Entertainment
Thrills at 2023 Tapioca Festival
The Tapioca Festival, a captivating three-day event that combines elements of technology, tourism, trade and arts in a remarkable celebration of Afrocentric culture came off in Ada last week.
The event, which was the fourth edition, was held under the theme ‘A New Dawn.’
This year’s event was dominated by ‘street arts’ featuring domestic art works from renowned Ghanaian artistes.
Speaking to The Spectator, Co-founder and Executive Di¬rector of Tapioca Foundation, organisers of the festival, Mr Seth Priceless Ala-Amegavie, said this year’s event was characterised by innovative strategies to embrace the future.
“We’re excited to be leading an experience, un¬locking potentials, breaking the youth out of their com¬fort zones and pace-setting industrialisation through events in the Ada region,” he said.
He added that they took a bold step during the pan¬demic and it has ushered them into a realm of a new dawn, the age of artificial intelligence for community development.
“We are dedicated to unlocking the potential of Africa in the fields of tourism, arts and culture,” he said.
According to him, their mission is to create an equitable world where African minds are fully empowered to contribute to changing their narrative.
“We aim to achieve this by providing an educational space and platform accessi¬ble to all free-thinking indi-viduals or groups that wish to contribute to changing the narrative and perspective of Africa,” he stressed.
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
