforms and partner channels from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Everything would be wrapped up in the evening with a special ceremony to officially kick off the 27th TGMA season, featuring the unveiling of the Big Five categories alongside key remarks from industry stakeholders at the Palms Convention Centre.
At the ceremony, the TGMA Calendar Indicating official schedule of activities leading up to the main awards ceremony will be unveiled.
Following the close of the submission window, the Board and the Selection Committee spent weeks reviewing works released during the year under review.
Each entry was carefully evaluated for artistic merit, technical excellence, and cultural impact to ensure that the final nominee list reflects the very best of Ghanaian music.
The 27th Telecel Ghana Music Awards is produced by Charterhouse in partnership with TV3, Closeup, British Council, refreshed by Guinness and powered by Telecel .
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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