I’ve know about little Kwesi Boakye for some time and did a piece about him last year but I had no idea about his brother Kofi Siriboe! Anyway I googled and the following is more info about this young actor/songwriter/producer:
Kofi Siriboe (born March 2, 1994) is an American actor whose works have spanned theatre, film, and television. He is most notable for his role as Javy Hall in the Fred Durst directed movie The Longshots. Most recently he appeared as JJ in the ABC Family show Lincoln Heights during the fourth season in the episode titled "Bully For You". Kofi is of Ghanaian descent, he is from the Asante tribe. He is the middle of three brothers; Kwame Boateng and Kwesi Boakye. (Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kofi_Siriboe)
Wow three brothers -all actors, with uber bright futures…this family’s not messing about. A big well-done to all the brothers and their parents -who have done a sterling job….
“Prince of Broadway is the story of Lucky and Levon, two men whose lives converge in the underbelly of New York's wholesale fashion district. Lucky, an illegal immigrant from Ghana, makes ends meet by soliciting shoppers on the street with knock-off brand merchandise. Levon, an Armenian-Lebanese immigrant, operates an illegal storefront with a concealed back room where counterfeit goods are showcased to interested shoppers. Lucky's world is suddenly turned upside down when a child is thrust into his life by a woman who insists the toddler is his son. While Lucky copes with his new domestic dilemma, Levon struggles to save a marriage that is falling apart. The seedy side of the wholesale district is revealed through a journey that continually confronts the interplay between what is fake and what is real.
Set in the shadow of the Flatiron building and soaked in the colorful bustle of Broadway, the film is as much a brutal drama as it is a tender comedy. Shot in a fast-paced guerilla style that is akin to the hustler lifestyle, the film reveals the lives of immigrants in America seeking ideals of family and love, while creating their own knock-off of the American Dream.”princeofbroadway.com
***Its happened again people, another ‘of-the-moment’ film starring a fellow Gh-er, Prince Adu and I’m only just finding out about it now -what’s going on? Called the Prince of Broadway -I stumbled across the above film clip by chance and I‘m truly grateful. It has received some excellent reviews and I hope to watch it soon, you can visit: http://www.princeofbroadway.com/ -for more information…
Looking for the ever illusive copy of the latest American Vogue –I saw the latest copy of New African Woman, -sneaked-a-peek and guess what, I ended up buying it. As you all know by now, I don’t tend to go near so called ‘black publications’ especially ones aimed at the African ‘anything’ –because even though they claim to be about Africans, I feel they only celebrate one or two African countries –and I just don’t have the time! Anyway, this particular issue is totally inspirational and jammed packed with GH’ers –including: international make-up artist -Ashley Avorgah, singer -NaNa Asante, actress –Belinda Owusu, founder of UK’s Mission Dine Club and the first black woman to become a Dame in the UK –Dame Betty Asafu-Adjaye, -and an insightful interview with Ghanaian/Lebanese actor –Majid Michel. But my favourite piece in Issue 7 of New African Woman is an editorial featuring Christie Brown’s latest collection ….it’s fierce! For more information about Christie Brown visit: http://www.christiebrownonline.com/
A trailer for the award winning film Football Fables which lifts the lid on African football migration. Meet some of the best young talent in the world and the middle men who earn a living making sure its their cream that rises to the top!
Award winning director Baff Akoto talks with Monita Rajpal about his new film "Football Fables" on CNN's Inside Africa show
***There’s a really weird place you get to when you own a model agency, –and you start to feel like a pimp [you are selling a person, after all] –and I guess those who sponsor footballers in Ghana must feel the same, -because beauty like football skills –saves lives [especially in Ghana], -turning those at the very top of-their-game into international stars [and every member of the Facebook/Myspace generation wants to be a star]! -But I’ll never forget the day I was doing research on Footballers of Ghanaian origin and stumbled across a Wikipedia page [it had a comprehensive list of most of our prolific players] –and the shock of finding [some of] our lesser known players -playing for clubs in countries like: Mumbai FC (India), Hoang Anh Gia Lai (Vietnam), FC Akzhayik (Kazakhstan), Dalian Shide (China), Jeju United FC (South Korea), FC Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ [Romania], Sporting Cristal (Peru), Polis Di-Raja Malaysia Football Association, FC Kuban (Russian), JEF United Ichihara Chiba (Japan), Hapoel Nazareth Illit F.C (Israel), MKE Ankaragücü (Turkey) and even clubs in much poorer African countries like the Central African Republic [Sporting Club de Bangui]; -places you know can be difficult/racists and lonely for a young African man on his own [needs must –I guess].
I presume, if you’re a young hopeful -fighting poverty; with the weight of your entire family on your shoulders, –and a sponsor [who’s been feeding you and your family for years] –wanting his ‘share-of-the-deal’ -you’ll take any club [in any city, in any country] if you aren’t the next Michael Essien, –just to get paid! And I understand that –because on one hand it’s truly wonderful to use your God given talents to make a living -but on the other hand –I really feel for these lesser known players –because not only are they dealing with obvious physical limitations [football is tough on the body] –and thus like models, -footballer only have a short career lifespan –but many return back home burnt out, -with no pension to see them through their twilight years…
I remember the wonderful Kwaku Ofosu Asare [presenter of 'Sports with Kwaku' -OBE Television] hosting an event with German/Ghanaian footballer, Anthony Baffoe to raise money for old Ghanaian players on OBE TV sometime back; –I wonder, is the Ghanaian government doing anything for past national players? Anyway, the following is a review about the above film by Baff Akoto [I'm afraid I haven't seen it yet but can't wait to watch it] ....enjoy
Documentarian Baff Akoto follows the path of emerging footballers from their African homelands to the bright lights of Europe's big league.
Exposing the extent to which Europe’s top clubs seek to plunder African talent on the cheap, this is a sobering insight into grassroots football. With visas limited to established stars and agents being prepared to rip off everybody to line their own pockets, making the leap from local celebrity to overseas superstar is a dispiriting business. Indeed, for every Sulley Muntari, there are hundreds of Francis Boadis, who catch the eye of scouts in their youth but never get to fulfil their dreams. Contrasting the manager and academy systems that operate in Ghana, this acute documentary also captures the pitiable poverty that instils in these gifted kids the desire to succeed.
I watched 'Love Actually' the other day, –and was convinced that 'Tony' was Ghanaian –and I was right –as he’s played by the gorgeous, Abdul Salis. The following is more information about this talented brother........enjoy xx
Abdul Salis (born July 6, 1979) is a British actor, probably most notable for his role as a paramedic Curtis Cooper on the longest-running medical drama Casualty broadcast in the UK. He is a son of Ghanaian parents who moved to London in 1975.
Salis has appeared in numerous television roles, including The Hidden City (2002), aforementioned Casualty (2008-2009), Trevor's World of Sport (2003) and an episode of Doctor Who (2006). His cinema films include Love Actually (2003), Sahara (2005), Welcome Home (2004) and Animal (2004).
On stage he starred in Blood Wedding and The Road at the Orange Tree Theatre theatre as well as Joe Guy at Tiata Fahodzi. He was in the 2006 production of The Exonerated in London's Riverside Studios.
In 2006, the movie Flyboys loosely portrayed aviation pioneer Eugene Jacques Bullard and his comrades from the Lafayette Flying Corps. The film features digital dogfights, and Salis portrayed Eugene Skinner, a character based on Bullard. Interviewed by the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus, Georgia), Salis discussed the notion of doing an entire movie about this famed figure:
"You know what, that's exactly what Dean Devlin said on the shoot... He said that this story, of the characters, Eugene's story alone is the only one worth a film in its entirety, outright. He said that maybe if he'd had his way, it would have been all about Eugene Bullard... If you look at it, with these flyboys, having made it, you talk about a great moment when he's growing up, his dad's a slave.... He gets to be a boxer in France, wins a championship. He goes to the war, the Lafayette Escadrille, fighting for the French. The Americans join in. He becomes a spy. There's the jazz bar. And he dies alone, an elevator operator. It's fantastic... It'd be nicer for me, I think, just to keep it real, just to play an homage or to play a friend or something and really kind of disguise myself a bit. I don't know if I would be happy as an outsider watching a character from another film then go on to be... unless these guys, Dean Devlin and these guys did it -- or maybe as a TV movie or something -- I don't think I'd feel comfortable with me doing it. Does that make sense? But I wouldn't say no. Of course not." [Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Salis]
‘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....
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]
Did you know that Akwey –who is the clan leader of the Horse Clan -of the Plains [and is witnessed fighting in the final battle on his Direhorse] in Avatar is played by Ghanaian born actor -Peter Mensah? I’m so impressed by this handsome brother’s acting -and somewhat surprised that I haven’t heard of him sooner –anyway, the following is more information about Peter Mensah from wikipedia.
Peter Mensah (born on 12 November 1970 in Accra, Ghana as Enzo Patnogon) is a Canadian actor, best known for his role in Tears of the Sun and more recently "Doctore" on the Starz original series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Mensah comes from an academic family. He was born in Ghana, to parents of the Asante tribe. At a young age, he moved to Hertfordshire, England with his father, an engineer, and his mother, a writer and 2 younger sisters. Mensah moved to Canada 11 years ago. He emigrated from Britain to see the world and it was a toss up whether his destination would be Canada or Australia.
Acting career
He appeared in such films as 300, Hidalgo, Tears of the Sun, Jason X, Harvard Man, Bless the Child and has made television appearances in Star Trek: Enterprise, Tracker, Witchblade, Blue Murder, Relic Hunter, Earth: Final Conflict, Highlander: The Raven and La Femme Nikita.Mensah also stars in the short film "The Seed", produced and directed by Linkin Park's DJ Joe Hahn, and recently in The Incredible Hulk and Avatar.
Recently, he did the voice and likeness of Sgt. Zach Hammond in EA's video game Dead Space. Mensah, who has practiced martial arts since he was 6, is now playing the character "Doctore" in Spartacus: Blood and Sand and was on the Spartacus Panel at Comic Con 2009. [Credit: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Mensah]
John Akomfrah OBE is a film-maker and video artist. He was born in Accra and is one of five children of Ghanaian political activists. Akomfrah is best known for being one of the founding members of Black Audio Film Collective, an artist group that addressed issues of Black British identity. Besides making theatrical films, Akomfrah has directed many television programmes, including one about Martin Luther King and another on Louis Armstrong for the BBC. A critic as well as a film-maker, Akomfrah has written widely about African cinema. He has been a member of the Arts Council Film Committee, and is currently a Governor of the British Film Institute. In 2008 he was made an OBE. http://www.smokingdogsfilms.com/ http://www.blackaudiofilmcollective.com/
[Credit: http://www.thisismyafrica.com/]
Last year, producer Rita Osei [pictured seated in grey ruffled gown -next to Kwame Kwei-Armah] was one of 13 black and Asian film industry 'movers and shakers' to be hand-picked by the Film Council -as the 'next big things'. They were flown to Hollywood to meet industry bigwigs -and now, the film industry is poised for a new British invasion. [Credit: Pride magazine/Photograph by Donald Maclellan]
“BRONX PRINCESS follows headstrong 17-year-old Rocky's journey as she leaves behind her mother in New York City to reunite with her father, a chief in Ghana, West Africa. Filmed during the tumultuous summer between high-school and college, BRONX PRINCESS tells Rocky's coming-of-age story. By confronting her immigrant parents' ideas of adulthood, Rocky reconciles her African heritage with her dream of independence.” www.shoppbs.org
I’m left wondering, –how comes I am only finding out about this documentary-film now? I Have just seen a preview and it looks great. Available for home or educational use, - Bronx Princess costs $24.99 and can be purchased from: www.shoppbs.org Get a copy and enjoy –it makes for great family viewing...
