Fashion with a Heart: Of Rags

The Mixed Matched Dress -$65.00

The bottom of the dress is meticulously sewn together by the Of Rags team out of scraps from seamstress shops in Accra. Made with a mixture of imported cotton and linen, each dress is mixed and matched uniquely. This item comes straight from Ghana. There is a 6-8 week delivery time.

The Scrunch Top Skirt -$20.00

Made with care in Ghana, the 100% cotton Scrunch Top Skirt can be worn in two ways and two colors are available. One size fits most.

***New to Ghana Rising, this sustainable fashion label is now firmly on our radar. Bring much needed employment to our people back home, Of Rags is a “fair trade fashion cooperative that combines elements of New York style and Ghanaian fashion into unique, artful clothing as a way to globalize the localized,“ employing seamstresses at fair trade living wages. Of Rags’ growing fan based is a true testament to their uber on-trend designs. To order the above pieces please visit: http://ofrags.com/

MORE INFO....
We venture to change the world at the most profound level.

Many of the problems of the developing world addressed today with foreign assistance will likely return tomorrow when the recipient communities cannot operate the programs themselves. This is due to a focus on poverty reduction, rather than on wealth creation. The essence of Of Rags is wealth creation and empowerment from within the community by providing jobs and opportunities. We strive for every member of our team to take ownership over our individual roles and the founding values of the organization in order to truly make a lasting impact.

Of Rags is a fair trade fashion cooperative that combines elements of New York style and Ghanaian fashion into unique, artful clothing as a way to globalize the localized. Established in September 2009, Of Rags is the vision of J Branson, an American social entrepreneur, photographer and musician, and RAAM, a Ghanaian designer and artist in Accra. The organization has quickly grown into a line of clothing available for sale in Ghana, in person on the Sustainable Fashion College Tour throughout the east coast of the United States and over the internet shipping around the world. The organizations employs seamstresses at fair trade living wages, and plans to work with new design partners, first in Ghana and then around the globe in a cooperative structure.

A fundamental component of the organization is our commitment to reinvest 40 percent of the profits from clothing sales into public health and education initiatives in the same communities where our clothes are made. The idea is to leverage Of Rags’ support alongside the resources of the communities in order for participants to craft the initiatives as their own. Of Rags is putting this idea into action through our partnership with the West Africa AIDS Foundation to help fund and operate a pioneering peer education program on HIV/AIDS. We also aim to sponsor and coordinate a series of symposiums on fair trade and citizen empowerment targeted at youth communities in both New York City and Accra.

Why choose to achieve systemic change through fashion? Fashion is an industry with the power to impact a large group of people in a small amount of time. Not only is fashion an excellent vehicle for communicating and spreading ideas but it is also a model that thrives on change. With your help we hope to set a trend. As opposed to shopping at low prices for more than any one person needs without regard for where a piece of clothing came from, who made it or how it was made, we hope that we can make it fashionable to stop and think about the true value of a product–to think “OR we can live sustainably, meeting the needs of today while ensuring the future needs of tomorrow.” If we can set this trend then we will not only change the way that we as a global culture consume, but also the way we produce. Ultimately this will end the need for development. (Credit: http://ofrags.com/)

Ghana Rising Blog is turning into Black Star Magazine -launching in November 2011.…

“Ghanaians in London represent one of the largest and oldest West African communities in the capital. The vibrancy of its culture means that for many Londoners their very conception of what is African derives from Ghanaian culture.” BBC

**Wow what a journey! I started this blog early 2009 to celebrate my community, the Ghanaian community, to share our successes with the world -and I truly believe that by God’s grace this has and continues to be realized. Anyway, Ghana Rising Blog has grown-up, matured and is turning into a Luxe glossy called Black Star Magazine, -a niche luxury publication aimed at the contemporary Ghanaian community and beyond.

Covering the latest in fashion, beauty, hair, celebrity interviews, travel, culture, business, society news and property as well as a comprehensive business directory -Black Star magazine will provide a superb platform for businesses and individuals wishing to reach this emerging community in Ghana, the Diaspora and beyond.

Black Star Magazine is a bi-annual fashion/lifestyle consumer magazine that will come out twice a year to cover the Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer trends. Black Star Magazine is primarily aimed at luxury consumers of Ghanaian descent and those who want to reach this emerging and successful community. Innovative, niche and a first for the Ghanaian community -this high-end beautifully bound glossy is both aspirational and relevant.

Facts about Ghana…
Named as the second fastest growing economy in the world, touted as the next big tourist hotspot by Forbes magazine (tourism is the fastest growing industry in Ghana, and likely to keep growing due to its stable domestic setting and is fast becoming a favourite destination for Africa travellers), -and with poverty reduction rates of 8.6 per cent in urban areas and by 10.4 per cent in rural ones (Ghana’s poverty reduction rates are the best throughout sub-Saharan Africa in the past 15 years), -Ghana was firmly put on the map by the Obamas’ in July 2009 and again in 2010 by its national football team, the Black Stars at the World Cup.

Facts about the Ghanaian community in the UK..
Did you know that: Freema Agyeman of Dr Who fame, politician Paul Boateng, UK's first black Cabinet Minister, Margaret Busby OBE, UK's first black female publisher, Adam Afriyie, the first black Conservative MP, TV presenter June Sarpong MBE, world renown architect David Adjaye, Film director Amma Asante, actor Idris Elba, uber fashion stylist Edward Enninful, fashion designers Ozwald Boateng OBE and Joe Casely-Hayford, Ekow Eshun, journalist, author, broadcaster and current Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, -footballer Michael Essien and musicians: Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder and Cockandbullkid are just a few of the illustrious people of Ghanaian descent based in the UK -leaving their mark on the world?

An increasingly prosperous and community conscious Diaspora -the Ghanaian community is one of the oldest communities in the UK. And even though the ONS estimates that there are approximately 93,000 Ghana-born people living in the UK (this figure doesn’t include first or second generation people born in the UK of Ghanaian decent) -Ghana High Commission believes this figure is nearer the 1.5 million mark -thus, the increase from $449 million in 1999 to $1.79 billion in 2009 with regards to remittances sent to Ghana from the UK , goes some way to prove this.

Why a luxury magazine aimed at this niche community?
Why not? Why not have a sleek, contemporary, luxurious and relevant magazine that will not only showcase Ghana, its people and its culture -but can be use to promote tourism, businesses, talents/creativity, various organisations -plus bring some much needed attention to real issues effecting Ghana today. Also, Black Star Magazine offers the cachet needed by successful brands hoping to advertise their luxury goods or elegant services to this exciting community, giving established businesses and individuals -an unique platform to reach this aspirational, cultured and successful community.

For more information about Black Star magazine, sponsorship and advertising opportunities or to send us your latest press releases, kindly email me Paulina at: info@blackstarmagazine.co.uk or nanaaba69@hotmail.co.uk

Best Regards
Paulina Opoku-Gyimah
Editor-in-Chief & Publisher
Black Star Magazine
info@blackstarmagazine.co.uk
http://www.blackstarmagazine.co.uk/
http://twitter.com/#!/BlackStarMag
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Star-Magazine-AccraLondon/221856697848010

***Thanks for your continued support folks. Don’t forget to keep me in the loop concerning all your yummy happenings -and an eye on Ghana Rising Blog for regular updates about Black Star Magazine. xx

Project Catwalk -Ghana

“Project Catwalk is a positive incentive event that is firmly fixed on highlighting African beauty, develop entrepreneurship, promote tourism, environmental protection and branding of Africa, in this case, Ghana as a dependable option for a tour visit.


Experienced Ghanaian fashion, arts and entertainment icons are expected to grace the reality show with a massive media presence.

Project Catwalk Ghana is a unique brand for an unscripted TV reality show that requires the participation of models, upcoming fashion designers, amateur photographers and all other elements of the Ghanaian fashion industry.

The theme "Linking African Beauty" is pro environment and is intended to further promote environmental protection in Ghana through fashion, modelling and photography by interfacing beauty with environment and fashion with lifestyle

Plot Outline: Big Photoshoot Trips (10 Days,10 Locations)
Three Fashion Shows
Spotlight Awards/Grand Finale

Website http://www.projectcatwalkgh.com/


The above text comes courtesy of Bernard Chumasie

Object of Desire: Ghana Damus Rose clutch by N'Damus

£65.00    http://ndamus.com/shop/

More Info about N'Damus
N'Damus London is an accessories brand launched in London England, born out of a passion for shoes and a vision for extracting beauty from objects that are seemingly...well, normal, creating beautifully handcrafted accessories to complement all occasions.


Handmade clutches, totes, and rucksacks, wristbands and belts, crafted from the finest leather featuring abstract shapes, and folds, with splashes of colour in natural fabrics to create stylish, abstract designs and unique pieces for all who dare to add the definitive edge to complete their outfit.

N'Damus has received critical acclaim after exhibiting an exclusive range at the 2009 MTV Africa Music Awards with international supermodel Ajuma Nasenyana sporting a bag at the event for the paparazzi. Singer Estelle has also requested a bespoke N'Damus bag. Hollywood's Nia Long is also a customer of N'Damus as well as singer Laura Izibor (Rolling Stone Magazine's "Artist to Watch" & VIBE magazine's "Next" artist) who has 'Naijadamus' in her possession. Shingai Shoniwa of the Noisettes is also a fan of N'Damus.

Must buy: ‘The Woman He Loved Before’ by Dorothy Koomson

"Libby has a good life with a gorgeous husband and a home by the sea. But over time she is becoming more unsure if Jack has ever loved her - and if he is over the death of Eve, his first wife. When fate intervenes in their relationship, Libby decides to find out all she can about the man she hastily married and the seemingly perfect Eve. But in doing so she unearths devastating secrets. Frightened by what she finds and the damage it could cause, Libby starts to worry that she too will end up like the first woman Jack loved ..."

‘The Woman He Loved Before’ is the latest bestseller by Ghana Rising fave, Dorothy Koomson -and is available from http://www.waterstones.com/

Congratulations to Harriet Kessie and Joseph Cudjoe who celebrated their 10th year of business in May 2011.

(Photos courtesy of Afrotherapy Salon)

Formally Harriet Kessie Hairdressing, Afrotherapy Salon -based in Edmonton, north London is one of the many successful businesses run by young Ghanaians in the UK. Celebrated by fans and publications alike, Harriet, Joseph and team Afrotherapy are at the top of their game –and Ghana Rising would like to take this opportunity to say well done to this successful team.

Afrotherapy Salon
235 Fore Street
London
N18 2TZ
Tel: 0208 3455621
http://www.afrotherapysalon.com/


Note, you can also buy the best in Afro-hair and beauty products including: Mizani, Joico, IMAN Cosmetics and much more from: http://www.afrotherapy.com/

Ghanaian Pioneer: Anton Wilhelm Amo - The first African philosopher to study and teach in European universities…

Amo, Anton Wilhelm (c.1703-56)


The first European-trained African philosopher, Amo pursued a scholarly career in jurisprudence and then in rationalist psychology, logic, and metaphysics. He trained at Halle, Wittenberg and Jena universities, and was influenced by the systems of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Christian von Wolff. While at Halle university, he wrote a pioneering legal dissertation on the application of Roman laws of slavery to Africans in Europe. Subsequently drawn to classical, biblical, and hermetic traditions that apotheosized a cultural continuity with ancient Africa, Amo focused his theoretical and practical concerns on the exterior world of international law and the interior world of deliberative intellectual acts.

The first African philosopher to study and teach in European universities, Anton Wilhelm Amo was born at Axim in Ghana to Nzima parents who were converted to Christianity by Dutch missionaries. Sent to The Netherlands at the age of four for a religious education, Amo was then transferred by representatives of the Dutch West India Company to the service of Anton Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, whose Hapsburg court was the intellectual centre of early Enlightenment Germany. Through the Duke's patronage, which also supported G.W. Leibniz, Amo became proficient in Dutch, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French and German and subsequently trained at the universities of Halle, Wittenberg and Jena in philosophy and jurisprudence.

As a student at Halle of Johann Peter von Ludewig, the Prussian diplomat and legal scholar, Amo prepared a dissertation, De Jure Maurorum in Europa (On the Rights of Moors in Europe) (1729), which utilized Roman law, hermeneutical and historiographical traditions to assert ancient prohibitions against enslaving Africans in Europe. He based his argument on legal rights ostensibly inherited from the early Christian era compacts between the Emperor Justinian and the indigenous kings of Roman north Africa. Amo's dissertation, extant only in digest form, represents one of the earliest scholarly responses to the growing legal dispute over slavery and the status of Africans as aliens in Europe during a period of expanding overseas slave colonies. It reflected the impact of rising African populations in metropolitan Europe and the Holy Roman Empire's disintegrating hegemony. The natural law principles and imperial precedents he employed paralleled those developed in Spain by the legal philosopher and theologian, Francisco de Vitoria, to oppose the 'Astral Empire' that Charles V planned to build, through slavery, at the outset of the New World conquest.

In philosophy, where Amo's interests inclined towards the Enlightenment rationalism of Leibniz and the related system of Christian Wolff, he specialized in pneumatology (rational psychology), logic and metaphysics. In rational psychology, he attempted to reconcile the tensions between Thomistic faculty psychology (see Aquinas, T. §1; Thomism §1) as it focused on the 'free' operations of intellect or will, and the more deterministic empirical psychology rooted in Lockean sensationalism (see Locke, J.) and medical physiology. In logic, he explored the nature of intellective acts such as contemplation, deliberation and reflection. Applying the mathematico-deductive method, Amo adopted precepts from the Port Royal semioticians, from modal logic and syllogistic methods, and from Christian Thomasius's 'practical logic' (see Thomasius, C.). In metaphysics, a religious attraction to the Cistercian, Carmelite and Franciscan spiritual orders immersed him in the study of Aristotle's On the Soul and the church fathers Tertullian and St Augustine, all of whom Amo traced through such modern thinkers as P. Melanchthon, R. Descartes, G.W. Leibniz, J. Le Clerc, and C. Wolff.

As a professor at Halle, Wittenberg and Jena, Amo lectured on topics that included Leibniz's principle of sufficient reason, the political thought of C. Wolff, J. Lorenz Fleischer's theories of the law of nature and the law of nations, and the decimal system. However, his interests were not confined to the formal university curriculum: as a private tutor, he conducted classes on several of the ars hermetica (the occult arts and sciences), including physiognomy, chiromancy, geomancy, natural astrology and decipherment. In 1738 as a member of various learned societies in Europe, including the academy of Flushing in The Netherlands, he published in Latin a compendium of his selected university lectures known as Tractatus de Arte Sobrie et Accurate Philosophandi (A Treatise on the Art of Philosophizing Soberly and Accurately).

After the death of his academic patron, von Ludewig, Amo found his position in German academic and social circles increasingly tenuous and himself subject to racial rebuff. In 1747 he returned to Ghana and changed his profession to the honoured Ashanti vocations of goldsmith and seer. He died there in 1756. Since his philosophical

writings remained largely inaccessible until their recovery and dissemination in the twentieth century, Amo's historical influence lies primarily in his posthumous role in the international antislavery movement, where his example served to vindicate African moral and intellectual capacities. He is also known as a moral and intellectual vindicationist.

(Credit:

http://www.texttribe.com/routledge/A/Amo,%20Anton%20Wilhelm%20(c.1703-56).html)

Hot Website Alert: Ghana Bridal Magazine online..

Goodness knows what I googled but I happily stumbled across this lovely website called Ghana Bridal Magazine online -and I love it.

Honestly I don’t tend to visit Ghanaian bridal anything -as I have a real phobia of these really weird gloves that my Ghanaian sisters like to wear at their weddings. Its sort of a fingerless-hook-on-one-finger-thingy that I can’t abide by -and every bride in Ghana -it seems wears one -why? Anyway I digress, back to the neat, on-trend -Ghana Bridal Magazine online.

Well written, chic and with the most beautiful photographs of the yummiest weddings -Ghana Bridal Magazine online is a must visit. It’s really lovely to have a website that has a clear and precise vision and one that has introduced me to the likes of Italian based Ghanaian fashion designer, Irene Abban (http://www.wix.com/richlover4life/richlover4life) -and the above uber chic wedding of Manhattan based, Kwadwo and Louisa -who got married back home on Labadi beach, Accra (you’ll be pleased to know that there wasn’t a weird glove in sight). The beautiful photographs were taken by American photographer Ross Oscar Knight. A big well done to the ladies at Ghana Bride… you can check out their lovely website at: http://www.ghanabride.com/

P.s Those of you who have gotten to know me, -know that my mind is working over time! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know where they bought the beautiful flowers from in Accra? Who designed this elegant bouquet in Ghana? Or who was behind the decorations, the yummy cake -and most importantly -if they had to ship anything back home to achieve this beautiful ambience. Anyway, God bless this union and give Kwadwo and Louisa all the desires of their heart.. x

(Credit: http://www.ghanabride.com/blog/2009/10/16/wedding-kwado-and-louisa/)

The Perfume Lounge….Big Brands @ Little Prices

Delices de Cartier 50ml EDT Spray -GHc120.00 from The Perfume Lounge, Accra Ghana

**Wow another yummy business in Ghana to get excited about! Launched in October last year, The Perfume Lounge is adding to Ghana’s burgeoning Luxe haven vibe and I for one -I’m uber excited about it. Offering the latest and hottest real perfumes (not that cheap type that people used to buy from that big hair chain shop, to be found in Finsbury Park and smelt like ermm -whatever) -including: Gucci, Just Cavalli, Lolita Lempicka, Calvin Klein, Burberry, Usher, Sean John, D&G, Boss, Hermes, YSL, Cartier and much more -The Perfume Lounge is a must visit. Meaning that we now have less to pack when embarking (yep that’s the only word I can think of) -to Ghana. Plus, because the scents can also be bought online -Auntie Comfort, Auntie Mabel, Auntie Patience, Auntie Sa-Lo-may and the whole of Abandze can now buy their own “Oh-that-is-nice-grab-grab-Delices de Cartier perfume” for only GHc120.00. Also, the good people at The Perfume Lounge are planning to bring the very best in high-end make-up to Ghana very soon and I can’t wait. Contact details are as follow…

The Perfume Lounge
No 1, 11th Lane, Off Oxford Street, Osu.
Tel: +233 302 773206
http://www.theperfumelounge.com/

**Location: From Koala take an immediate right after the Total Filling Station and drive past Citizen Kofi on your left and Merchant Bank & Pill Box on your right and straight down to the end of the road. The Perfume Lounge is in the same building as Blockbuster.

Mission
To bring Ghana Top Brand European Perfumes @ Little Prices. Products
The Perfume Lounge partners with East End Cosmetics, London, to bring Ghana Top Brand European Perfumes @ Little Prices.

Music: Push by Becca featuring King Ayisoba & Trigmatic

Wow a first for Rebecca Acheampong aka Becca on Ghana Rising who latest tune, Push is heating up the airwaves in GH -and features our fave, King Ayisoba, and another new name to our blog, -Trigmatic. I’m liking Becca new look. She looks sleek and on-trend and her natural hairstyle is divine. I’ve also recently found out that Becca is represented by Kiki Banson's EKB Records -a company that I’m afraid (an on going trend in Ghana) -doesn’t have a website. When will these so called music companies/agents in Ghana -up-their-game? I’m guessing that they are happy with their artists just doing Ghana and maybe -Nigeria? As you know, I like to come armed with all the relevant info but I honest to goodness can’t find -where folk can download Becca’s music (a wasted opportunity me thinks)…


P.s if you find the above missing info -do let us know so that we can support our talented sister. xx

Kevin Prince Boateng keeps his promise to perform as Michael Jackson -as AC Milan wins

Photographer: James Barnor's photographs for 60’s Drum magazine…

Title: Colour me beautiful: James Barnor's photographs for Drum magazine

Back in the 1960s, when fashion shoots featuring black models were rare, the Ghanaian photographer James Barnor bucked the trend with his fashion shoots for Drum magazine.  By: Kate Salter  Dated: 07 December 2010

The picture of a young woman leaning against a shiny grey Jaguar was taken in Kilburn, north London, in 1966. The pastel minidress, heavy fringe and costume jewellery feel instantly familiar as belonging to the era, but while we're used to seeing a pallid Twiggy or Penelope Tree striding about London in fashion shoots from the same time, we rarely see images in which the model is black.
The pictures shown here of young women with 1960s-style beehives and miniskirts were shot as fashion stories for Drum , an influential anti-apartheid magazine based in Johannesburg, and Africa's first black lifestyle magazine.

The photographer was James Barnor, a Ghanaian, whose photographs are to form part of an important archive being put together by Autograph ABP, a charity that received a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to build the Archive and Research Centre for Culturally Diverse Photography.

Barnor, now a twinkly-eyed 82-year-old, liked to set his Drum fashion stories against typical London backdrops, such as Tube stations or red telephone boxes.

Erlin Ibreck, the model in the main photograph who was 19 at the time, remembers Barnor asking her to pose in Trafalgar Square while flocks of excited pigeons landed on her. 'I was more nervous about the pigeons than people around us who were staring.'

Some of the models were professional, but Ibreck was someone Barnor spotted in a bus queue at Victoria station. Ibreck was living in Cheshire but visiting her sister, who lived in London. Barnor asked if she would like to be photographed for Drum magazine and eventually she agreed.

Encouraged by Barnor, Ibreck enrolled at the Lucie Clayton modelling school in Manchester, but finding work as a black model in the 1960s was not easy.

'It was very tough as there were very few black models,' she says. 'I was selected by Lucie Clayton to model De Beers diamonds - a South African company, and this was during apartheid. When they discovered that I was black De Beers cancelled the booking and chose a white model.

'That booking would have enhanced my career, so it was a very painful experience to have been rejected on the basis of my colour. This experience made me realise what I was up against.' After two years Ibreck gave up modelling and moved to New York.

Although Barnor says he wasn't consciously attempting to chronicle 'black culture' in England, and was simply taking photographs of things that interested him and the readers of Drum , the effect was, none the less, an optimistic suggestion that these cosmopolitan young African women were part of the exciting new, multicultural society in London that people were talking about.

Barnor's memories of the time seem to be largely positive, and he says he doesn't remember experiencing any overt racism. 'I moved in enlightened circles so I did not have to put up with most of what other black people had to go through, though I did notice when I sat on a bus many people didn't want to sit next to me.'

I ask Barnor if he ever had curious looks from passers-by - a black photographer taking pictures of a black model. He shrugs and says, 'I didn't think of what people thought of me. I just thought about what shot I could get.'

Barnor had come to England in 1959 to study at Medway College of Art in Kent. When he left Ghana he already had a successful career as a portrait photographer with his own studio, and was a well-known photojournalist who documented Ghana's campaign for independence during the 1950s.

In 1953 Barnor opened his Ever Young studio, where people paid to have pictures taken to celebrate occasions such as weddings, parties or new jobs, as in the picture above left of the four proud young nurses in their new uniforms.

The studio was named after a piece of English comprehension Barnor had studied as a boy, which described a princess who stayed young by eating magic apples. It was also something, Barnor says, that alluded to his retouching techniques.

'I learnt to retouch by hand. Long before Photoshop existed you would use a pencil. I would retouch the pictures to make people look younger.' The studio had no running water so Barnor filled buckets from a communal tap for developing his pictures, and, as electricity was expensive, took most of the photographs in the daytime.

In the late 1950s Barnor decided to further his qualifications in England. 'My first impression of London was of all the posters advertising things and the colour and variety. As someone with a visual mind I found it very exciting.

'But it wasn't easy for a black person to do photography. If at all, it would be in the darkroom - backstage, where you don't face the customer or the client. We were excited when we heard of people like David Bailey who were becoming famous. But there wasn't much chance to meet them.'

After 10 years in England Barnor returned to Ghana, where he helped open the first colour-processing laboratory in the country. Twenty-four years later he moved back to London.

For an octogenarian living in sheltered accommodation, the prospect of a first retrospective and inclusion in an important archive has been exciting, and Barnor is clearly delighted at his recent exposure. 'Better late than never,' he says with a smile.


For more info visit: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/galleries/TMG8176562/1/Colour-me-beautiful-James-Barnors-photographs.html


For more info visit: http://autograph-abp.co.uk/

http://www.blogger.com/goog_1666290621


(Credit:http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG8168851/Colour-me-beautiful-James-Barnors-photographs-for-Drum-magazine.html)

Law Firm: Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah ...Ghana

Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah (BE&LA)is a private partnership, incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Ghana. The practice was started by Kojo Bentsi-Enchill as a sole practitioner with 2 associates in 1988, and was incorporated in 1990 when he was joined by Divine Kweku Letsa. Ace Anan Ankomah was elected to the partnership in October 2000. The Firm now has 5 partners (with Seth Asante and Rosa Kudoadzi having been elected as partners in 2003), 3 Senior Associates, 6 Associates and 7 Junior Associates.

MISSION
To excel in client service and contribute to the legal profession and society in general. We tackle challenging projects creatively, conduct legal research and due diligence painstakingly offering fearless representation to our clients. We work hard at getting better by recruiting high calibre professional and administrative staff, developing through continuing legal education, seminars and conferences. We are team players and we believe in meeting deadlines and delivering our work on time. We go the extra mile to ensure that the entire project is successful.

ORGANISATION
The firm has three (3) departments, namely Corporate, Commercial & Real Estate, and Litigation & Dispute Resolution. As a well structured law firm we are committed to providing an unparalleled quality of legal services. With its large and stable professional staff, the firm gives continuous general representation to several corporations spanning all the important areas of corporate law by assigning the appropriate partner and staff person (in terms of skill, experience, interest and cost effectiveness) to each matter. Having sponsored the compilation of a text database of Ghana's reported cases, legislation and law journal articles, by its subsidiary, DataCenta, the firm is in a good position to quickly access all the relevant existing legislation, analyse their import and recommend relevant policies.

Contact Details:
1st Floor Teachers' Hall Complex,
Educational Loop (off Barnes Road),
Adabraka,
PO Box 1632,
Accra,
Greater Accra Region
Ghana
Tel +233 21 221171
Fax +233 21 226129
Email : bel@belonline.org
Website : http://www.belonline.org/


More Info;
Partners: Kojo Bentsi-Enchill, DKD Letsa, Ace A Ankomah, Seth K Asante, Rosalind A Kudoadzi (Mrs), Susan-Barbara Adjorkor Kumapley (Mrs)

Senior Associates: Angela Gyasi, Daad Akwesi (Mrs)

Associates: Abraham Agbozo, Egya Jallow, Kwesi Fynn, Gloria Cofie, Regina Asiedu Mante, Golda Denyo, Adams Alhassan, Vanessa Darko, Clara Kasser-Tee (Mrs.), Yaa Dankwa Ampadu-Sackey, Hawa Tejansie Ajei (Mrs), Raymond Dornyoh, Nana Ama Adoma

Junior Associates: Hanifa Yahaya, Abena Ayensu, Emmanuel Mate Kole, Rev Charles Appiah Tandoh, Abena Amponsah Buansi, Josiah Kojo Ankoma-Sey, Sandra Baffoe-Bonnie, Seyram Dzikunu, James Fokuoh, Godwin Mensah Sackey, Nana Efua Hackman, Nana Adoma Osei, Veronica Dogbey, Kuukua Andam, Nania Owusu Ankomah

Number of partners worldwide: : 5

Number of other lawyers worldwide: : 23

THE FIRM: The firm advises international and local corporations, as well as financial institutions on all legal and regulatory aspects of investment, corporate finance and business in Ghana. The firmhas extensive experience in designing tax and corporate structures that achieve client objectives within the framework of local laws, regulations and practices. The firm is experienced in handling project financing, and has a strong track record in capital markets work, energy, telecommunications, and mining projects. Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah practices in association with Denton Wilde Sapte, the global law firm based in London and maintains close links with Udoma and Belo-Osagie in Nigeria. The firm is the Ghana member of Lex Mundi, the prestigious international association of independent law firms, and the Ghana member of Lex Africa.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE: Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah handled several major transactions, including: providing Ghanaian law advice on a US$810 million and US$150 million syndicated loan facilities to Ghana Cocoa Board; acted as consultant to the International Financial Corporation on the drafting of a Collateral Security Bill; advised Central African Gold Plc in connection with the acquisition, transfer and assignment of Anglogold Ashanti’s Bibiani Mine to Central African Gol Plc; advised British American Tobacco Investments BV in relation to an offer to the minority shareholders of British American Tobacco Ghana Limited; advised Ghana Oil Company Limited on its IPO; advised British American Tobacco Ghana Limited on its delisting from the Ghana Stock Exchange; advised Credit Suisse on securities and derivatives transactions in Ghana; advised Morgan Stanley on securities and derivatives transactions in Ghana; advised the International Development Corporation on a US$20.5 million loan facility for the construction of a hotel in Ghana; advised OPIC on a US$30 million mortgage finance loan to Ghana Home Loans; advised Stanbic Bank Ghana Limited/Standard Bank London on a US$30 million loan facility to the Bulk Oil Storage Limited.

MAIN INTERNATIONAL AREAS OF PRACTICE: The firm advises on project finance, loan and equity investments, privatisation, tax, mergers and acquisitions, commercial litigation, IT, real estate, energy, mining and natural resources, aviation, shipping and insurance, and trusts. Through its subsidiary, Trustee Services Ltd, the firm has the capacity to advise on due diligence and company secretarial services.
LANGUAGES: English and French.

CLIENTS
The firm’s client base includes a range of international and local corporations and financial institutions. These include Samsung Corporation, IFC, KBC Ltd, Chevron, Standard Chartered Bank, Fortis Bank, Iroko Securities, Hutchison Whampoa, Opic, Stanbic Bank, Standard Bank London, J P Morgan, Iroko Securities and Goldman Sachs.

The beginning of the ARTISTS ALLIANCE GALLERY goes back into the late sixties, when a young lecturer (Ablade Glover) of the Kwame Nkrumah university of Science and Technology in Ghana, envisioned a home for the fine arts in Ghana and a launching pad to plant contemporary African Art on the World’s Art Arena.


It started as GLO ART GALLERY in 1968 and collapsed in less than five years because, like the absent farmer, GLOVER was not personally attending to his “crops” due to further studies overseas. Undeterred he went on together with another art enthusiast to lay the foundation for the ART-ALLIANCE that was caught by the then Ghana’s revolutionary storm thus rendering it a still born.

With the support and encouragement from his wife EWURASI, the family embarked upon building an art gallery at Nungua. The building was completed and opened in March 1993. Then came the local TRAFFIC-JAM which virtually collapsed the venture. Undaunted, they started making other plans. And this, a three level building to showcase the finest AFRICAN ART under one roof was born . It was officially opened on the 8th of January, 2008 by his Excellency Busumuro Kofi Annan.

VISION AND MISSION
The stage is now set for embarking on a mission of opening a significant window on contemporary African Art onto the world with a vision of weaving African Contemporary Art into the World Art Tapestry. What you see when you enter this site and our gallery in Ghana is a potpourri of all sorts from various characters with varied background. Male and female, young and old, the celebrated and the virtually unknown artist, etc. To complete the scenario, we have also added the traditional and pseudo-traditional practitioners of the arts all in an effort to demonstrate the long continuum, from the traditional to the contemporary- the big picture of African Traditional and Contemporary Art.

Our objective is to provide a source to African art. “Buying art direct from the artist". Our mission is to provide Art connoisseurs with authentic African Art and services of superior value to our customers worldwide.

We invest a great deal of time and commitment to ensure that the artists and artwork we present are authentic, fairly priced, and created with high quality materials to ensure their longevity.

Our business practices are geared towards the establishment of long-term relationships with artists, individual customers, corporate clients, gallery directors, art collectors and patrons.

Art & Furniture: Beautiful wrought iron sculptures and furniture by Accents & Art Limited, Ghana

**I don’t know where to start with sculptor Constance E. Swaniker’s never ending talents. Ms Swaniker and team at Accents-Art, can it seems -do anything. High-end shop fixtures, beautiful garden furniture, sculptured pieces for indoors and outdoors, trendy mirrors, statement furniture for any environments, burglar proof window and door screens, exotic lanterns, candle holders, statement gates, commissioned works of art, fabulous balustrades, children’s furniture and much more can all be commissioned. Using, “a unique combination of exotic hard woods, wrought iron, cane and glass with an emphasis on exclusivity”, team Accents-Art’s pieces offer interior connoisseurs a host of creative possibilities. For more information visit: http://www.accents-art.com/

More Info
Accents & Art Limited is a fully Ghanaian owned company founded in May, 2000 by Constance E. Swaniker as a sole proprietorship and registered as a limited liability company in November, 2009.

Through our office, production facility and showroom located in Bubiashie, a suburb of Accra, we have strived over the years to realize our clients’ aspirations using a unique combination of exotic hard woods, wrought iron, cane and glass with an emphasis on exclusivity.

With our select group of artisans, we pay careful attention to minute details, giving our pieces a quality look and feel comparable to global standards.

Over the past eleven years, our journey has been one of creative exploration towards satisfying the very real Ghanaian appetite for quality yet affordable practical home and office furnishing.

Today, we have established ourselves as a symbol of timeless craftsmanship with an unlimited selection of traditional and contemporary design choices, high-end finishes, along with top of the line organization, customer service and quality.

Accomplishments
After eight years of being in existence, AA has been a household name; we have carved a niche in metal art and wrought iron furniture in the industry. With finesse and style, we have created a whole new experience of wrought iron and art in Ghana; our products speak for themselves.

In 2007 and 2008, we were featured on various TV programmes – Reuters News Agency, MNet’s Studio 53, TV Africa’s Obaa Mbo and TV3’s Today’s Woman & M’Asem. This has served as a means of selling ourselves to the rest of the world and at the same time inspiring the youth as well as up-and-coming entrepreneurs. We have also been featured in local newspapers (Graphic Showbiz & The Daily Graphic), international newspapers – Business & Financial Times - and magazines.

In August 2008, we received an award for ‘Outstanding Industrial Metal furniture firm in Ghana’ by the Women Artists in Africa (wAi Africa).

As part of its social responsibility, AA organizes periodic clean-ups and tree-planting exercises in neighboring communities and schools. In addition to this, every year AA takes on students from the tertiary institutions to provide them with a hands-on experience of their courses.

Economic Update: Ghana: Rising to the challenge

 ** I stumbled across this via Oxford Business Group.com and just had to share...its all good..

Dated: 10 May 2011
An economy in full growth brings myriad benefits to a country but does have the potential to strain existing resources and infrastructure – as Ghana is finding out. Increasing urbanisation, combined with a rise in primary sector activity and planned industrial expansion have emphasised the need for additional electricity generation capacity in Ghana, prompting the government to adopt a multi-pronged approach to boost supply.

Demand for power has been steadily increasing over the past few years, climbing from an average peak of just over 1200 MW at the start of the decade to 1423 MW by the end of 2009. Moreover, Ghana’s power plants are driven either by water or oil, both of which are volatile resources in terms of either availability or price. This has prompted the country to ensure a minimum reserve margin of 20%, adding to the need for capacity.

As such, Ghana has embarked on an expansion programme targeting the nation’s publicly managed capacity, which is controlled by the Volta River Authority (VRA), along with further encouraging the involvement of independent power producers (IPPs). In total, more than 1500 MW of new electricity capacity is set to come on-line over the next five years. Some 952 MW of this will be overseen by the VRA and the remainder by independents.

Among the VRA-led projects, the Bui Hydro Power Project is the most prominent, adding an estimated 400 MW of capacity and increasing total hydroelectric capacity to 1580 MW. Chinese construction company Sino Hydro is overseeing construction of the dam in partnership with the VRA. Delivery is scheduled for July this year and power supplies to the grid are expected to begin in the first quarter of next year.

The VRA is also expanding its thermal capacity. Canadian engineering firm Magellan Aerospace Corporation expects to deliver a 132-MW dual capability thermal plant before the end of this year. Similarly, Takoradi International, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi National Energy and the VRA, has recently signed an agreement to expand its 220-MW single-cycle plant in Aboadze, near the eastern coastal town of Takoradi, into a 330-MW combined-cycle facility. Delivery is expected in 2014.

Furthermore, inroads are being made to increase power generation from renewable sources. Over the next three years Ghana is aiming to add 110 MW to its grid through wind and solar projects. There are also plans on the table for the construction bioenergy facilities. The most advanced plan concerns the construction of a €2m Jatropha project to be built in the northern part of Ghana and financed by the EU. The project will take five years to complete and would use infertile lands in the area to cultivate Jatropha plants. Similarly, various sites in the country’s sparsely populated Northern Region have been identified for wind and solar farms that will alleviate the need to connect remote regions to the national grid.

Although these projects are a big step in the right direction, more will be needed, particularly given Ghana’s ambitions to ramp up aluminium production. Since its establishment in the 1970s, state-owned Volta Aluminium Company has competed for power supplies with residential demand. As the latter increased, this lead to a gradual downsizing of the plant’s operations over the past decade, and full suspension in March 2010. However, as of January this year the government has restarted production at 20% of the plant’s capacity, and is in discussions with the VRA to ensure there are sufficient energy supplies for a full reopening.

Although less than 40% of the planned additional capacity will come from independents, Ghana is keen to further encourage investments by IPPs. According to Stephen Adu, the executive director of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, the country is likely to see increasing involvement from IPPs going forward. “The sector has improved tremendously in the last few years. You don’t need to have friends in high places to get anywhere anymore, and in my mind the situation is ripe for more investment,” he declared at a recent public event.

A much-cited concern among IPPs is electricity rates, which are seen as too low to offset the volatile cost structure of fuel-driven thermal plants. As a result, the country is reassessing its electricity tariff structure.

Following an 89% rise in June last year, more rate hikes are expected. As Kweku Andoh Awotwi, the VRA’s CEO, told OBG, “If we really want a market that signals investment, it must be at a marginal cost.”

Besides increasing rates, Ghana is keen to reduce generation costs. In an initial phase, VRA-monitored plants will benefit from regional and domestic natural gas supplies. From July this year around 123m cu feet per day of compressed gas is scheduled to flow through the West African Gas Pipeline, which runs from Nigeria to Benin, Togo and Ghana, supplying VRA’s thermal plants in Takoradi and Tema. In addition, Ghana’s offshore gas supplies are estimated to bring in another 60m to 113m cu feet per day.

With Ghana’s economic growth ramping up – the IMF has predicted GDP will expand by 13% this year, driven by oil production – the need to increase the supply of electricity has come to the fore. In an effort to secure cost-effective self-sufficiency in power, diversification of sources seems imminent and industry hopes are fixed on higher rates and less volatile fuels, such as natural gas. With regional supplies secured, the prospects for installed generation capacity and independent projects alike look bright.

Credit: http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/economic_updates/ghana-rising-challenge

New from ILL-LA-LA Designs…Shell shaped bags

Sheila Denanyoh’s ILL-LA-LA Designs are always a hit, especially across the pond and now she’s introduced some delectable shell shaped bags to her youthfully on-trend collection. The above bag is called Pearl and is part of ILL-LA-LA Designs’ new Kotoku collection and is priced at $46.25. For more info or to purchase to above visit: http://illlaladesigns.bigcartel.com/

Fashion: JayDee Suits are made to fit you -perfectly

“As online men’s stores are steadily rising, the suit apparel becomes more impersonal in its style and quality. The idea behind Jaydee Suits is to offer a well fitted suit the same service and quality that is normally provided at a considerably higher cost. Such privileges include personal measuring, individual consulting and personal suit deliveries, just to name a few. The focus of JayDee Suits is to find the right balance of a design and cut that compliments the look of the client rather than predominate it.” JayDeeSuits

**I remember when menswear was boring falling into two segments, the cheap ill fitting ready-to-wear or the uber expensive and uber exclusive Savile Row suit…boy times have changed! A pioneer of the elegantly made-to-measure suit, Jay Dee Suits offer the savvy man-about-town the perfect fitting suits and coats including: tuxedos, classic blazer style coats, three button collarless jackets, classic pinstripe suits and contemporary slim fitting suits, -without the need to re-mortgage your house. Prices start from $220 (within Germany) and $280 (internationally. To enquire about the above looks visit: http://www.jaydeesuits.com/


More Information
Born into a family that already has its foot in the Tailoring business in Ghana, West Africa, Joyce was inherited with the passion for designing clothes from early on.
She began her career in Fashion Design when she joined a school for tailoring after German high school. After a few years as a pattern tailor she attended a renowned Fashion Grad School in Duesseldorf, Germany’s most important Fashion metropolis.
When asked why she turned away from the commercial fashion business, she says “Most designers focus on clients that rather spend lots of money on brands than on uniqueness. I always wanted to dress those who cared about individuality, even if that means that my name would never make in any Fashion magazine.”
After graduating as a Fashion Designer in 1996, she soon became aware of the difficulty for some members US organizations such as Masonic Lodges and the NAACP to fit the European suit cut. Thus, she focused on developing clothes that would reconsider these problems.
At first she focused on female apparel but soon she discovered her passion for designing men suits. “Women judge men by the way they dress, and, trust me, there’s nothing more admiring for us than seeing a man in a perfectly fitted suit.”
She soon built up a large cliental of people who ordered their custom-made suits from her, often just approaching her with an idea on their mind or a page out of a Fashion magazine. “When I design a black business suit for a client, I make sure it represents him and not somebody else”, she says. “Meeting the client personally gives me the opportunity to get a feeling for his preferences and his body shape, often in less than five minutes.”
In 2008, Joyce introduced her own suit collection, dedicated to the sophisticated men of Jazz. Next to promoting her own suit line and providing her service as a Tailor and Designer, she designs uniforms for Masonic Lodges and other fraternity groups.
She is currently working on her second collection and an exclusive female suit line, which is planned to be introduced by spring 2011. http://www.jaydeesuits.com/

Tullow Oil lists its Ghana listing and share offer!! Offer of 4,000,000 shares open to everyone in Ghana....

**I’m thinking of buying some shares for my little Jojo… I’m guessing that as I’m not in Ghana right-now, that my daddy will have to do it? Anyway the following is more info. Remember to visit Tullow Oil plc's actual website at the bottom of this piece for more details. xx

MORE INFO..
 

"Tullow has a long- term dedication to Ghana and listing on the Ghana Stock Exchange (the "GSE") is one excellent way to demonstrate our commitment. Also as Africa’s leading independent oil company, it is an indication of the value we place on the communities in which we operate and the larger Ghanaian public as investors in our business.


We also believe that an offer of Tullow Shares on the GSE will give everyone in Ghana the opportunity to own shares in our company and share in our future."  http://www.tullowoil.com/

TimetableTues 31 May -Plans for a secondary listing on the Ghana Stock Exchange announced
Mon 13 June -Commencement of Tullow Share Offer
Mon 4 July -End of Tullow Share Offer
Wed 27 July -First day of trading on the Ghana Stock Exchange

How to apply
1. How much are the Tullow Oil plc shares?
The Tullow shares will be offered at a price in Ghana Cedis (GHS) to be announced on 13 June 2011.

2. Do I have to apply for a minimum number of shares?
Investors must apply for a minimum of three Tullow Oil plc shares.

3. When and where can I apply for the shares?
During the offer period which will run from 13 June 2011 until 04 July 2011, both dates inclusive. You can apply from any of the following authorised receiving agents:

IC Securities (Ghana) Limited
2, 2nd Ridge Link
North Ridge
PMB GP104
Accra
Tel: +233 (0) 302 252623
Email: tullowshareoffer@icsecurities.com

Any branch of Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited;
Selected branches of Agricultural Development Bank; or
The office of any licensed dealing member of the Ghana Stock Exchange. A full list of details is provided in the contacts section of the Tullow Oil Ghana Listing website.

4. What happens when I get there?
You will be required to complete and sign an application form, which will be provided to you when you arrive at the office of the authorised receiving agent. You will need to take one of the following valid forms of identification with you.

For individuals, a valid form of identification will be any of: a national passport; a driver’s licence; and a voter’s ID card. If you are applying to buy Tullow Oil plc shares on behalf of a minor (i.e. someone under the age of 18) then you must submit valid IDs for the minor. For this purpose, a valid ID constitutes a national passport and a birth or baptismal certificate of the minor.

For organisations, institutions, clubs or other bodies registration documents, Registrar General’s Form A or Form 3 or a duly executed resolution will suffice.

5. Do I have to pay in Ghana Cedis and can I pay by cheque?
Yes, you have to pay in Ghana Cedis. You can pay by cash, cheque or bank transfer. If you pay by cheque or bank transfer, then your application form will only be deemed accepted when your payment has cleared and so you should apply well in advance of the offer closing date and ensure you have the appropriate funds in your account at the time of submitting your application form.

6. What else should I preferably have in order to buy the Tullow Oil plc shares?
An email address – Having an email address will make it easier for Tullow Oil plc to communicate with you once you have become a shareholder. Through your email address you may receive public announcements, trading updates, annual reports and notices to shareholder meetings.

A bank account – Having a bank account, and putting your bank details on the application form, will make it easier for Tullow Oil plc to pay your dividends to you whenever such payments are being made.

A GSD account – All trading on the Ghana Stock Exchange is done through the Ghana Stock Exchange Securities Depository ("GSD"). As such, buyers and sellers of shares on the Ghana Stock Exchange must have a GSD account in order to be able to trade. If you would like to open a GSD account, you will need to fill in the relevant part of the share application form to do so or visit the office of any licensed dealing member of the Ghana Stock Exchange with any of the valid forms of identification described above.

7. What should I do if I need more information?
Contact IC Securities (Ghana) Limited, the Sponsoring Broker who can be reached at:

IC Securities (Ghana) Limited
2, 2nd Ridge Link
North Ridge
PMB GP104
Accra
Tel: +233 (0) 302 252623
Email: tullowshareoffer@icsecurities.com

For more info visit: http://www.tullowoil.com/

Urgent Fraud Alert: In Ghana we call it SAKAWA, in Nigeria it’s called 419 –I’m sick of it…..

Status: Message successfully sent


To:

Cc:

Subject: Re: URGENT REPLY.

Me: I’m going public with this information. I’m soooo sick and tired of sick and greedy people like you emailing me. When will this sickness stop?


Black Star magazine is the long-awaited bi-annual fashion & lifestyle glossy aimed at ABC1 women and men of Ghanaian origin founded by Paulina Opoku-Gyimah, a fashion journalist/blogger/stylist with over ten years experience in the fashion industry. Paulina has contributed to numerous publications including: Elle Magazine UK, TIME (Warner), The Sunday Times Style Magazine and Star Magazine, -worked on numerous films and music videos and is the go-to person for quotes/information concerning the Ghanaian: luxury market, emerging middle-class, fashion, celebrity and popular culture et al.

Covering the latest in fashion, beauty, hair, celebrity interviews, travel, culture, business, social news and property as well as a comprehensive business directory, Black Star will provide a platform for businesses and individuals wishing to reach this emerging community both in Ghana and in the Diaspora.

Sponsorship and advertising opportunities exist for both Black Star magazine and the Black Star website, offering discerning established or emerging brands a unique platform to reach this aspirational, cultured and successful community. For more details about Black Star magazine, sponsorship and advertising opportunities kindly email: info@blackstarmagazine.co.uk

This e-mail and its attachments are intended for the above named recipient only, are confidential and may be privileged. If you are not the named addressee, you are not authorised to retain, read, copy or disseminate this message or any part of it. If you receive this transmission in error, please notify info@blackstarmagazine.co.uk and then delete this e-mail. As Internet communications are not secure we do not accept neither legal responsibility for the contents of this message nor responsibility for any change made to this message after the original sender sent it. The contents or opinions contained within this e-mail are solely those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of Black Star magazine unless otherwise specifically stated. Whilst we use a professional email scanning service, we advise you to carry out your own virus check before opening any attachment as we cannot accept liability for any damage sustained as a result of any software viruses. E-mails sent to Black Star magazine may be monitored to ensure compliance with our internal policies and to protect our business.


Faker: On Tue 31/05/11 10:59 AM , Prince Williams Asakuma princewillamsasakuma@gmail.com sent:

Kind Attention,

I am Prince Willams Asakuma, From Benin i have 1000Kgs of gold that i have load for shipment to my client in Germany but final he was murdered by some of his partner, and this gold is gong to be on sea in next 5-10 days.

I will like to know if you can help and sell this gold in your country, and this gold cost 28.000 per Kg and i have 1000kgs load on a container now, if you can help get back to me with your company full details.

See more details of the gold.

Purity: 99.22%

Origin: Benin Du Republic

Price per Kg: Us$ 28.000

Total Kg loaded: 1000 kg

Total Invoice cost: US$ 28,000,000

Please kindly contact me immediately so that we can sign agreement that you will pay me once you sell this gold.

Thanks
Prince Williams Asakuma
Email: princewillamsasakuma@gmail.com
Tel: +229-99643087
Fax: +229 226 3168


ME: I'm sooooo sick of this *$%£@