Entertainment
Hundreds thrilled at ‘WildFire’ premiere
The cast of the movie
Hundreds were thrilled at Alliance Française last Friday at the premiere of the WildFire movie by Youth Bridge Foundation, through JSE Productions.
The movie, which featured Adjetey Annan, Martha Ankomah, Kalybos, Zimran Randolf Clottey, Andrew Tandoh Adote, Juliet Mensah, Gideon Kojo Boakye, and Gina Ama Castel, among others, brought a lot of smiles to the faces of patrons.
The Wildfire tells the story of stranded travellers during the COVID-19 lockdown who had to stay at a hotel for the entire period.
According to the director of the movie, Michael Akinrogunde, a group of strangers having to live together for the time the lockdown lasted highlighted the impact and exposed the human flaws of people.
He praised the inclusion of persons with disabilities as passengers, as well as the incorporation of sign language.
Speaking about his challenges shooting the movie he said, as a Nigerian in Ghana for the production, he had cuisine issues and was not used to the Nsawam environment where the movie was shot.
He commended all the casts for embracing the challenges and putting up their best for a successful shoot.
WildFire presents how COVID-19 impacted social, economic, and cultural lives.
The movie tells the untold stories of how individuals just like them had to find alternative means of survival and co-exist amidst the pandemic and during a lockdown.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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
