Entertainment
Ambolley apologises to Okyeame Kwame
Renowned Ghanaian highlife musician, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley has apologised to hiplife artiste Okyeame Kwame over claims that the latter received monies shared with musicians.
In February 2020, musician Gyedu-Blay Ambolley alleged that few musicians in the country were the sole beneficiaries of the GH¢2 million government gave to MUSIGA.
This claim that he (Okyeame Kwame ) was given a share of the government ¢2 million meant for the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), was refuted and an apology was demanded which never materialised.
Following this, Okyeame Kwame sued Ambolley for defamation three years ago.
A release by Ambolley’s lawyers revealed that the parties opted to settle the matter “In a court-connected mediation process.”
In an apology on LinkedIn, Ambolley noted that he was ‘mistaken’, explaining that MUSIGA’s former President Bice Osei Kuffour aka Obour did not personally hand over any government fund as a loan to Okyeame Kwame.
He admitted that his claims that the ‘Made In Ghana’ hitmaker did not repay the money he received were also false.
Read the full statement below
RE: Kwame Nsiah Apau v Gyedu-Blay Ambolley; Suit No. GJ/0792/2020 In the course of an interview on 3FM on the 22nd of February 2020 concerning the use of some funds donated by the Government of Ghana to the Musicians Association of Ghana (MUSIGHA), I was mistaken concerning some of the details of the matter, particularly with respect to my colleague musician and MUSIGHA member Kwame Nsiah Apau also known as Okyeame Kwame and I wish to correct and clarify those facts as follows: Obour did not give Okyeame Kwame a personal loan from MUSIGHA funds. To support artistes and enable them access to loans, MUSIGHA entered an arrangement with Midland Bank and provided security/collateral for the arrangement. Okyeame Kwame only took advantage of the initiative and applied for a loan from Midland Bank which he was given. He has informed me that he has since paid back the bank in full. To the extent that my earlier statements may have affected the reputation of Okyeame Kwame, I apologize and state that the errors in my statements were not made maliciously.
Signed Gyedu-Blay Ambolley
Entertainment
Sparqlyn reminisces as he congratulates Shatta Wale for winning two awards at 43rd IRAWMA
Ghanaian musician and former member of musicial gorup, Dunsin, Ahmmed Kanneh Larweh, popularly known as Sparqlyn, has congratulated Ghanaian music heavyweight, Shatta Wale following his impressive double victory at the International Reggae and World Music Awards.
Shatta Wale recently made headlines after winning two major awards at the prestigious event held in Florida, USA, securing Best African Dancehall Entertainer and Concert of the Year for ShattaFest.
Reacting to the achievement, Sparqlyn could not hide his excitement after sighting news of the awards on Monday, May 18, 2025.
According to him, the one thing that caught his attention was the plaque presented to Shatta Wale. He noted that the design looked strikingly similar to the one Dunsin received when they won at the MUSA Awards over a decade ago.
The resemblance, especially the upper part of the plaque, instantly brought back memories of his former group’s historic moment on the African stage 13 years ago when the group represented Ghana proudly in South Africa.
It will be recalled that back in 2013, Dunsin achieved international recognition after winning Most Exciting Group in Africa and Most African Video at the MUSA Awards held in Pretoria, South Africa. The awards came on the back of their global hit project “Ɔyɛadeɛyie,” a song that helped elevate the group’s profile beyond Ghana.
At the time, Sparqlyn, then known by many as Kele within the group, was the one who represented Dunsin at the event to pick up the award.
Ghanaian dancehall artiste Charles Nii Armah Mensah, known as Shatta Wale, has won two awards at the 43rd International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) held in Florida over the weekend.
He picked up the Best African Dancehall Entertainer award as well as Concert of the Year for ShattaFest.
In a statement, Shatta Wale’s management expressed appreciation to the organisers and supporters of the awards.
“Management would like to sincerely appreciate the organisers of the IRAWMA awards for the recognition and continuous support for African music on the global stage.
“We also extend our deepest gratitude to fans across the world, especially the Shatta Movement fraternity, for their unwavering support, votes, and dedication throughout the years,” the statement said.
The statement added that the latest wins reaffirm the artiste’s position as one of Africa’s leading musical exports and a prominent figure in global dancehall culture.
The awards bring Shatta Wale’s total haul at the IRAWMA to 11, highlighting his continued presence on the international reggae and dancehall scene.
At last year’s edition, he won three awards: Best African Dancehall Entertainer, Best Music Video for “Killa Ji Mi”, and Best Crossover Song for “Commando” featuring Bounty Killer. -GNA
