Entertainment
Shatta Wale’s ‘Kumerica Invasion Project’, a good omen for budding musicians
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Gone were the days when Kumasi was seen as the citadel of Ghana’s creative arts industry producing prominent musicians, movie makers, among other amazing talents in the entertainment circles.
For some time, this long held title, has vanished, due to lack of support and spotlight to enable artiste cross over to mainstream stardom.
This has led also to a surge in musicians and actors who cut their professional teeth in the trade in Kumasi move to Accra to grow their craft and take it to the next level.
Interestingly, the script, seems to have changed for budding musicians in Kumasi following the ‘Kumerica’ trend. One of the sectors in Kumasi which has benefited enormously from the ‘Kumerica’ sensation is the music industry, as the trend has put a lot of spotlight on music talents.
Kumerica is an internet slang for the Garden City of Ghana, Kumasi in the AshantiRegion. The word Kumerica was coined from a blend of Kumasi and America (Ku + merica) by the young people of Kumasi who live ostentatious lifestyle full of luxury and display of jewels and flashy cars like the people of America.
Originally, their main purpose was to showcase their riches and luxurious lifestyle, to tell the world that though they live in Kumasi their lifestyles are like Americans; and this includes how they speak American English.
In the light of this, the Kumerica vibe has gripped the whole country in various dimensions, to the extent that, music talents from the region have taken advantage of the trend to release a lot of songs to catch the attention of the world.
This culminated in the dancehall heavyweight, Shatta Wale who stormed Kumasi on Thursday, November 5, 2020, for an initiative termed as “Kumerica Invasion project.”
From the scenes, and interviews granted so far by artistes like, Amerado, Ypee, Phrimpong, Kweku Flick, King Paluta, Kofi Jamar, and Phaize who are involved in the project, Shatta Wale’s presence in the region was a dream come true for young upcoming musicians.
Many see it as a masterstroke to instill confidence and energise the base of music in the region, and subsequently open the door for many to rise to the top.
Though other accomplished artistes over the years had extended support to budding artistes through collaborations and others means as this move by Shatta Wale has taken a different turn from the normal route.
Shatta Wale decided to go to Kumasi, shoot the various scenes of the music video in the neighbourhoods of the artistes featured on the song.
A move which has validated the artistes in their communities, increased the buzz around them and shot up their popularity.
One of them said, the initiative had made him and his other colleagues more popular in their community which was good for their brand. Clearly, from the numbers the activities have attracted coupled with the media hype, these young artistes could take advantage of the situation to make a strong case for their careers.
This calls for unity, hard work and consistency to keep the Kumerica Movement strong and going.
Kudos to Shatta Wale and his team for extending this helping hand to budding musicians in Kumasi.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Ghana’s comedy industry would take centre stage today, when the sixth edition of the Ghana Comedy Awards is held at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Ridge, Accra.
The event, which has become the country’s premier platform for recognising excellence in comedy since it rebranded from the Comedy and Poetry Awards, would celebrate comedians whose performances and contributions stood out between January 1 and December 31, 2025. 
This year’s ceremony would begin with a red-carpet session at 7:00 p.m., followed by the main awards event at 8:30 p.m.
Organisers have promised an evening of entertainment featuring some of Ghana’s foremost comedy talents, including Lekzy, Jeneral Ntatia, Kojo PJay, Oh Joo, Alo Wess, Ranzy Ray and Jerry Ashinyo.
Musical performances are also expected to complement the comedy acts.
Media personality Kwame Dadzie would play host for the event, which is expected to attract comedians, entertainers and fans from across the country.
Tickets for the awards are selling at GH¢200 for the silver package and GH¢300 for Gold.
The organisers have also urged the public to support their favourite nominees by voting before polls close at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 1. Voting can be done by dialling 71333*009# and entering the nominee’s code.
Beyond honouring outstanding performers, the Ghana Comedy Awards seeks to celebrate the growth of Ghana’s comedy industry and the talents who continue to entertain audiences nationwide. -GNA
After years of development, funding, and creative grit, Ghanaian feature film “Ego Reach We All” has earned an official nomination to make its world premiere at the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland this month.
Formerly titled Vagabonds, the 105-minute drama was written and directed by Amartei Armar and produced by Yemoh Ike.
It marks one of the biggest international breakthroughs for Ghanaian cinema in recent years.
The film was shot entirely in Ghana with a Ghanaian cast and crew, grounding it in authentic local culture.
Post-production was completed in France, a collaboration that Director Amartei Armar says reflects the film’s spirit, “A Ghanaian story told with the world.”
The journey began in 2018 when the short film version won at the Montreal World Film Festival, an Oscar-qualifying event.
From there, ‘Ego Reach We All’ grew into a full-length feature backed by some of the most respected names in global film development: Winner – Cannes Focus CoPro, Recipient – Red Sea Development Fund, Honoree – Red Sea Souk Award and Backed by – Red Sea Productions Fund.
Industry watchers have called it one of the most promising African film projects to emerge in the last decade.
Beyond awards, the project was shaped in top international labs.
Armar was selected for the Heyazah Screening Lab in Doha, Qatar, to refine the film’s narrative.
Producer, Yemoh Ike joined the prestigious, 2023 EAVE Producers Programme under a CNC scholarship, with training sessions in Luxembourg, Austria, and the Netherlands.
Most recently, the film was chosen for the 2025 Atlas Workshop in Marrakesh, Morocco, cementing its place in global cinema circles.
Casts include, Idrissu Tontie, Dorothy Adobea Tandoh, Emmanuel Wilberforce, Barbara Yong Jin, Emmanuel Owusu Ofori, O’Bryan Kwame Enyan, Gabriel Narh Addo, Nelly Bilson, and Kwame Brenya.
For the team, Locarno is not just a festival slot. It’s validation that Ghanaian stories, told by Ghanaians, can compete on the world’s most respected stages.
“Principal photography was done entirely by Ghanaian creatives,” the producers noted.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
