ACCRA, GHANA — Beginning from this year, the Ghana Music Awards ceremony will be repackaged and presented as major event that will project and promote Ghana, her culture and music to the rest of the world, the organizers of Ghana Music Awards (GMA) event have hinted.

“Building on the initiative which was broached last year, the 2006 event will run as a festival with various activities and concerts featuring major Ghanaian and African artistes. The event will span over a period of eight days”, the Event Director, Mrs. Theresa Ayoade stated.

(Read more…)

EDMONTON, CANADA – World beat is a two-way street. So to speak. While countless North American musicians are busy copping the vibrant rhythms and joyful melodies of Africa while wearing natty fezzes in exotically decorated rec rooms, African teenagers are emulating 50 Cent and Kanye West. This is a good example of “coming full circle.”

Heading up the African Guitar Summit at the Winspear Centre tonight, Vancouver’s Alpha Yaya Diallo recently visited his former home in Guinea in West Africa. He reports, “There’s a new generation now that wants to do everything. Some of them are moving in different directions, showbiz, thinking what’s going to make them more popular, and over-producing or using a lot of electronic, computerized music. There’s a lot of things going on in Africa at this point. It’s the same with America. What you listen to today is quite different than what you used to listen to.”

(Read more…)