What more can a woman ask for— than being asked by the one person you are practically plugged to asking to spend all eternity with you. Tracey Boakye must be swimming in a pool of sweetness right now as the multi-million dollar question was asked her yesterday and she said yes.
We have spectacular news for you people ; she is got engaged yesterday.
The beautiful face of the Kumasi movie Industry, Benedicta Gafah has been feeding her cherished fans with a cluster of pictures on her Instagram page for quite some time now. I must confess that her designer is working amazingly on her, she chooses her wardrobe just right and her apparels accentuate her curvy features and … Read more
If you have seen the way people crowd by the roadside at the expense of everything and the way grown ups sit to discuss the very telenovela to extremes that leaves you wondering if the characters are not fictional after all then you would know Mercy Asiedu is either in denial or saying something to comfort herself.
The infamous “Kumkum Bhagya” is an Indian telenovela shown on Adom Tv purposely translated into Twi,our local dialect and believe me you, it has a really admirable viewing coverage. The very series that got UTV to join the club with their own bit “Simply Maria” also in Twi.
Over the years, we’ve written several articles about the deteriorating state of our movie industry – that’s if we truly have one functioning.
One of the key areas we keep hammering is how our scriptwriters go about writing their plots for various movies. Whilst the English speaking Ghallywood keep ‘stealing’ storylines from foreign producers, our Twi speaking Kumawood rely heavily on trending events making headlines in the country.
It looks like the ‘PLENTY radio talk’ and outburst by certain Kumawood stars over the fact that nobody from their camp was selected as a World Cup ambassador or to go the 2014 World Cup has paid off…
According to a report by GhanaSportsOnline, the Government of Ghana has issued a directive requesting that 7 Kumawood stars should also be picked as 2014 World Cup ambassadors.
Akua Ataa ‘Kyeiwaa’, Kwame BA, Kwaku Manu, Ras Nii, Dabodabo and 4 other Kumawood stars have been named as ambassadors alongside the already 15 or so unveiled ambassadors.
Speaking to Angel Fm, Kumawood movie producer-Jones Agyeman said “We think we (Kumawood actors) were side-lined in the naming of the ambassadors for the World Cup and so we fought through many quarters and got ourselves to the ministry’s headquarters”.
GhanaCelebrities.Com’s investigation has uncovered two other movie industry names in Ghana known as Vollywood and Tallywood.
Vollywood is the name of the movie industry for filmmakers in the Volta region of Ghana or the name of films produced largely in the Eve language or people of Ewe descent. Just as Kumawood or sometimes called Twi speaking movies are produced in Kumasi and its neighbouring villages, Vollywood movies are produced in the Volta region of Ghana, precisely, Adaklu.
Unlike Kumawood movies which are mostly comedy, Vollywood movies narrates true but untold stories of the people of Ewe lineage and general storylines about life. Vollywood movies contain 100% dialogue in Eve with subtitles.
They are largely marketed in areas such as Hohoe, Ho, Aflao, Adaklu, Togo, Peki, Kumasi, Accra and some part of the North.
Putting our ears on the ground and speaking to few VCD (movies) sellers, GhanaCelebrities.Com’s gathered that the Vollywood movies are not that popular because the filmmakers don’t publicize or advertise much. However, those who know Vollywood movies love them and patronize them a lot!
Already, names such as Harriet Odonu, Sheila Nyavor and others are few names of characters we discovered in Vollywood as the emerging stars of the industry.
Our investigation also revealed that whilst some filmmakers in Vollywood intend to make their own stars just as Kumawood has done with names such as: Agya Koo, Kwaku Manu, Mercy Asiedu, Kyeiwaa, and others, some filmmakers in Vollywood rather use already made film stars who are Ewes or of Voltarian descent.
Ghallywood/Ghollywood and Kumawood are the two main movie industries in Ghana at the moment. One cannot disprove the fact that producers within these two industries are doing well. In the course of time, some experienced producers churn out movies that are well structured and interesting to watch. At other times, some of these movies are just as bad as garbage.
There seems to be a clear-cut distinction between these two movie industries. While Ghollywood pays much attention to love, Kumawood on the other hand focuses mainly on comedy. It becomes mundane when a particular approach is used over and over again without employing new techniques.
Ghollywood is Synonymous With ‘Love’
A critical observation of Ghollywood movies will draw ones attention to nothing but love. Over countless movies that I have watched from this industry all focus on love, or better still romance. Romantic movies often place emphasis on passion, emotion, and the affection two lovers (mainly the main characters) display to each other. Just like in our everyday love life that one goes through dating, courtship, and marries in the end, so it is with love movies.
Take time and watch most Ghollywood movies for yourself. Almost, if not all, fall into the category of romance. The ever one-way of telling such stories in movies is increasing rapidly. If a person does not fight another person because the first has snatched the lover, then it’s probably going to be a family opposing the marriage of two lovers. Without doubt, Ghollywood film-makers have proven to be love experts. Take them to that field, and they will surely beat you to that.
Kumawood and Its Obsession for Comedy
Let’s direct our attention to the ‘almighty’ Kumawood. How can you possibly watch a Kumawood movie and not laugh? The titles of the movies themselves can make you laugh your heart out. One movie title in itself is a complete sentence, if not a paragraph.
Pioneers of the Akan-speaking movies like Agya Koo are people who started their careers as comedians. The act of creating humour was however utilized in their movies. This course has repetitively gone up till this day. With the introduction of some acts like Kwaku Manu and Lil Win, production of comic movies has increased tremendously.
Just as Ghana’s Kumawood (local) movies enjoy massive patronage in Ghana, so do Nigeria’s local movies…
Kumawood movies – movies mostly produced in Kumasi and in Twi, are Ghana’s pride as far as our movie industry is concerned. The Kumawood movie industry is Ghana’s pride because their movies depicts our true Ghanaian values, traditions and culture; have original and intriguing storylines; produces about 80% of the movies in Ghana’s movie industry; and sells like pure water.
It is reported from movie shops across the ten regions of Ghana that the Kumawood movies which are called ‘local movies’ are able to sell as much as 50,000 copies or more per movie; once the movie is intriguing.
In Nigeria, their ‘local movie’ – movies produced with their indigenous languages, is the backbone of Nollywood. Nigerians don’t buy their English movies as much as their local movies. Every state produces its own local movies.
Example, Yoruba’s dominates in states such as Lagos, Ibadan, Ondo, Ogun, Kwara, Osun, and others, so they all patronize Yoruba movies. Same applies to other Northern states like Kaduna, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Maiduguri, etc. They all buy Hausa movies.
Without any definition of terms, I assume the words quantity and quality are understood by almost everybody who is reading this article.
In our various works, we all strive to achieve what is best but it becomes absurd when a person decides to choose quantity over quality (excellence).
Let’s delve into the movie industry a bit (focusing largely on Kumawood). Countless new movies are released each and every day. Enter a movie shop you see around and ask for the latest Ghanaian movie in town. Over hundred movie CDs would be handed to you.
There wouldn’t be any problem if these movies are of high quality and good storylines. I sometimes wonder the kind of cameras they use to shoot those movies. I guess my phone’s camera can do a better job than the cameras they use. The picture and sound qualities of most of the so – called Ghanaian movies are nothing to write home about.
Yet, when you complain, all that the industry players can afford to tell you is to support your own and stop backbiting. How do I support something in which those involved are doing nothing to advance it? What is backbiting about putting the bare facts on the ground?
As human as I am, I work hard to earn money. It would therefore be sensible to spend that hard – earned money on things that are of good qualities. So when I patronise foreign movies, it is not that I want their industry to grow and leave ours hanging. It’s a simple logic; I want value my money.
One thing that both Kumawood and Gollywood share in common is how silly theses names are/sound.
Without any critical thinking and deliberation, these names have become industry names and we seem to have all accepted them—as we have once or twice used them ourselves.
Kumawood refers to those local movies (made in Twi) and predominately shot or produced in Kumasi. These movies have no suspense as the title songs which are repeated almost every minute tell you how the movies will end.
Most of the Kumawood movies are poorly produced—-bad lighting, poor sound and visual quality. I do not think the actors are given any scripts and prefer to think they are just told what the story is, and then asked to starting acting.
In a Kumawood movie, one scene can be dragged for 30 minutes and you dare complain. All I am trying to say is that when it comes to Kumawood movies, the storylines are not great, the productions are poor and the marketing strategies are extremely annoying.
Yet, these movies are able to offer good laugh. I watch them when I need humour and they do exactly that for me.
I do not place emphasis on the quality of production, I just sit to watch so I can laugh away some of my many troubles for the day.
Gollywood is another silly name we cannot trace its origin but it has come to stay. And this refers to those movies mostly shot in English and at Accra with those who claim to be top Ghanaian actors and actresses.
When it comes to production and post-production, a lot of work is put into these movies to get a good standard. Some of these Gollywood movies are even shot using the RED camera—meaning, they seem to be pushing for an acceptable standard.
Storylines are mostly stolen and twisted to make them seem original. The actors and actresses are confused and deluded—thinking they are the best when they actually cannot act to save their lives. They can bore you to death with their fake slangs, Shakespearean language and over expressed emotions.
