Hello Chris-Vincent,
I was excited to read on your blog yesterday that the people of the Volta Region and its environs as well as Tamale and the surrounding places have all decided to get into film making, calling their respective industries-Vollywood and Tallywood.
Surprisingly, the article which unveiled the above development ended with a question on whether these progressive enterprises are of tribal nature—forgetting that, these film makers and stars of Volta and Northern backgrounds have no place in Kumawood except the dying Ghollywood.
Have any of you seen Akorfa Ejeani Asiedu, Vicky Zugah and the other actors from the Volta ever being used in a Kumawood movies before? Kumawood exists and operate on tribal lines, where the movie stars are only of Ashanti or better still Akan heritage.
What do you want the other actors and film makers from the other places of Ghana to do? Sit down and become jobless?
We all know the future of the English speaking Ghanaian Movie Industry is pretty hazy and to think of the fact that some of these Voltarians and Northern background actors and film-makers can’t speak good Twi, how are they supposed to get a job and make a living in Kumawood?
Is it not wise for them to also start something in their own native language—if not for anything at all, to sustain their families and career?
Instead of people supporting these initiatives, they are rather calling it tribalism, forgetting that Kumawood is the biggest tribal industry out there. If you are making movies in your local language and using actors mainly of a particular tribe, what does that make you?
People from the North and Volta have every right to start their own industries too just like the people of Ashanti did. What is wrong with some of you? You support Kumawood but want to call Vollywood and Tallywood all kind of names?
I hope some of you begin to realize that, if Kumawood has the right to exist, so does Vollywood and Tallywood—the early you see the sense in their direction, the better. No one wants to remain jobless and as long as movies are being done in native languages, these divisions will keep coming up.
If Kumawood has been accepted and being enjoyed by all of you who can speak and understand Twi, what about people like me who can’t speak or understand Twi , except Ewe and English? The English language industry is literally dead, so you mean I should be left with no form of entertainment?
From L. Tamakloe /New Jersey
You can send your Readers’ Mail directly to me via [email protected]
It may take some time to get published because I receive a lot of such mails and need to publish them one after the other. Thank You.
dear L. Tamakloe, you said the kumawood movie stars are only Akans (read 3rd paragraph). The picture above is from a kumawood movie, yellow sisi and i see Kofi Adjorlolo in there. Is Kofi Adjorlolo an Akan? hmmm……………..
i do not pay attention to kumawood movies but i believe not all of the actors/actresses will be Akans. Sometimes we need to watch what we write.
When we say Ghanaians are black, does it mean every Ghanaian is black or every African is? I meant majority which is close to all are Akans. How many times does Kofi Adjorlolo does Kumawood movies compared to any of the others?
You people don’t like others to prosper right?
if you had wrote, MAJORITY or MOST are Akans i wouldnt have had such a respond.
And dear, Its my prayer each and every person prosper in life.
And what do you mean by “you people” ? Its just me oooo, B.B, I dont represent people. 😛
Who are you referring to as ‘you people’? You ewes say whatever you want but let an ashanti say the same thing and all hell breaks loose. which tribe has tied your hands and prevented you from prospering? Nonsense
BB why are you arguing with this girl or boy she clearly don’t know what she’s on about tell her to do her research properly I watch allot of kumiwood movies and most of them are not akans
Mr Tamakloe, I do not think you have a clear point in drawing a line between tribalism and kumawood movies cos Clara Benson who stars in most of the kumawood movies is not an Ashanti. Besides if it had to do with other tribes not being called up for auditioning then you could say that it’s strictly based on tribalism. It could be that these other tribes do not sign up for auditions at all.
Pls no fighting everyone shd get a wood and let’s move on.watch out for vicwood.
he said that most actors/actresses from kumawood are only ashanti or AKAN HERITAGE…i think we should try and here others point of view and see where they’re coming from….not too long ago, even Mr. Beautiful who is Akan, came out to say that even onset, he is asked to speak Ashanti twi…what tamakloe said is the truth, and sometimes we need to accept the truth rather than having to justify it….I am a proud akan lady because that’s my identity…Anyone from Volta, north, accra, etc should also be proud of their tribes because its their identity…its no biggie
I agree with you sister. Why can’t they have their own too and yet the people of Ashanti can have Kumawood? We should not kid ourselves. 98% of the Kumawood actors are Akans and that is right
First of all, Kumawood does not only use Akan stars but I agree that there is nothing wrong with the people of Volta and the North starting their own industries and call them whatever. But why must you add the WOOD. Or why must it even have its own name? Can’t it simply be part of the Ghana movie industry? Oh aba
I support Vollywood, Kumawood, Tallywood, Ghollywood and even GCwood. Lol…. As long as their movie is done right and entertained their targeted audience, I’m all for it.
The movie industry is all about entertainment. It doesn’t really matter what region it’s coming from as long as it’s not an infringement on the rights of other people’s. If the producers can make movies to entertain their audience, who are we to cry foul.
People*