Lifestyle/ Travel & Tourism: Kempinski Gold Coast City Hotel [Due to open early next year]....

I can’t wait for the completion of the much anticipated uber luxurious - Kempinski Gold Coast City Hotel [due to open early next year]. With a portfolio of luxe hotels –located in some of the most beautiful cities in the world [including: Geneva, Abu Dhabi, St. Moritz, Sicily and Berlin] –and a further seven hotels due to open this summer / auterm [including: Guiyang, Huizhou in China, Doha Residences in Qatar, Bangkok and Dubai] -Kempinski hotels are in the serious business of high-end hospitality -and is next year's 'must stay' hotel in Accra. Please read the following from www.kempinski.com for more information about the Kempinski Gold Coast City Hotel [it has already employed 200 local workers and hope to employ an additional 400 local workers in the next six months].
Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City- Accra [Opening Early 2011]
Kempinski's first project in Accra will be located on the former racecourse site in the heart of the city. The Kempinski Hotel, Accra is expected to cater primarily to the business segment and will boast the largest rooms in the city. The hotel is set to be the centrepiece of a public-private partnership project with integrated mixed-use hospitality facility, "Gold Coast City", which covers an area of some 35 acres and would include residential apartments, retail space, an exhibition centre, offices and government building

The Kempinski Hotel, Accra will have 267 rooms including 17 luxury suites and 2 presidential suites. The hotel will include four restaurants offering a range of international cuisines, two bars, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, spa and fitness centre, tennis and squash courts as well as shopping facilities. The hotel will have over 1500 sqm of conference and banqueting space including modern meeting rooms boasting state-of-the-art audio-visual technology, a fully-equipped business centre and business lounge.

The hotel is adjacent to the Accra International Conference Center, ministry buildings, the State House, the National Theatre, the Accra Sports Stadium and various commercial office towers.

Pre-opening office:
c/o Kempinski Hotel Ajman
P.O. Box 3025
Ajman
United Arab Emirates
Telephone +971 6 745 1555
Fax +971 6 745 1222
[Credit: http://www.kempinski.com/]

Media: David Dunkley Gyimah

Title: David Dunkley Gyimah: One-Man Hurricane  By: Nicola Godwin

He’s a man of many media — radio, television, video, imagery, design, podcasts, blogs. You name it, David Dunkley Gyimah will probably be using it in one of his inspiring documentaries, or on his Web site, or even in a ‘blec’ (a ‘web lecture’ for the uninitiated). Apple technology helps this “one-man hurricane” break down the boundaries between art and journalism, between production and post-production, and between the present and the future.

David Dunkley Gyimah doesn’t know when to stop. So he doesn’t stop. The man seems to be everywhere at once, and everything is interesting to him. He’s an original thinker fulfilling a range of professional roles, from freelance Channel 4 producer, to visionary videojournalist, to creator of award-winning online magazine viewmagazine.tv, to senior lecturer in digital journalism at the University of Westminster.

Gyimah has worked in the media for 20 years, starting out in radio before becoming one of the first videojournalists in the UK. “Times have changed a great deal since then”, he explains. “When I started out at [videojournalism enterprise] Channel One, we had great big cameras and had to take everything back to the edit suite for cutting”.


“The YouTube generation are deconstructing television as we know it; thanks to companies like Apple, they’ve got access to the tools and are just getting on and doing things. They can see that if it’s good enough, people will watch it.”

Now Gyimah typically uses a flip-screen Sony DVCAM for shooting. He records direct to a 500GB LaCie portable hard drive, then downloads on the spot to his PowerBook G4 to begin the edit. He can add effects there and then or, for more serious processing, he runs footage through his desktop system, a Dual 2GHz Power Mac G5 with five 500GB external LaCie drives.

“My Mac goes everywhere with me”, says Gyimah. “The fact that I have everything on it, from Final Cut Studio and After Effects to Photoshop and Dreamweaver, reflects the way I work. You never know what might work as a film, what might go online, or what might function as an image... for me there are no grey areas between them”.

This principle is key, not only to Gyimah’s working practice, but to his entire outlook. “People often think the established ways of telling stories are the best but I look at, for example, photo-journalists and filmmakers and at how they use composition or cinematography to enhance their work, and I think, ‘why not bring that to videojournalism?’”.

This blurring of boundaries between conventional journalism and something more creative (achieved to great effect in Gyimah’s recent film about a group of experienced newspaper journalists he turned into video journalists, which won him the International Jury (Independent) award at the Berlin Video Journalism Festival) is supported by the technology Gyimah uses. He says: “One of the chief reasons I’m attracted to the Mac is because it facilitates this aspect of my work — to either go for a straight cut or to get a bit more creative. The technology allows me to push and push and push”.  *For the rest of this article please visit: http://www.apple.com/uk/pro/profiles/gyimah/

[Credit: Nicola Godwin at: http://www.apple.com/uk/pro/profiles/gyimah/]

Idris Elba stars as Roque in ‘The Losers’ –out in cinemas now

‘The Losers’ tracks five elite US Special Forces team -sent on a mission to a Bolivian jungle. The team is then betrayed by Max -a powerful insider in the agency. Forgotten and presumed dead, the team retaliates and returns -to settle ‘old scores’. A must see....

Music: Sam & Ruby……….

Sam & Ruby Live- "Heaven's My Home" from sammy b on Vimeo.

If Ruby Amanfu and Sam Brooker aka Sam & Ruby’s sweet, folksy music was a colour - it would most definitely be yellow! Honey-sweet, sunshine music [that would melt –the hardest heart] –this duo is rocking a melodious sexy mix of: country, soul and a certain something -that’s all-their-own. Ruby’s pretty, post Dolly Parton, -nouveau-Nashville voice –is beautifully redolent on ‘The Suitcase Song’ and ‘The Here And Now’ –and their ‘Heaven’s My Home’ featured in the film, ‘The Secret Life of Bees’. For more information about Sam & Ruby, their upcoming tour or to download their latest album please visit: http://www.myspace.com/samandruby

Music: On The Lookout by Kae Sun

I'm loving 'On The Lookout' by Kae Sun [the latest single off his debut album 'Lion On A Leash']. For more information about Kae Sun or to download 'On The Lookout' please visit: http://www.kaesunmusic.com/

Film: Lydia Forson and Jackie Appiah -a joint win at the AMAA Awards.........

Congratulations to actresses, Lydia Forson and Jackie Appiah -who were joint Best Actress winners at this year's African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), in Nigeria. [Credit: Photo and Film Clip, CNN]

Film: Coz Ov Moni [starring Wanlov the Kubolor and M3NSA]

Two of Ghana's most exciting musicians -Wanlov the Kubolor and M3NSA aka the FOKN Bois -star in the world's first ever pidgen musical film by director King Luu [produced by Panji Anoff], called ‘Coz Ov Moni’. I haven't seen it yet but judging by the film clip [above] –this film’s going to be a big hit. You can catch 'Coz Ov Moni' at the following film festivals:
Rio International Film Festival (Brazil) - http://www.festivaldorio.com.br/site2009/
Pan African Film Festival (Los Angeles) - http://www.paff.org/
London Film Festival (UK) - http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff/

Chantelle Tagoe -More than a Wag.....

Chantelle Tagoe and Emile Heskey

**I was so impressed with Chantelle Tagoe and the other wags in the BBC’s ‘WAGs, Kids and World Cup Dreams’ last Sunday. Chantelle et al -showed the football obsessed public and wannabe wags that they are so much more than their: fluffy, airhead, high maintenance, shopaholic, fame-hungry and gold-diggers- image portrayed by the media. Better known as Emile Heskey's fiancée, –Chantelle; who is a TV presenter –was joined by: Jermain Defoe’s ex Imogen Thomas, Frank Lampard’s former fiancee Elen Rives, Jermaine Pennant’s ex Amii Grove, and Matthew Upson’s partner Ellie Darby, -on a 16 days journey across some of the most desperate areas in South Africa, -where they were challenged with social issues including: child rape victims, AIDS victims, street boys, poverty, prostitution etc. You can catch Chantelle and co in, ‘WAGs, Kids and World Cup Dreams’ this coming Sunday -on BBC Three at 9pm, where they work with the ‘street boys’ of South Africa

More info about Chantelle Tagoe and the BBC's ‘WAGs, Kids and World Cup Dreams’....
Title: Emile Heskey's fiancée Chantelle Tagoe brands footballers' wages 'ridiculous' / By Kate Mansey 9/05/2010

A top Wag has turned on England's World Cup football stars - branding their wages "ridiculous".
Emile Heskey's fiancée Chantelle Tagoe, 26, said: "Who needs £160,000 a week? You could probably build a school in South Africa for that."

TV presenter Chantelle, from Toxteth in Liverpool, added: "Football is such a popular sport everywhere in the world but I think the amounts they get are ridiculous.

"It would go a long way in places like South Africa where women are prostituting themselves for the price of a loaf of bread just to feed their families. It's heartbreaking." Chantelle has two young sons with Aston Villa striker Heskey, 32, who earns £50,000 a week. But some of his fellow England team mates are paid almost three times as much.

Chelsea's John Terry and Frank Lampard earn a basic of £136,000, Man United striker Wayne Rooney £120,000 and England captain Rio Ferdinand £100,000 a week.

Chantelle's comments come as she stars in a BBC documentary where she spent two weeks working in the orphanages of gangland slums just 15 miles from the World Cup stadium in Cape Town.

Chantelle, along with Frank Lampard's ex Elen Rives and Matthew Upson's partner Ellie Darby plus Big Brother star Imogen Thomas and Amii Grove - the exgirlfriends of Jermaine Defoe and Jermaine Pennant - spent two weeks filming for the BBC3 series Wags, Kids and World Cup Dreams.

Chantelle broke down when she met a teenage girl who had been raped by her own father. She said: "It was absolutely heartbreaking. She had contracted Aids from him. We had a little cuddle and cried together.

"It was definitely a wake-up call. I hope the money generated by the World Cup will filter down to the people who need it most." Chantelle, who lives in a six-bedroom mansion with Heskey and Jaden, four, and Reigan, two, organised a fashion show and raised £40,000 for charities and will revisit the Baphumelele Children's Home when she returns for the World Cup next month.

Chantelle, who appears on satellite channel Fashion TV, said: "I'm not what most people might expect of a Wag. I've been visiting my nan in Liverpool this week who has just come out of hospital - I'm not shopping all the time." [Credit: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/05/09/my-prem-star-fiance-and-his-pals-do-not-deserve-160k-a-week-115875-22244927/]

Everybody loves Nando’s -Tinchy Stryder and Chipmunk

Can you think of anyone who doesn’t love Nando’s? Nor can I. What’s not to love about Nando’s yummy, wholesome –reasonably priced food? Tinchy Stryder and Chipmunk [on the left] –agree, and are photographed for the Observer Food Monthly magazine [May 2010 Issue] in Nando’s King’s Cross branch -enjoying their food. For your nearest Nando’s visit: http://www.nandos.co.uk/

Politics: Adam Afriyie

As people like me, –try to come to terms our new government’s ‘Big Society –Little Government’ stance….I want to congratulate Adam Afriyie -on winning [and securing] Windsor with the biggest majority in the history of the seat -with 61% of the vote and the biggest combined swing from Labour and LibDems for an incumbent MP. And I believe it makes him –the first black Conservative cabinet minister! For more information about Adam Afriyie please visit: http://www.adamafriyie.org.uk/

Fashion: The New ANNA ALPHA BETIC collection ALPHABETIC No.2 by Anna Reynolds is now available!

For more information please visit: http://www.anna-alpha-betic.com/

Art: J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije (1899-1989)

JK Bruce Vanderpuije, also known as the Nile Kofi Bruce, is a pioneer of photography in West Africa and Ghana. The son of a bourgeois family in Accra, he opened his own institution: the Deo-Gratias Photo Studio in 1922 in the Jamestown area. At 23, he began making portraits of family and group of the British occupiers, traders Indian or black aristocracy of the city. After Ghana's independence in 1957, he designed campaigns for international companies including oil. He left his son Isaac, who took over the Deo Gratias-Studio, a fund primarily consists of glass plate negatives, quality arts and literature from the colonial period with no equivalent in West Africa.

J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije (Ghana), Masonic lodge « Good templars », (1930- 1935) © J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije

J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije (Ghana), The chief of Jamestown fisherman and his wife, (1939)

© J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije

J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije (Ghana), Achimota School Boxing club, (1933)

© J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije

J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije (Ghana), Studio picture, (1930-1940)

© J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije

J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije (Ghana), Wedding photograph, (1930-1940)

© J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije

J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije (Ghana), Gold Coast Regiment Officer’s mess in Accra, (1930-1940)

© J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije

[Credit: http://www.photo.fr/blog/639-J-K-Bruce-Vanderpuije-1899-1989-Deo-Gratias-Studio-a-Accra.html]

**More information about J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije by John Owoo ......
 
Memories Of Accra: A Rich History Of A City Through The Lens  -By John Owoo
 
Over three dozen photographs by the late J.K. Bruce Vanderpuije, that were shot during the first half of the 20th century are currently on display at the District Museum in the Malian capital, Bamako.

The exhibition forms part of the 2009 edition of “Encounters of Bamako”, the African Photography Biennial, which is currently showcasing hundreds of works by African photographers on the continent and the Diaspora.

One of the pioneers of photography in West Africa, Vanderpuije, who set up the Deo Gratias Studio in 1922, is reputed to have documented diverse occasions during the colonial period, which by and large bring nostalgic feelings to people who have vivid memories of the period.

His photographs know no racial boundaries – indeed, his lenses covered activities of the British colonialists, Indian merchants and the black aristocracy in Accra revealing in the process a myriad of activities that characterized life in Accra during the period.

Countless photographs ranging from social gatherings like weddings, pristine coastlines, the main post office in Accra, notable landmarks including a high profile super market (now Swanzy Shopping Arcade), lodge members, colonial soldiers and students of Achimota School including Ghana’s first president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah with their British teachers adorned the exhibition hall.

Others are royalty from Northern Ghana, antic furniture/carpets, football clubs, passage rites, colonial architecture, Supreme Court building and other images that reveal life in colonial Ghana that may excite and provoke the present generation into deep thought and probably a mute journey into the not so distant history of Accra.

Pictures by Vanderpuije invoke history, culture, religion, trade, architecture, politics, education, fashion and many others that reveal the bare practicality of life in Accra during the 1930s and 40s. They provide a deep insight into activities and situations that may never be seen again, especially the architecture of the era, which is being replaced by buildings with borrowed designs from the west owing to lack of policies to protect and preserve them.

Interestingly, photos by Vanderpuije are not characterized by delicate mists and cloud-like effects, which were in vogue during the mid and late 19th century and were particularly popular with spiritualists who believed such images posses the ability to capture the body’s spiritual aura. [Please read the rest at: http://www.africancolours.com/african-colours-article.php?id=8&nid=2]

A Must Read: Powder Necklace by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

"Brew-Hammond's colorful descriptions of Ghana and emotionally honest style capture the reader's attention from the first page.” J.L. King, New York Times bestselling author


“As a kid, I lived in Ghana for three years where I attended boarding school and encountered a small group of kids whose parents had also sent them to Ghana from Europe and the States. I wanted to write a book about that unique hybrid experience of being from two places at the same time, reconciling a first world superiority complex with respect for your immigrant parents, crisscrossing the globe to visit family "back home" and on other dots of the map, and figuring out how to answer when people ask you where you’re from - all while meeting the challenge of growing up.” Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

£9.64       http://www.amazon.co.uk/


***** You can follow Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond via her blog at: http://powdernecklace.blogspot.com/

Politics: Joe Frans

Joe Frans (born Kojo Frans ) is a Swedish politician, social activist and former member of parliament.


He is a member of the University of Stockholm board. He has also served as an Independent Expert for the United Nations Human Rights Council, Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent.

Frans is the founder and CEO of Next Generation Africa and NGA Novum AB. He is the Chairperson of Forumsyd and a member of the Swedish National Police Board. He has served as Senior Political Advisor to the Deputy Mayor of Stockholm and as Press Secretary to the Mayor of Stockholm.

He has also served as a member of the Swedish Parliament 2002-2006. In the Parlament he served on Committee on Justice and European Union Committee. When the Social Democratic Party lost power in 2006, Frans lost his seat in Parlament.

Frans has a diploma in Communications and has been the producer of the TV-show Sweden Today. He has also been CEO of Sweden Now AB and Skandinavisk Video Teknik AB, companies trading TV-broadcast rights. Frans initiated the Swedish Martin Luther King award in 2005. [Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Frans_(Politician)]

Music: Lazee

Lazee is a Swedish rapper of Ghanaian origin and he is pretty new on my radar –still, I’m liking his vibes ... For more about Lazee visit: http://www.myspace.com/mrlazee

A Must Read: Harmattan Rain by Ayesha Harruna Attah

Harmattan Rain follows three generations of women as they cope with family, love and life. A few years before Ghana's independence, Lizzie-Achiaa's lover disappears. Intent on finding him, she runs away from home. Akua Afriyie, Lizzie-Achiaa's first daughter, strikes out on her own as a single parent in a country rocked by successive coups. Her daughter, Sugri grows up overprotected. She leaves home for university in New York, where she learns that sometimes one can have too much freedom. In the end, the secrets parents keep from their children eventually catch up with them.

$16.00       http://stores.bbkwan.com/Detail.bok?no=18

For more information about Ayesha Harruna Attah please visit her website at: http://www.ayeshaattah.com/

Ghanaian Princess: Nana Amoako

[Nana on the right in a beautiful green dress -with her twin]

It’s been some time since Ghana Rising celebrated one of Ghana’s many beautiful Ghanaian Princesses and it’s a joy to introduce you to Nana Amoako. Beautiful, ambitious and fabulously fashionable –Ms Amoako’s a Facebook friend and a future star. The following is an inspirational insight into the life of this special young lady -enjoy.....x

GR: Hello Nana, how are you?
NA: I'm doing great thanks.

GR: Thanks for the interview Nana -what are you up to right-now?
NA: Well at the moment, I work at ulta beauty supply and I’m also in regency beauty institute working -on my cosmetology license.

GR: Wow you’re so focused – what motivated you?
NA: My motivation is the wonderful feeling I get after I see -I’ve done a wonderful job on a client by making her feel as beautiful as ever [whether its new extensions, glamorous makeup, newly waxed eyebrows etc].

GR: Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
NA: I see myself on billboards –with my face selling my [own] cosmetics, -and my own salon –with me as the boss. I see a new revolution when it comes to beauty. I see myself on commercials –with everybody wanting me to do their hair and makeup [celebrities, models etc].

GR: I look forward to your make-up line [I love make-up] –and of cause we’ll post it on this blog. Nana what do you do on your days off?
NA: I absolutely love makeup, its my favourite accessory. When I use makeup [on my face] in the morning -its like painting on a blank canvas! On my days off I like to shop, shop, shop -at the mall –it’s my favourite pastime.

GR: You live in Arizona, what’s it like -and does it have a thriving Ghanaian community?
NA: Arizona is very hot [haha]. I would much rather live in California, or New York - somewhere full of life! The Ghanaian community is very little here, in Arizona.

GR: I love your style -how would you describe your look?
NA: My look is very sexy, fashionable and playful. I pay close attention to what’s "in" this season -but I like to put my own twist on the outfits I wear -by putting my own little flair to it. I would call myself a major diva when it comes to my style –I like lots of colour, texture, and sun dresses.

GR: Name your favourite designers?
NA: I love GUESS, can you say FAB!

GR: You are beautiful –tell us your beauty secret?
NA: My beauty secrets consist of exfoliation treatments. I love to use honey and brown sugar on my skin; it gives my face a very youthful glow. Another beauty secret of mine is the cosmetic brand ‘wet and wild mega glow’, it gives my skin a glowing affect and makes my cheek bones stand out.

GR: Who does your hair, your nails and do you go to the gym?
NA: Because I’m a hairstylist -I do my own hair. I’m constantly changing it to different colours [haha, I love to change my look]. I get my nails manicured and pedicured as much as possible at ‘Nails and Spa’. And I dance and do yoga to keep myself lean and trim.

GR: On to more serious stuff, -what are your hopes and dreams for Ghana?
NA: My hopes and dreams for Ghana, this is a great question! I hope to see more beautiful Ghanaian women, reaching for whatever dreams they have, and making it come true. I love anything that has to do with women empowerment and I want to see my strong African sisters do everything to make this world a better place.

GR: Nana thanks for the interview. God bless you and make all your dreams come true. x

Some of Nana Amoako’s favourite things....

I love Nana Amoako’s style. From her beautifully tousled hair to her pedicured toes; –Nana’s all about quality, laidback sexy style. Like myself –Nana is a fan of exfoliating –and uses natural honey and brown sugar –to gentle scrub her skin. You can do this easily by mixing brown sugar and honey –together, then apply to your face and gently scrub, –and follow by rinsing with warm water. If you want a more convenient option -then why not try Africa Ximenia and Salt Scrub, -a luxurious body scrub that cleanses, exfoliates and revitalises the skin, leaving it feeling silky-soft and smooth –made with Ximenia seed oil, which comes from the Ximenia tree [native to Africa]; organic beeswax and Community Trade shea butter from Ghana. £14.00 [http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/].

Nana [like me] is a big fan of make-up –and loves Wet 'n' Wild Mega Glo Face Illuminator. This much loved –mineral rich powder –is an all-in-one blusher, bronzer and brightener –and can be used to highlight and add shimmer to your eyes, lips and cheeks, -giving your face a healthy glow £2.00 [http://www.magicmakeup.co.uk/].

Denim is so hot right now –and brand Guess is the go-to label. Nana’s loves and looks fabulous in Guess -where her love of the -sexy, fashionable and playful is realized. Guess’s retro, sexy cowgirl denim S/S 2010 collection [and eclectic array of accessories] also offers a plethora of cute summer dresses – the type loved by Nana. I’m loving the featured garb in Guess’s S/S 2010 ad campaign [staring Vanessa Hessler and shot by Raphael Mazzucco] it features some of their fabulous accessories. For more information about Guess please visit: http://www.guess.eu/.

Idris Elba and Damaris Lewis in Uptown Magazine

[Credit: uptown magazine -Interview By Rebecca Louie, Photography by Marc Baptiste, Styling by Danny Santiago]

I’m loving these photos of Idris Elba and Sports illustrated model, Damaris Lewis -by photographer Marc Baptiste -in this Uptown magazine editorial -entitled, ‘A View to a Thrill’. He talks about his latest films: ‘The Losers’ [out now], ‘Takers’ and ‘Thor’ [will be in the cinemas from May 2011] and ‘Legacy’ [release date-to-be-confirmed]….To read the interview please visit: http://www.uptownlife.net/content/view/663/28/

Men’s Fashion: Joe Casely-Hayford for John Lewis –now available in store...

“Acclaimed designer Joe Casely-Hayford has created an exclusive collection for John Lewis. Recognised for his innovation and ability to produce definitive future classics, Casely-Hayford´s range celebrates the best of British sartorialism through a series of unique collaborations with some of the UK's leading heritage companies.” www.johnlewis.com

If you’re looking for a good capsule wardrobe for summer -then Joe Casely-Hayford’s elegant menswear collection for John Lewis is the one! Reasonably priced [prices start from £99.00 for a Gingham Polo Shirt [above] and the highly coveted Quilted Leather Jacket cost £399.00], and classic -Casely-Hayford’s archetypical clean lines are not compromised! http://www.johnlewis.com/

Buy it now: Print Shoulder Padded Dress by Christie Brown

Wow, -uber Ghanaian fashion label Christie Brown [designed by Aisha Obuobi] is now available here in the UK via the latest must-visit-website, My Asho –and I’m loving this gorgeous structured dress! Made from the finest Dutch wax print by Vlisco –this dress is a must buy! £185.00 - http://www.myasho.com/

Nightlife: Kelis, Tinchy Stryder and Afrika Bambaata together at The Coronet Theatre on Friday 7th May 2010

Kelis? Tinchy Stryder? Afrika Bambaata? Omgoodness the hottest ticket of the year and I’m afraid I only just found out about it! Anyway folks; it’s true -Kelis and Tinchy Strayder are together at The Coronet Theatre [the New Kent Road] this Friday [that’s right –tomorrow] –and it’s going to be hot, -so you need to book now! Please visit The Coronet Theatre’s website or call them on 020 7701 1500


Details:
Together: Kelis and Tinchy Stryder
Room 1
The Coronet Theatre,
28 New Kent Road,
London
SE1
020 7701 1500
http://www.coronettheatre.co.uk/index.aspx
Price is £15.00 [in advance]

**Nearest tube station is Elephant & Castle station

Ghana’s History in black and white [From the Getty Images Archive]

Del Mina - circa 1600

Circa 1600: The coastal trading town of Elmina in Ghana, built around the Portuguese castle of St George El Mina. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Ashanti War -1874

The chief of the Abrakrampa tribe shares a toast to Queen Victoria with some British missionaries, signalling the close of the hostilites of the British-Ashanti war in Ghana. (Photo by Rischgitz/Getty Images)

Starting For The Interior -circa 1880

 The agent of a Mr Regan with his retinue before a journey by sedan chair to the interior of the Gold Coast (now Ghana), circa 1880. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

W E DuBois -1900

Circa 1900: American writer and sociologist W E DuBois (1868 - 1963), a founder member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), he eventually left the NAACP and became a citizen of Ghana shortly before his death. (Photo by MPI/Getty Images)

A Labolalo Girl - 1933

 A Labolalo girl from the Gold Coast of West Africa, now the republic of Ghana. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images

Ghanaian Car -1933

01 Jan 1933 -Villagers gathered around a car in Ghana. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Awuna Girls -1933

1933: A group of Awuna girls from the Gold Coast of West Africa, now the republic of Ghana, wearing only loin coverings and jewellery. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Members of The Bar -1935

Circa 1935: Members of the Gold Coast Bar. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Prison Count - 1949

Prison Count - 29th March 1949: A notice board in Sunyani prison on the Gold Coast shows the number of inmates, those on remand, the debtors and any condemned being held in the cells. (Photo by Alberts /Three Lions/Getty Images

Deforestation circa 1950

Deforestation circa 1950: Clearing of a hardwood forest of mahogany and black walnut in the bush country, Ghana. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images)

Timber Yard - circa 1950

Timber Yard - circa 1950: The stacking and seasoning of hardwood in the yards at Sekondi, Africa in the dry season. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images

Joe Appiah & Fiancee Peggy Cripps -1955

Political agitator Joe Appiah and his fiancee Peggy, daughter of Sir Stafford Cripps, soon after their engagement. Original Publication: People Disc - HB0155 (Photo by Terry Fincher/Getty Images)

Tema Fishermen - circa 1956

Tema Fishermen - circa 1956: Fishermen of Tema, a small fishing village in Ghana mend their nets on the shore on a windy day. (Photo by Evans/Three Lions/Getty Images)

Accra Library - circa 1956

Accra Library - circa 1956: The unusual facade of the public library in Accra, capital of Ghana. (Photo by Evans/Three Lions/Getty Images)

Louis Armstrong At Press Conference, Ghana, 1956

American jazz trumpeter and bandleader Louis Armstrong (1901 - 1971) laughs during a press conference on his visit to Ghana, 1956. (Photo by Frank Driggs Collection/Getty Images)

Accra Street -1956

Circa 1956: A busy street in the business district of Accra, capital of Ghana. (Photo by Evans/Three Lions/Getty Images)

Tema Store-circa 1956

Circa 1956: People gather at a corner store in the workers' district of Tema, a small fishing village in Ghana. (Photo by Evans/Three Lions/Getty Images)

Map Of Africa –1956

Circa 1956: Children at a grammar school in Lagon, a suburb of Accra, the capital of Ghana make a large three-dimensional map of Africa as part of their geography project. (Photo by Evans/Three Lions/Getty Images)

President Kwame Nkrumah -1957

7th March 1957: Ghanian Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah (1909 - 1972) arrives at the Assembly House in Accra for the opening of the new Parliament and the declaration of Ghana's Independence by the Duchess of Kent. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

Ghana Independence - 1957

6th March 1957: A religious procession during the celebration of independence in Ghana. (Photo by Stroud/Express/Getty Images

Independence Speech -1957

11 Feb 1957 -The Duchess of Kent reads a speech from the British Queen in the National Assembly, Ghana, granting Independence to the Gold Coast (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

President Kwame Nkrumah –1957

7th March 1957: First Prime Minister of Ghana Dr Kwame Nkrumah (1909 - 1972) at the rally celebrating Ghanaian independence in Accra stadium in front of 50,000 Africans. He is joined by Governor General Charles Arden-Clarke and HRH Duchess of Kent. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

Accra Bus Station - circa 1957

Accra Bus Station - circa 1957: The Central Bus Station in the centre of the old city in Accra, Ghana. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images)

Volta Bridge -1957

5th February 1957: The newly constructed bridge over the River Volta at Adomi in Ghana, West Africa. Whereas before travellers had to journey across the river by ferry, the 900 ton structure now provides a physical link between the Gold Coast and Togo. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

Tema Beach - circa 1958

Tema Beach - circa 1958: Boats on the beach at Tema in Ghana. (Photo by Evans/Three Lions/Getty Images)

Village Well -1959

Circa 1956: Children play around the public water tap in a street of Mampong, a small village in Ghana. (Photo by Evans/Three Lions/Getty Images)

The Queen receives President Kwame Nkrumah -1959

August 1959: The Queen receives President Nkrumah (1909 - 1972) of Ghana at Balmoral, seen here outside with Princess Anne. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

A Ghanaian Mother -1960

March 1960: A Ghanaian woman carrying her child on her back. (Photo by Keystone Features/Getty Images)

Girls From Ghana -1960

14th March 1960: Ghana Airways stewardess Esther Botchway (in uniform) at a London model school with eight girls who are about to start work for Ghana Airways in London. (left to right)Alice Laryea, Lucy Panford, Mabel Quartey, Cecilia Provecnal, Patience Ocansey, Gladys Daniels, Janet Ntansah and Jemima Adusah. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

A Ghanaian Woman -1960

March 1960: March 1960: A Ghanaian woman under what appears to be an improvised sun shade. (Photo by Keystone Features/Getty Images)

Placing A Wreath -1961

17th February 1961: A soldier stands to attention as President Nkrumah (1909 - 1972), of Ghana places a wreath during the memorial service held in Accra, Ghana, for Patrice Lumumba (1925 - 1961), the murdered Nationalist leader of the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

Posters Of Queen Elizabeth And President Kwame Nkrumah -1961

A man wearing Kente cloth walks past a portrait of Ghanaian president Kwame Nkrumah and an unflattering portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, erected for the Queen's visit, Accra, Ghana, November 6, 1961. Ghana was formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the mandated territory of British Togoland and gained its independence from Great Britain in 1957. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images)

Queen In Ghana -1961

12th November 1961: Kwame Nkrumah (1909 - 1972), the Prime Minister of Ghana with Queen Elizabeth II at a state banquet at the Ambassador's Hotel in Accra. Ghana in honour of the royal visit on the second day of the Queen's tour of the country. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

Demand Free Elections -1963

17th December 1963: Protesters against the government of Kwame Nkrumah outside the offices of the Ghana High Commission in London. (Photo by Reg Lancaster/Express/Getty Images)

Ghana Protest -1963

17th December 1963: Protesters against the government of Kwame Nkrumah outside the offices of the Ghana High Commission in London. (Photo by Reg Lancaster/Express/Getty Images)

Ghana Revolt -1966

6th March 1966: Students demonstrating during the coup that overthrew the dictatorship of the self appointed president of Ghana Kwame Nkrumah. Some of the students wear their gowns. (Photo by Harry Dempster/Express/Getty Images)

A Ghanaian Soldier -1966

2nd March 1966: A soldier in Ghana during the coup which ousted Kwame Nkrumah. (Photo by Harry Dempster/Express/Getty Images)

Making an Arrest -1966

28th February 1966: Policemen making an arrest in Ghana following the coup which ousted Kwame Nkrumah. (Photo by Harry Dempster/Express/Getty Images)

Celebrating the Coup -1966

28th February 1966: Policemen monitoring a crowd in Ghana following the coup which ousted Kwame Nkrumah. (Photo by Harry Dempster/Express/Getty Images)

Fallen Dictator -1966

6th March 1966: Children around a fallen statue of the self appointed president of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah during the coup that overthrew his dictatorship. (Photo by Harry Dempster/Express/Getty Images)

Ghanaian Crowd 1966

28th February 1966: A crowd in Ghana waiting for the release of political prisoners, during the coup which led to the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah. (Photo by Harry Dempster/Express/Getty Images

A Coup Crowd -1966

28th February 1966: A crowd in Ghana following the coup which ousted Kwame Nkrumah. (Photo by Harry Dempster/Express/Getty Images)

Dr. Kofi Busia, Prime Minister Of Ghana -1966

Dr. Kofi Busia, Prime Minister Of Ghana, February 1966. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images)

First Interview -1966

28th February 1966: A newly released political prisoner being interviewed following the coup which ousted Kwame Nkrumah. (Photo by Harry Dempster/Express/Getty Images)

New To Power -1966

1st March 1966: General Joseph Ankrah, one of the Ghanaian military leaders who came to power in the coup which ousted Kwame Nkrumah. (Photo by Harry Dempster/Express/Getty Images)

Welcome Home -1966

Welcome Home - 28th February 1966: A political prisoner is welcomed home during the coup which led to the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah. (Photo by Harry Dempster/Express/Getty Images)

The Path To Power - 1966

The Path To Power - 1st March 1966: General Joseph Ankrah, one of the Ghanaian military leaders who came to power in the coup which ousted Kwame Nkrumah. (Photo by Harry Dempster/Express/Getty Images)

Miss Ghana Araba Vroon is an African Beauty Queens – 1967

African Beauty Queens – 1967 :Four contestants from Africa line up at their London hotel before the 1967 Miss World beauty contest. From left to right, they are Miss Tanzania (Teresa Shayo), Miss Uganda (Rosemary Salmon), Miss Nigeria (Rosalind Balogun) and Miss Ghana (Araba Vroon).

Traditional Dress -1968

Circa 1968: A Ghanaian woman in traditional dress. (Photo by Roa/Three Lions/Getty Images)

Ghana Debt Conference -1970

International statesmen at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, before the start of the Ghana Debt Conference, 7th July 1970. From left to right, John Kufuor, Ghanaian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Peter Kerr, 12th Marquess of Lothian (1922 - 2004), the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the chairman of the conference, J. H. Mensah, Ghanaian Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and James Bottomley, deputy to Lord Lothian. (Photo by Mike Lawn/Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

President Kofi Busia meets Edward Heath at No 10 -1971

11th November 1971: The Prime Minister of Ghana, Dr Kofi Busia, meets Edward Heath at No 10 Downing Street. (Photo by Ian Showell/Keystone/Getty Images)

Osibisa -1972

20th March 1972: Pop group Osibisa waiting with Caroline Thompson to check onto a flight at an airport. The group, who were formed in London in 1969 by three Ghanian and three Caribbean musicians, pioneered a blend of West African highlife and rock music. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)

H V H Sekyi -1972

H V H Sekyi - 1st May 1972: Ghana's High Commissioner to Great Britain, Mr H V H Sekyi, on a visit to London to present letters of Commission to the Queen. (Photo by Wesley/Keystone/Getty Images

Odoi Sykes -1972

13th February 1972: Odoi Sykes, Ghanaian Deputy High Commissioner, walking past a policeman as he leaves the Ghana High Commission in London after its closure following the ousting of the Ghanaian Prime Minister by the army. (Photo by Frank Barratt/Keystone/Getty Images)

Azumah Nelson -1989

Ghanaian lightweight boxer Azumah Nelson, also known as 'The Professor', October 1989. (Photo by Chris Smith/Getty Images)

An old man with double cataracts as a result of trachoma -2003

GHANA: An old man with double cataracts as a result of trachoma poses for a portrait February 2003 in rural Ghana. Trachoma is a preventable disease which begins with an infection of the eyelids and leads to irreversible cataracts and blindness if left untreated. It is common to poverty-stricken communities without adequate sewage and access to clean water. In many traditional hunter-gatherer societies in Africa, trachoma is a real threat to the ability of these people to support themselves. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images

I love history [I grew up in a Fanti/Kwahu household and my Fanti mother’s love of history was infectious] –and thus; these black and white photographs from the Getty Images Archive –have warmed the cockles-of-my-heart. Powerful, provocative and relevant –this collection has enabled me [at long last] to truly grasp that most 'mystical' epoch of Ghanaian history –‘The Nkrumah Era’. Through these images -the hopes and aspirations of a modern Ghana, -shaking off its colonial shackles with a newly elected President –are made clear! I see also the small bursts of prosperity with huge building projects like the Volta Bridge and the Akosombo Dam [not pictured], -as our new President raced ahead –to industrialize a young Ghana [off course this race to get ahead cost money –and left Ghana bankrupt by the time he was deposed in 1966].

But mostly; it amazes me that in a short space of time [six years] President Kwame Nkrumah went from: ‘Osagyefo’ [it means ‘redeemer’ in the Akan language], a revolutionary, the father of Pan-Africanism in March 1957 to a full fledged dictator -with Ghanaians protesting against his regime outside the offices of the Ghana High Commission in London in 1963 [something I knew nothing about]! Also, it appears 1966 was a dangerously crazy year for Ghana, –in fact from these images –1966 would now be described as ‘gangster’ by the youth! I guess President Kwame Nkrumah has become more human to me!

The photographs are not all of President Kwame Nkrumah! Images like the Ghanaian soldier [dated 1966] with his ‘stunned’ gaze, -leave you wondering! Was he thinking about his family, or his next meal or the fate of his beloved Ghana? Whatever he was feeling/thinking –the image is very ‘real’! The Labolalo girl [dated 1933] is equally touching. Her nakedness, the pensive stare and bloated tummy –gets to me! I’m left wondering: how old she is, if she was happy and loved, who she was going to marry [if she wasn’t already married] and how many children she had etc? I wanted to search further –and googled Labolalo, Labolalo people –to no avail. I had better luck with the Awuna girls!

These Getty Images are photographic gems, -and I would love to see them [especially the ones of everyday people] hopefully in Ghana –and displayed as a permanent exhibition or maybe bought by the Ghana High Commission in London and put on permanent display for the public. I think I will get in touch with Ghana High Commission with this suggestion [I will keep you posted]. ......x