GHANA SUMMER JAM 2013 - Highlights in New York, New York

July 2013- The Ghana Summer Jam 2013, which was held at Gaucho's in New York City, was a splendid event. Presented by Fantasy Entertainment, in collaboration with Big Apple Sounds, Goodlyfe Fam, and Ohemaa Ladies, Ghana Summer Jam 2013 was an extraordinary event which showcased some of Ghana's top artists.

Hosted by Jah Tempo, Ghana Summer Jam 2013 opened with a performance by Nana NYC and 2Shy. Nana NYC, widely known for his various music collaborations and award winning iRap TV show on BronxNet TV, performed 'Giving Up', which was followed by 'Party Pooper', with Sammy Khaki.

2Shy, popularly known for his hit, 'Azonto Girl', took to the stage with back up dancers, both male and female. After singing a few newer songs, 2shy gave the crowd what they wanted and sang 'Azonto Girl', jumping onto the floor of the auditorium and showing the crowd how to do the Azonto in true form. He took the Azonto to another level and the crowd was highly impressed with his skills, high energy, and performance.

Squadee took to the stage after 2shy. Squadee, a group which is well known for their collaborations with Sarkodie,Buk Bak,Criss Waddle, E.L., Chase, and others, recently released their 13- track album, NO DAYS OFF, which included hot tunes like 'Turnt Up' and 'Monopoly'. Squadee brought their street edge Afro-fabulosity sound to the halls of Gaucho's, turning up their 'swag' and getting the crowd even more warmed up.

After Nana NYC, 2Shy, and Squadee performed, Buk Bak took to the stage around 2:25 am. Buk Bak, the duo which is continuing to share their multi-nominated song 'Kolom' with the world, performed songs the audience was familiar with, including 'Gonja Barracks'. When Buk Bak sang 'Kolom', it was the first time many people in the U.S had seen it performed live. The duo started and stopped the song, and then restarted it, causing a loud cheer from the audience. Buk Bak performed extremely well and gave their all to their performance.

Tinny performed after Buk Bak, gracing the stage with his American -themed style. Singing hits like 'I Need It' and 'Ringtone', Tinny worked the stage, and received a shower of dollar bills during his performance, which was also full of energy, excitement, and intensity. Everyone in the audience knew the words to Tinny's songs, and it was proven throughout his performance, as he randomly stopped singing to allow the crowd to complete various segments of the songs. Tinny brought his 'A game' to the show and the audience appreciated every single effort he put into his performance.

Ghana Summer Jam 2013 could have easily ended after Tinny's performance and everyone would have gone home happy but there was more in the form of Kwabena Kwabena and Samini.

Kwabena Kwabena's performance brought out all of the women. As soon as Kwabena Kwabena appeared on stage around 3:20 am with a live band, couples gathered around the foot of the stage and so did every single woman in that concert hall. Dressed in simple African attire, Kwabena Kwabena slowly massaged the minds of the women in attendance through his love songs. Watching Kwabena Kwabena, live in concert, was like watching Elvis Presley- the women went crazy, yelling, screaming, and pushing at anyone and everything that stood in between them and Kwabena Kwabena. Kwabena Kwabena performed for more than thirty minutes, taking the audience through a pleasant journey of his music. By the time Kwabena Kwabena sang another one of his hits, ' Obi Do Wo A Do Ni Bi', the whole audience was swaying back and forth, united as one, singing about the importance of love.

Samini performed last, joining the end of Kwabena Kwabena's performance, to co-sing 'Adult Musik'. Dressed in a simple black and white ensemble, Samini allowed his vivid sounds and performance to color the atmosphere within Gaucho's four walls. Utilizing the stage as if it were a trampoline, Samini jumped, danced, and skipped all over it, while getting the crowd involved in his act. Thirty minutes into his act, after singing 'Tempo', drenched in sweat, he quickly unbuttoned his shirt and continued the show with his hit song 'Linda'. Samini performed like a 4x4 Olympic relay team memberhe knew exactly when to slow down, and exactly when to speed up. By 4:35am, when he introduced the audience to one of his latest songs, 'Tomb Bomb', the whole crowd knew every single word, solidifying the power of Ghanaian music and the ways in which African music is capable of transcending the African continent.

Ghana Summer Jam 2013 was a wonderful event, bringing together 2shy,Nana NYC, Sammy Khaki,Buk Bak, Tinny, Samini, Squadee, and Kwabena Kwabena, all talented Ghanaian artists, who are unique in their own right.

2SHY

BUK BAK SINGING KOLOM

CONCERTGOERS HANGING OUT

CONCERTGOERS

DJS

KWABENA KWABENA AND CROWD

MORE CONGERT GOERS

[3]SAMINI

SQUADEE

[3]TINNY