2010 World Cup fiasco : Key Musicians Can't Speak

Mark Okraku-Mantey

Twelve clear days after they promised to hold a press conference to “tell our story”, key members of the Africa Awake Project music committee, who have been accused of messing up Ghana’s participation in the 2010 World Cup concerts have remained silent.

Host of Peace Fm’s Entertainment Review programme, Kwasi Aboagye described the issues that have emerged from Ghana’s supposed participation in the World Cup concerts as “stinking”.

Still he was unable to draw the two key music producers on the programme to clear the stink on his show.

What music producers Mark Okraku Mantey and Kwame Osborne, who spoke on behalf of Africa Awake said was, “we’ll have a press conference and then we will tell our story”.

The issues raised against the musicians were various. Perhaps the most widespread was that the government gave out a huge amount of GH¢180,000 to the organisers to facilitate the project.

There has been no confirmation of who took the money neither has there been any confirmation whether the money was even paid in the first place.

Again, although as many as twenty artistes and groups were initially mobilised to make the trip, in the end only about five made it to South Africa.

Besides musicians who were left behind, some leading officials of the Africa Awake project such as David Dontoh and Diana Hopeson were sidelined at the home stretch to the World Cup and thus could not make the trip.

On the Entertainment Review programme, it was also learnt that the Ghana organisers, unable to obtain a gig for musicians, had to “lobby” promoters in South Africa with $10,000 dollars to secure venues and an opportunity to perform at a couple of poorly attended shows.

Another question raised was how one lady, described as Amandzeba’s wife, got on the trip when other musicians could not. Did she benefit from Africa Awake largesse, it was asked.

Curiously while Mark Okraku Mantey and Kwame Osborne have been silent on their promised press conference, the original Africa Awake Executive Chairman, David Dontoh, says that he is in the process of completing a report to be submitted to the Castle.

He told Showbiz yesterday that although he was not in South Africa himself, it was his duty to present a report on the whole project to government.

Musicians Union president Diana Hopeson is similarly looking forward to the report. “I am looking forward to seeing a report because we must be accountable for what happened to the project.

The Africa Awake Project was intended as a multi-sectoral artistic endeavour that was envisaged to comprise music, dance, theatre and tourism.

As reported in the Graphic Showbiz edition of April 22, “Ghana’s pioneer rap musician Gyedu Blay-Ambolley, neo-traditional highlifer Amandzeba and dancehall master Samini have earned the rare privilege of being among a list of top African artistes who will perform at the forthcoming 2010 football World Cup in South Africa between June 11 and July 11.

“Also billed to perform during the World Cup period are King Ayisoba and Diana Hopeson. The performances come under the Africa Awake project initiated by Ghanaian Kwame Wadada.

The Africa Awake project, is an off-shoot of True Freedom Organisation, an NGO started by the Ghanaian some four years ago to collaborate with host South Africa to give African performers greater opportunity during the first ever mundial to be held in Africa.

“Apart from artistes, two Ghanaian traditional rulers, Nana Ama Amissah III, Queenmother of Mankessim, and Nana Pra Agyenseim VI, Kushea are also to participate in a cultural pageant scheduled as part of the mundial.

“Ghana is expected to spear-head the mobilization of some 500 artistes from the five qualified African countries, as well as Benin and Burkina Faso in a pre-World Cup concert on the eve of the opening ceremony at the Soweto Orlando Stadium dubbed “The Kick-off Concert” as well as at a series of programmes at fan parks and public viewing places during the month-long soccer fiesta”.