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Lady Gaga’s tea cup sold for $75, 000 at auction

Nana Esi Monney- Editor — Sat, 12 May 2012 10:45:34 +0000

A teacup and saucer used only once by pop icon Lady Gaga at a press conference in Japan in March 2011 has sold for more than $75, 000 at an auction, the sale organizer revealed on Monday.
The teacup, which bears her lipstick, autograph and the phrase “We pray for Japan”, was used by the pop star three months after earthquake and tsunami hit the Asian country in 2011.
With more than 1300 bids, the weeklong auction finished Sunday with a top offer of ¥6, 011, 000, according to Yahoo Japan, which managed the charity event.
Payment was required before the winning bid could be confirmed, it said.
All the money raised will be used to help young Japanese artists who want to study in the US.
Source: Yahoo

Eviction prone Hilda is Head of House

Nana Esi Monney- Editor — Sat, 12 May 2012 10:43:03 +0000

Tanzanian housemate in the on-going Big Brother Africa StarGame, Hilda has been named Downville Head of House for next week.
The Tanzanian housemate who is up for possible eviction Sunday, together with her partner Julio, was named after she won the Head of House task Friday.
For the Head of House task, Big Brother divided the Downville housemates into two groups and asked them to stand at a starting line where he gave them a mathematical calculation.
The housemates were to figure out the correct answer to the question and run to the correct answer.
After two rounds of that, Hilda was declared winner and becaqme the Head of House taking over from Ghanaian housemate Keitta.
The interesting twist however is that, Hilda, Julio and Zimbabwean pair Teclar and Menata are all up for possible eviction come Sunday.
The big question here is what happens should Hilda be evicted Sunday or would she be exempted from eviction since she will start her job as Head of House Monday morning?
Sunday’s eviction definitely holds the answer.
Meanwhile Zambian housemate, Mampi who seems to have found a ‘friend’ in Ghanaian representative, DKB, is the new Upville Head of House for next week.

Sarkodie to release two albums this year

Nana Esi Monney- Editor — Sat, 12 May 2012 10:40:15 +0000

After winning the Artiste of the Year at the 2012 Ghana Music Awards, Hiplife artist Sarkodie Obidiponbidi says he will be releasing two albums this year.
In an interview with Hitz FM, Sarkodie disclosed that one of the albums is ready for release and the other one is still in the works.
According to him, the first album is a hip-hop album titled Mind Game a collaboration with Jay-So which is basically for his international audience as well as hip-hop lovers in Ghana.
The second album, he said, will be a Hi-life album which will feature some of the best artistes he grew up listening to such as Kojo Antwi, Oheneba Kissi, Daddy Lumba, Daasebre Dwamena.
Normally when artistes win awards, they sometimes take their time to put up a good piece of work for their fans but Sarkodie says he never rests, all he does is to work to bring his fans the best of music.

He indicated that he already had plans before the awards, and now that it is over, it is time to continue from where he stopped.
For his future plans, the You Go Kill Me hit-maker said he has tours, charity events and a couple of shows ahead of him.
Sarkodie staged the second part of his Rapperholic concert in Kumasi before the awards and after the awards, he did a couple of shows in Ghana before performing in Malaysia.
He is back and says the next step for him is to tour some regions of Ghana to be followed by a Canada tour in June.
Touching on his nomination for the upcoming BET awards, Sarkodie said he could not confirm because he heard it through the Social networks sites especially twitter.
He said he thinks the information didn’t come from BET but rather from fans, “So I don’t know where they did their research but for now I can’t really confirm anything.”
He was, however, quick to say that that does not mean he doesn’t believe in himself but thinks he has a lot of work to do and he is doing just that.
“Until I feel I am there, I don’t think there will be a time I will feel I am there so for now, I am trying to push harder but if there is any nomination anywhere, thank God but that’s not the reason why I am working, I am working because I want to be successful and I want to maintain my name for a while if not forever, trying to protect the brand Sarkodie”.
Sarkodie has won the Artiste of the Year twice and says being in the artiste of the year category was a blessing to him adding that he thinks his fans and management supported him a lot hence they make sure he wins awards every time he is nominated.
He said he was happy when he won the Artiste of the Year because people who love him and the work that he does were excited about his winning the award and that it made sense for him to be happy.
He said “I was not expecting to win but it came as a surprise and I had to go with the flow.”
Currently one of the biggest artistes in Ghana, he said his fans should watch out for him in their regions and his upcoming albums.

Bristol Palin slams Obama’s gay marriage stance

Nana Esi Monney- Editor — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:52:55 +0000

After Barack Obama announced Wednesday that he endorses gay marriage, Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol posted an entry on her Patheos blog critiquing the president.
Suggesting that Obama might have appointed Dora the Explorer Attorney General had his daughters been a few years younger, Palin dismissed the announcement as the presidential equivalent of a teenage flirtation. “Sometimes dads should lead their family in the right ways of thinking.
In this case, it would’ve been nice if the President would’ve been an actual leader and helped shape their thoughts instead of merely reflecting what many teenagers think after one too many episodes of Glee.”
After making headlines as a single mother who advocates teen abstinence, Palin remained in the spotlight with an appearance on season 11 of Dancing With the Stars, where she eventually placed third.
In a piece entitled “Hail to the Chiefs – Malia and Sasha Obama,” Palin condemned Obama for saying that he was inspired to make the announcement by his daughters’ acceptance of same-sex families.
“While it’s great to listen to your kids’ ideas, there’s also a time when dads simply need to be dads,” she wrote. “In this case, it would’ve been helpful for him to explain to Malia and Sasha that while her friends parents are no doubt lovely people, that’s not a reason to change thousands of years of thinking about marriage.
Or that – as great as her friends may be – we know that in general kids do better growing up in a mother/father home. Ideally, fathers help shape their kids’ worldview.”
In Obama’s interview with ABC News Wednesday, the president explained that young people like his daughters Malia and Sasha were accepting of nontraditional relationships, and it prompted him to reconsider his public position on gay marriage.
“There have been times where Michelle and I have been sitting around the dinner table and we’re talking about their friends and their parents and Malia and Sasha, it wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently.
“It doesn’t make sense to them and, frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.”
During Sarah Palin’s 2008 vice presidential campaign, the candidate fielded questions about the idea that Christian ideology suggests that women are supposed to be submissive to their husbands. Palin attempted to draw a parallel between the idea of a Christian female president deferring to her husband on policy issues and Obama making policy decisions based on advice from his children.
“So let me get this straight – it’s a problem if my mom listened too much to my dad, but it’s a heroic act if the President made a massive change in a policy position that could affect the entire nation after consulting with his teenage daughters?”
Source:Hollywood Reporter

International DJs not happy

Nana Esi Monney- Editor — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:52:09 +0000

Ghanaian DJs residing abroad have lamented about unfairness on the part of organizers for allocating only one category for Ghanaian international DJs in the first ever Ghana DJ Awards.
DJ Bonsu, a celebrated Ghanaian DJ plying his trade in the United States, noted that a lot of Ghanaian DJs who resided outside the country equally promoted Ghanaian music, even at parties organized for non Ghanaians so as “to promote the music from home”. The awards must therefore have more than just a category for overseas DJ’s.
DJ Akua, one of Ghana’s female DJs who was tipped to be a keen competition for DJ Kess of YFM in the Best Female DJ category, was not eligible to apply because, according to the eligibility statement of the programme, applicants for the category must be based in Ghana. Though disappointed, she expressed her excitement about the honours and sent a congratulatory message to Merqury Republic, the organizers, for adding value to DJing in Ghana.
DJ Nice, another Ghanaian DJ in the States, was very disappointed he was not eligible for the Hiplife Dj, Highlife DJ and Club DJ categories. According to him, more categories should have been created for Ghanaian DJs overseas to encourage them to play more Ghanaian music.

In an interview with Merqury Republic Events, organizers of the awards, they expressed their appreciation of the genuine concerns raised by the international DJs and explained that the suggestions and concerns would be reviewed and addressed accordingly in subsequent editions.
Source:Daily Guide

I patronized a sex worker-Kwaw Kese reveals

Nana Esi Monney- Editor — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:52:16 +0000

Award winning Hip Life musician, Kwaw Kese aka Abodam has openly confessed he once engaged the services of a call girl to satisfy his sexual desires.
The ‘Odeim’ hit maker made this confession in an interview with Kwame B on Hitz FM Cruise Control’s ‘Hang Out” segment.
Kwaw Kese said he engaged the services of a call girl which he bargained a “one night stand” which translates into a short period with the call girl.
He however noted that this happened before the breakthrough in his career.
According to Kwaw Kese, the lowest he has charged for a show was Gh¢50, somewhere in the early 2000’s where he only had one hit song. Even that, Kesse added that he had to enter the event venue through the back door as the bouncers could not recognize him.
Funny enough, after the said show, the organizers only gave him Gh¢25 leaving half of the amount outstanding till date.
One of the finest artists in Ghana, Kwaw Kese revealed that he used to work for the Electricity Company of Ghana as a metre reader where he normally took ‘kick backs’ from customers who do not want their metres to be disconnected over outstanding debts.

Bobby Brown to wed again on June 15

Nana Esi Monney- Editor — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:49:21 +0000

American singer, Bobby Brown has finally set a date for his much anticipated wedding to his fiancée Alicia Etheridge who he has been engaged to since May 2010.
TMZ is reporting that the former hubby of the late Whitney Houston, who died in February 2012, is trying to tie the knot the same weekend that his band, New Edition will be performing in Hawaii.
The couple has set the date to be the weekend of June 15 while the band will be performing in Honolulu, Hawaii.
According to TMZ, Brown will be flying out some of his family and friends to the island, to witness the ceremony he has dubbed his “big day.”
After two years of the engagement, Bobby and Alicia have a child together.
Robert Barisford “Bobby” Brown, 43, married the late Whitney on July 18, 1992 at at wedding which was attended by about 800 guests on the grounds of Whitney’s home in Mendham, New Jersey.
The two had a daughter, Bobby Kristina Houston Brown, born in 1993, separated in 2006 and divorced a year after.

Miss World 2011 storms Ghana on May 19

Nana Esi Monney- Editor — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:22:44 +0000

The world’s ‘most beautiful’ woman Ivian Sarcos, 22, winner of the 2011 edition of the most prestigious beauty pageant on earth, Miss World, is set to visit Ghana from the 19th to the 23rd of May.
Accompanying Sarcos, who hails from the Southern American country of Venezuela, is a full entourage of the Miss World team including the first and second runner ups from the Philippines and Puerto Rico, Miss World Europe, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Miss World organization Julia Morley, and some members of the international press among others.
This historic visit by the reigning Miss World forms part of plans by the Miss World Organization to support winners of the Beauty with a Purpose Award.
This is an honour to contestants who have made real differences in the lives of people in their countries; especially those of underprivileged children. Miss Ghana 2010, Stephanie Karikari, was a joint winner of the award at the Miss World 2011 event.
Miss Ghana 2010, Stephanie Karikari, seeks to build a state of the art nursery for a day care facility at Ayalolo. This is to help the children at Sodom and Gomorrah slum in the Central Business District of Accra.
A charity Ball will be held on the 22nd of May 2012 at the Banquet Hall, State House to help raise funds for Miss Ghana 2010, Stephanie Karkari’s nursery project. During this exclusive and special event, the Miss Ghana 2012 pageant will be launched. Limited tickets are available for just 400 guests.
The Miss World Team will also pay courtesy calls on very important personalities including the President, John Mills. In addition, they will visit some important tourist attraction sites.
“We’re going to Ghana to work on a project there and I know that she’s a down-to-earth person and she won’t be afraid to get her hands dirty,” Miss World Chairman and Chief executive Julia Morley, has told news agency AFP.
“I want to carry on doing the wonderful work that Beauty with a Purpose and the Miss World Organization does and to help people in need,” Ivian Sarcos also told the AFP.
“I want to help ‘people like me’ – other orphans,” she added.
Exclusive Events Ghana, have said.
Managing Director of Exclusive Events Ghana, organizers of the Miss Ghana pageant, Inna Patty said everything has been put in place to ensure a successful visit adding that “we are ready to host them. This is a historic visit, which must be celebrated to the fullest. Together, we can make it happen, and we know that just as Stephanie was able to make us proud, the team will leave here with fond memories.”
Miss Ghana 2012 is an Exclusive Events Ghana event, and supported by Manet Properties, Ghandour Cosmetics, Africa Cola, Ederick Ghana Limited, FC Skin & Beauty Klinik, Special Ice Mineral Water, Accents& Arts, TT Brothers, International Energy Insurance (IEI), Edern Security, Intercom Programming & Manufacturing Company Limited (IPMC) and Total Fitness Health Club.

Having more babies ‘would be a blessing’

Nana Esi Monney- Editor — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:21:31 +0000

Now that the relationship of Jennifer Lopez and boyfriend Casper Smart appears to be stronger than ever, does the pop star possibly have more babies on the brain?
“It would be a blessing,” Lopez, the mother of 4-year-old twins, Max and Emme, told PEOPLE about the prospect of having more kids. “Every day … they just bring so much joy and happiness to your life, [and] they just bring you right back down to earth.”
But as the star of the new movie What to Expect When You’re Expecting, who’s been juggling her American Idol duties while preparing for her upcoming tour, also admits: “I’ve got my hands full.”
Besides, being a single mom is never exactly easy.
“There’s the guilt that comes along with it,” Lopez said. “You leave and they go, ‘Don’t go to work, Mommy! ‘ ”
So how has the star – who last year split with husband Marc Anthony – managed to balance it all? By putting her twins first.
“That’s my philosophy. So as long as that’s … working in the right way, then I can dedicate whatever time I need to dedicate to my career,” she said. “You just do the best you can, and say no when you have to say no.”
And, fortunately, she hasn’t had to do it entirely alone.
“I have a lot of great people in my life who help … at work and at home,” she said. “I have a great family – so all together – we do it. It takes a village.”
Source:People

My award can’t be a bribe

Nana Esi Monney- Editor — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:18:33 +0000

Blakk Rasta is counseling organizers of the annual Ghana Music Awards, Charter House, that if winning the Raggae Song of the Year was a bribe then “they’ve made the biggest mistake that they could ever make.”
There has been bad blood between the reggae musician/host of Taxi Driver on Hitz 103.7, and organizers of the awards Charter House, after the musician unleashed a series of criticisms and name-calling for what he said were unfair and biased nominations released for previous awards.
Speaking in an interview with Myjoyonline.com, days after his song, Miss Right was crowned Reggae Song of the Year at the 13th edition of the Ghana Music Awards, Blakk Rasta said his criticisms soured an already fragile relationship with the events organizing outfit.
He recounted that, “I talked about Charter House in 2008 and from that time they have never nominated me, they actually banned me. They sent press releases out there saying that they had banned me.
“I was waiting to find out when the ban was going to end so I never submitted anything for nomination from 2008. I criticized Charter House twice when they nominated,” outdated songs in the 2010 awards “like the song [Mama Africa] of Black Prophet,” and “Samini’s Baby” which was a calypso but nominated for the Reggae song of the Year.
He said those songs were later removed from that year’s awards.
“I was nominated for Reggae song of the Year and I felt that I had the biggest song in Africa then, not Ghana. It was Barack Obama which was on CNN, Aljazeera, and all the major networks and for the first time a Ghanaian artiste was mentioned in the New York Times.”
“The song was so huge they decided to give us a nomination for only Reggae song of the Year”, he said, adding that he felt that song also deserved nominations for Song of the Year, Artiste of the Year, and Album of the Year.
Because of those criticisms, he alleged, he “was banned. They knew that I was going to win so they decided to ban me because of the criticisms.”
Several years down the line, he has no qualms against his nomination this year, disclosing he did not submit the song for the awards. He was rather approached by the organizers due to public recommendations.
“For me it [the award] was well deserving, they realized that they couldn’t do away [with me]. I’m sure Charter House regretted for not nominating Barack Obama as the Song of the Year … because the kind of rave reviews we had that year, the song that was picked as the song of the year never tasted an iota of those reviews that we had internationally and even at home. It was the biggest song we had in this country and Africa for a very long time.”
He said this year’s awards was almost free-and-fair, stressing he was not bribed to keep his mouth shut. “Blakk Rasta is ‘unbribable’,” he indicated, warning Charter House that he “will criticize if I have to.”