Entertainment
Play lovers thrilled at ‘Ghana Must Go’ apremiere
It was a moment of joy and excitement as individuals filled the auditorium to watch the premiering of the “Ghana Must Go”, at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) in Accra on Saturday.
The play kept the audience glued to their seats as the cast deliver some spectacular performances to communicate and present the rich Ghanaian cultural values and identity.
“Ghana Must Go”, a stage play meant to promote the Ghanaian culture through storytelling featured captivating performances and musical interludes.
Written by Latif Abubakar, a renowned playwright, the play, is expected to be showcased globally. It served as a powerful expression of the Ghanaian identity and a catalyst for the economic through the arts.
It also highlighted the power of theatre as a tool for cultural expression and national development.
Speaking to the media after the premiering, Mr Abubakar said he was not surprised by the massive attendance recorded at the premiere.
This, he said, was because those who had bought tickets to watch the premiering were assured of consistency, a good storyline, and entertainment.
Mr Abubakar said that although he was excited about the growth of the theatre industry, there was a lot more that could be done to improve the industry.
“We need to be able to tell our stories. We need to find a creative way of attracting tourists and investors into our country, and I feel theatre will do the magic,” he added.
For his part, Mr Adjetey Annan, one of the cast in the play, emphasised the need for collaboration between players in the creative arts industry in promoting the cultural values and identity of Ghanaians through storytelling.
By Eugene Ampiaw
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
