Nigeria has taken over Ghana entertainment industry

Patriotism is defined as love of and/or devotion to one's country. I strongly believe that one way or the other, Ghanaians have lost touch with that word over the years and the reasons for this trend are best known to themselves.

I have notice over the years with dismay how the Ghanaian always want to behave like a westerner or look like the Nigerian and copy what a Nigerian has done whether through music, film, or comedy. They always want to play second fiddle to these Nigerians.

The above confirms that Nigerians have taken over our entertainment industry and dictating the pace now. They have hijacked our once vibrant entertainment industry.

It is more easier for you to turn on your radio, hear a song being played that sounds so much like Nigerian-made and if you are not cautious you will definitely mistake it thinking it was done by a Nigerian artiste but 'Na lie', its your Ghanaian star trying to sing like a Nigerian.

Why won't they want to sing like Nigerians? After all Dr. Poh tried it and it worked, it was an instant success, 4x4 also made something similar on Obrafours compilation and that was also an instant hit.

Nigerians have taken over every available space in Ghana and its worrisome.

Information available indicates that the percentage of internet fraud in Nigeria is falling and escalating in Ghana. The number of Ghanaians involved is rising sharply as the number of internet users increase in the country.

Internet fraud is falling in Nigeria and rising sharply in Ghana because, Nigerians have invaded our land and gracefully practicing their 419popularly known as “Advance Fee Fraud” here. This again should be blame on the Nigerian presence in Ghana.

Sorry for that little digression, am not here to judge anybody but I feel Nigerians presence in Ghana is doing more harm than good. I suggest something needs to be done immediately to arrest the situation.

Music
We have seen how Nigerian artistes have grown their fan base in Ghana with frequent call-up to share the stage with their Ghanaian counterparts. Shows from comedy to music awards have all seen Nigerian artistes dominating.

Whiles putting this piece together, I had a break to enjoy some latest videos on YouTube, soon I was watching 4x4's World Trade Centre (I want to touch your body) featuring Fresh Prince (Not Will Smith LOL), I was enjoying myself taping my feet on the ground and surprisingly a Nigerian close to me asked me a question I deem stupid and dumb.

The question was that which Nigerian artiste made that song? Indeed that question was asked in their usual arrogant manner.

I was indeed disappointed but didn't blame him though, why wont he ask a dumb question anyway? He later explained that, that song sounded more like a Nigerian-made track than Ghanaian hence his question. So his question is justified, you might say?

Why would a Ghanaian artiste want to be or sound like a Nigerian artiste? Sometimes am compelled to ask myself if it because they are allotted the VIP escort and a VIP treatment when performing in Ghana? My beef is why Nigerian music is flourishing in Ghana? Okay, I don't care how Ghana music is doing in Nigeria because I know they are not making it big there.

I spoke with some individuals, to solicit their views on this ill-fated development and from what I gathered; it bores down to the language barrier. Ghanaians turn to enjoy the 'pidgin' style of the Nigeria artistes.

A lot of people were of the view that Nigerian's ability to sing in the queen's language could be attributed solely to their success, which I support 100% but it's debatable because I have seen Ghanaians scrambling for Nigerian gospel done in Yoruba or Igbo.

"It's as simple as ABC, the majority identifies with the queen's language and that's what the Nigerian feel comfortable in, who cares about the Twi, Ga, Hausa or Ewe", one said. I am not really surprised though because copying has always been our culture and most annoying thing about it is that we copy it 'dito dito', like its said in the local parlance.

But does it worth to shun one's indigenous language and focus on another language under the pretext of selling a record (album)? Certainly not but business-wise, its understandable.

Entertainment in Ghana has lost what it started with, and now associates itself with copying; it has failed to learn new things making it easier for the Nigerians to take over.

It's like Ghanaians have lost sense of direction now; all the hit tracks you hear on the radio are Nigerian-made, from 2face's True Love to P Sqaure's No One Like You to Timaya' Den Mama to 9ice's Gonso Aso to D'banj's Fall In Love to Olu Maintain's Yahooze to Danfo Driver and the list continues.

Nigerian songs have taken over even in the nightclubs and the pubs.

Originality is what is awarded. Aplus doesn't need to sound westerner or like a Nigerian to send his 'Letter to the west". Tinny never sounded like a Nigerian to grab the Hip Hop Award in Nigeria.

Film
We all thought Agya Koo movies are too much and believe it has halted the Nigerian invasion but it has gone from bad to worst, apart from the language which he's fluent in which is Twi, one is sure to see the Mr. Ibus, Osuofias, Sam Loco Efes, Victor Osuagyes in Agya Koo now.

His movies are not what they promise to be any longer. Trust me you will love it when a Nigerian speaks 'pidgin'; it suits and makes them who they are but why do we want to copy it, to the extent of even speaking it in our movies? Why is the Ghanaian mind always fragile?

These movies luck substance, it does not carry any significant message whatsoever to reflect in day to day life and there is an interesting twist to it now, Ghanaian movie producer's bid to sound like their Nigerian counterparts now finds it normal to hire customier, directors and actors for their movie productions.

New movies are churned out virtually everyday with Nigerian influence. Am sure they would want to hire a 'latrine carrier' from Nigeria, if the need be. (Sorry for my words, but I needed to say that). Don't we have our culture to show off to the world than copying everything dito dito?

As if by design, Ghana movie producers, as wise as they are, thought it's more prudent to do Twi version of a Nigerian production to the Ghanaian market. Everything was done as if there was a collaboration between the two productions houses. The movie in question is 'Lonely Heart' and the Twi version is 'Madam Joan', with Stephanie Okereke and Nana Ama McBrown playing the lead roles respectively.

Sadly, everything in that production was copied, from A to Z. It is not only the above named movies but it's something they have been doing now. Why this nonsense now?

Just to rap up, have you wondered why any Ghanaian production directed by a Nigerian director, always comes out nicely? That's not for me to tell you why. I am not saying Ghana doesn't have equally good directors. But think.

Comedy
I was fortunate to be at National Theatre to watch one of these Night of 1007 Laughs and music shows, which follows on the heels of the 1006 Laughs and Music which was held earlier on and of course the list of performers were long with Nigerian comedians like Basket Mouth, Okey Bakassi, Klint de Drunk, etcetera.

The only comedians from Ghana made themselves look stupid, because coming on stage to repeat a joke a Nigerian comedian has said on the that same platform years back was clearly unpleasant.

I pray KSM and Fritz Baffour don't get offended though.

The Nigerian comedians as usual excelled in their delivery and everything, at least they made sure you laugh enough to forget you have unpaid utility bills as a result of the 'ecomini'. So why don't we want to be like them?

Like an ally said “Ghanaian entertainment has lost the true originality of our Ghanaian culture which has now been replaced with money, sex and glamour”.

We have copied blindly for far too long that I think Ghanaians can stick to their way of making movies and music and still excel.

There is nothing like being a Ghanaian. Since we were born as a Ghanaian; we must live as a Ghanaian; and die as a Ghanaian!

By Ebenezer Anangfio Jnr. (Columnist, www.ghanacelebrities.com) email: [email protected] http://anangfio.blogspot.com