Entertainment
Adinkra carnival launched
Mas Africa in collaboration with Labadi Beach Hotel has launched the Adinkra Carnival in Accraamidst display of colour, creativity, and culture.
There was also a guest performance from Safo NP, a UK-based artist who had composed a song for The Year of Return.
Mas Africa has been involved in carnival for over the past 15 years and manages the African content in the UK Notting Hill Carnival; this attracts over two million people annually and is the second biggest carnival in the world.
They have over the years thought of bringing carnival to Ghana and in 2019 held a mini carnival parade in Kumasi for the Year of Return.
This year, they are geared up to present, the biggest carnival from December 15 to 17, 2022.
Mr. Ansel Keith Wong, the Special Guest of the ocassion and a former Chair of the Notting Hill Carnival Board and Founder of Elimu Mas Band, highlighted the origin of Carnival, the components that made up carnival, from the Masquerade, Music, Arts and innovations.
“We are looking to have artists from across the globe as well as DJs for all genres ranging from Afrobeats through Soca, highlife and dancehall right down to Amapiano,” he said.
There was a catwalk session which showcased both children and adults in spectacular costumes.
The adults had both the usual feathered costumes and some fabric costumes designed by Barbara Nyarko, Maria Joseph and Melissa Simon-Hartman of Trinidadian and Ghanaian heritage.
Textile giant, GTP sponsored Mas Africa with some fabrics to facilitate the creation of the costumes, with performances from the Winneba Noble’s Number one Masqueraders and Takoradi’s Evergreen Brass Band.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
The Rev. I.K. Asuamah Thompson Memorial Methodist Church on Saturday hosted the second edition of the annual ‘Aseda’ musical concert, a vibrant celebration of gratitude led by the church’s Singing Band.
This year’s service also featured invited groups across the Methodist Church, whose harmonious performances added depth and colour to the worship experience.
Participating groups included the Bread of Life Singing Band, Mount Zion, Resurrection Methodist Band, Gethsemane, and St Mary’s Singing Band, among others. Their blended harmonies, rich choral interludes, and stirring renditions created an atmosphere of spirit-filled praise and collective thanksgiving.
The event brought together church members, choirs, and invited guests in a spirited celebration that blended music, scripture, and reflection, thereby reaffirming the church’s commitment to worship and communal thanksgiving.
Speaking at the celebration, the Head Pastor, Very Rev. Mrs Naana Esi Dannyame, said this year’s event focused on the theme ‘Fruit of the Lips’, drawn from Hebrews, 1 Thessalonians, and Psalm 103.
She explained that the event was designed to help the congregation deliberately reflect on God’s goodness. According to her, thanksgiving is not measured in material gifts but in the sincerity of one’s worship. “We gather to recount God’s goodness, His protection, forgiveness, mercy and preservation of life. Scripture calls us not to forget His benefits,” she said.
Very Rev. Dannyame commended the singing band and invited choir groups for leading the congregation in heartfelt worship, noting that the focus of the occasion was Christ, “who loved us and gave Himself for us.”
The President of the Christ Little Band of the church, Mr Emmanuel Addo, urged Christians to embrace gratitude as a core value in their daily walk with God.
He said the overarching theme, ‘Full of Values’, underscored the power and purpose of deliberate praise.
Mr Addo emphasised that believers were called to offer God a continual “sacrifice of praise” through Jesus Christ, describing worship as a living testimony of gratitude and devotion.
He also encouraged the congregation to let every melody and lyric magnify God and inspire unity, joy, and hope.
By Eugene Ampiaw
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UNICEF Ghana has partnered with the award-winning artist, Kuame Eugene, to release a new child-rights anthem titled “Let them shine.”
The song is aimed at commemorating World Children’s Day, which was marked on Thursday, November 20, and reinforced child rights advocacy.
The song’s release is particularly timely, coming at a critical period when children’s rights are increasingly under threat globally, making its message both urgent and essential.
The launch of “Let them shine” marks the 36th anniversary of Ghana’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Ghana is the first country in the world to ratify the convention, reaffirming the nation’s unwavering commitment to protecting every child.
Beyond the World Children’s Day celebration, “Let them shine” is designed to be a long-term advocacy tool. With Kuami Eugene’s strong influence and large youth following, the song aims to empower young people to understand and demand their rights, inspiring children and adolescents to become advocates for themselves, their peers, and their communities.
Osama Makawi, UNICEF Representative in Ghana, said: “It represents a strategic avenue to elevate child rights conversations across different platforms. Through music, a universal language, we can reach more people and mobilise communities to stand up for children.”
Kuami Eugene also shared his commitment to supporting children through his art, saying, “Lending my voice to World Children’s Day through music means a lot to me because every child in Ghana deserves the right to be felt, seen, heard, and valued.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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