Tag: Entertainment

Talented gospel act, Kofi Owusu Dua Anto, known on stage as KODA, is reported dead. Details of his passing are scanty but according to sources, he died in the early hours of Sunday, April 21, 2024. Music enthusiasts and persons in the entertainment industry have since expressed shock at the loss of the 'Nkwa Abodoo' (Bread of Life) hit maker. He was born December 15, 1978, and hailed from Sekondi-Takoradi in the Western Region. He is celebrated for his soothing vocals, soul inspiring melodies and dexterity on the lead guitar. As singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist, KODA had a lot of works to his credit. His discography includes songs like 'Nsem Pii,' 'Adooso', 'Guide Me O', and 'Obiara Nte Se Wo' (No One Like You). This year, he released his sixth vocal album titled: 'Keteke'. In 2015, his record 'Nkwa Abodoo' (Bread of Life) was adjudged Record of The Year at the Vodafone (now Telecel) Ghana Music Awards. He was adjudged Producer of the Year at the Africa Gospel Music Award s in 2014, in addition to several other music nominations and recognitions. KODA worked with many gospel groups and artistes, including Nii Okai, the late Danny Nettey, Pastor Joe Beecham, Daughters of Glorious Jesus, Joyful Way Inc, Pastor Helen Yawson, Yaw Osei-Owusu, Eugene Zuta, and Diana Hamilton. Source: Ghana News Agency

Fast-rising Ghanaian actor Delove Augustt, popularly known as Odenkyem, has made it into the grand finale of the African Monologue Challenge to be held in Uganda. Odenkyem, who starred in the popular Ghanaian TV series You Only Live Once (YOLO) seasons five and six, is making great strides in his early acting career and had made the 10-man shortlist for the African Monologue Challenge, led by MK Casting. The challenge, under the theme 'Uniting Africa through its Creative Economy', brings together some of Africa's finest young actors and actresses to showcase their talent. The challenge started with an initial pool of 2000+ monologue submissions. Out of the 2000 entries, there were only 50 shortlisted finalists, which included the young Ghanaian acting prodigy. The 50 shortlisted finalists showcased their talents and skills through various monologues. and biweekly evictions, which were judged by a panel of professional filmmakers and casting directors from Africa, Europe, and America. After several weeks of evictions, Delove Augustt made it to the finals of the competition. The grand finale would be held in Uganda in May, and the winner gets to be cast as a lead character in a pan-African film.? Odenkyem is the only Ghanaian to make it to the top 10 and looks to his motherland proud by bringing home the crown. Source: Ghana News Agency

Tunis: After an initial display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York from November 19, 2023 to March 03, 2024, drawing nearly 190,000 visitors, a collection of works from Tunisia on the Byzantine period (from the foundation of Constantinople to the fall of the city by the Ottomans) is currently on show at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio, as part of the 2nd stage of the largest travelling exhibition in the United States of America "Africa and Byzantium," held on April 14-July 21, 2024. The pieces, from three museums - the National Museum of Carthage, the Archaeological Museum of Enfidha and the National Museum of Islamic Art in Raqqada - TAP learned, bear witness to the contribution of African know-how and its influence on art and culture throughout the Byzantine Empire in its eastern and western parts, highlighting the influence of North Africa on Byzantine civilisation in its artistic, cultural and religious expressions. The collection consists of two mosaics, including "The Lady of Carthage," considered to be one of the exhibition's masterpieces. This emblematic piece from the Carthage Museum is a female representation that should be the personification of the city of Carthage in the Christian era. Also on display are Christian lamps depicting Adam and Eve and the twelve apostles, terracotta tiles depicting the sacrifice of Abram, with biblical themes and Christian motifs, and two sheets of the Koran dating from the 8th and 9th centuries, when Africa became a Muslim empire. A delegation from the National Heritage Institute (INP) led by its Managing Director Tarek Baccouche, attended the inauguration of the second and final phase of the travelling exhibition, in which Tunisia is participating alongside several other countries including Egypt, Morocco, France and Greece, with collections dating from the 4th and 5th centuries and tracing the relationship between Africa and the Byzantine Empire. According to information presented by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "the Africa and Byzantium exhibiti on recounts Africa's central role in international networks of trade and cultural exchange. With nearly 200 artworks rarely or never before seen in public, Africa and Byzantium sheds new light on the staggering artistic achievements of medieval Africa." "This long-overdue exhibition highlights how the continent contributed to the development of the premodern world and offers a more complete history of the vibrant multiethnic societies of north and east Africa that shaped the artistic, economic, and cultural life of Byzantium and beyond." Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Board of the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) has made a few changes to this year's nomination list following the one-week window for errors and omissions. Following the release of the 2024 TGMA nominations list a few weeks ago, some artistes made submissions for a review of nominations, and the board heeded their requests. A press statement released by the TGMA Board said, 'The collaborative submission, initially filed as a featured work (Lonely Road, by O'Kenneth ft. Xlim Kid), has been the subject of a correction. 'The management of both artistes pointed out that 'Lonely Road' was a joint project by O'Kenneth ft. Xlim Kid and not a feature. This Board noted this and has corrected the nomination to reflect 'Lonely Road,' by O'Kenneth and Xlim Kid. 'The Board considered and nominated the Kwaku Ananse' remix in the Best Hiplife Song category instead of the song's original version. This affected the song's consideration in the Most Popular Song of the Year category. 'The Board reviewed this and conse quently nominated 'Kwaku Ananse' by Amerado to replace the remix version in the Best Highlife category. The song has also been nominated in the Most Popular Song of the Year category.'? The statement also reiterated the board's commitment to ensure fairness in the TGMA's and thanked stakeholders for their support of the scheme for the past 25 years. Meanwhile, nominations for the Best Video Director, Best Audio Engineer, and Producer of the Year have been announced. List of nominations: Producer of the Year Kuami Eugene Liquid Beats Killbeatz MOG Beatz Izjoe Beatz Beatz Vampire Best Video Director? Yaw Skyface Lauren Dunn David Nicol-sey Xbills Bani Wxrld Babs Direction The Boldz Rex Source: Ghana News Agency

Tunsi: More than 700 Tunisian and foreign artists are expected to perform in Hammamet for the ninth edition of the Yasmine Hammamet International Carnival, scheduled for April 19, 20 and 21, 2024. This annual event is organised by La Médina Yasmine Hammamet in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts and several other partners. In a press release published on Monday, a copy of which was sent to TAP, La Médina Yasmine Hammamet announced that this carnival "will mark the opening of the tourist season in the seaside resort of Yasmine Hammamet. It is being organised as part of the ongoing promotion of this resort as one of Tunisia's top tourist destinations". This multicultural event will bring together artists from Croatia, France, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Tunisia, which will be represented by over 300 artists. Spectacular carnival parades and other artistic and entertainment shows highlighting the region's cultural wealth will be staged in the main streets of the Yasmin e Hammamet resort. According to the organisers, more than 35,000 people and 600 artists from 8 different countries took part in the last edition of this annual carnival, which attracts large numbers of visitors every year Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse