The past one year in the Ghanaian music industry has seen quite a dramatic turn of events from Shatta Wale and his management especially after the 14th edition of the Ghana Music Awards when the artist lost out on an award he believes he deserved and it seems the same drama is about being replicated as the same individual and his manager have started again.
In as much as I wish I could keep mute on the drama exhibited by the self-acclaimed dancehall King in Africa, Shatta Wale and his management headed by Bulldog, I am tempted to say all things that have a beginning have an end therefore these mind games and somehow “stupidity” must stop!!!
It is an indisputable fact that Shatta Wale was the most talked about Ghanaian artist of 2014 thanks to the supposed rift between himself and Samini that got him going. His ‘going’ was however not only based on the rift as he did a great job by virtually releasing a single each day throughout the year, something he still does even though most of the songs are of poor sound quality from my point as a radio DJ. This got him a large and unreasonable following which any artist could have within a very short time.
Shatta Wale since then has become a god worshipped by many who will swallow everything he says hook, line and sinker and would also back anything he does without ‘reasoning’. I don’t think true fans do that. True fans who wish your continuous success will tell you in the face if you are messing up but NO!! That’s not for the fans of Shatta Wale.
After the disappointment at the 14th Edition of the Ghana Music Awards, we all know the outcome and how Shatta Wale went about insulting virtually everybody who said anything that sounded awkward to what his fans and the ones around him would tell him. Birds of the same feather, we say, flock together and as such I’m tempted to think they think along the same line.
Now fast forward to the 15th Edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.
Prior to the awards, Shatta Wale had taken to Facbook to explain why he was not attending the prestigious event where he had been nominated for several awards including the biggest one on the night, Artist of the year. The reason being that, Charterhouse, organizers of the event turned down his demanded GH¢70,000 to performance on the night. This then resulted in if no performance, then I’m not appearing at the event for the awards.
I was however surprised when an artist who had promised not to make an appearance at the awards found it right to be there after he had been announced winner of the artist of the year to cause total traffic. The funniest bit is when he kept singing the very first song he released after the 2013 edition of the Ghana Music Awards, Letter to Charterhouse which sought to say he never needed any award from the same organizers. Who does that?
Quite characteristic of Shatta Wale, the dancehall King drops another song, Letter to Charterhouse Chapter 2 two days after the event thanking the organizers for the awards. Which kind of hypocrisy and stupidity is this?
I was even shocked when at the introduction the song, the artist says “Ei, I just wake up wey I hear this news oo”. Really? So did he not know he had won the artist of the year and the popular song of the year? So what led him to the event grounds and the reason for singing “Letter to Charterhouse Chapter 2” when he appeared at the Accra International Conference Center?
Watch video of Shatta Wale appearing at AICC after the event.
Enough said on the songs and all that. Now to the ‘strange’ woman who took the awards on behalf of the artist at the Ghana Music Awards.
Recent updates indicate that the manager of the artist, Bulldog who would jump at the least opportunity to keep his artist’s name in the press and get us talking about him has indicated his team is yet to identify the ‘strange’ woman who took the awards on their behalf. Did they care after all? The awards were of no essence to them so why fret over who ever took it? The award was taken by the ‘strange’ woman who needed it and that should be enough.
Read a piece culled from News-One on the ‘strange’ woman and why Shatta Wale made an appearance at the AICC after the event;
NEWS-ONE contacted Shatta’s manager, Bull Dog, to confirm the identity of the lady but he said they do not know her.
“My brother, we don’t know her. We were watching from home when we saw her going on stage to pick the award and say she is a lover of the SM family and was taking the award on our behalf. But honestly, we do not know her. I could have been there myself to pick on his behalf but as I said there were issues we could not reach a compromise on.”
We were watching it at home when our lights went off, so we moved to Osu to eat and we were eating not far from the stadium so it was on our way home that we used the road in front of the venue and his fans saw him.
“We could not disrespect them so Shatta had to wave and so on. They asked why he was not present and he explained the two issues to them. They understood and that was it,” Bull added.
Well, quite a good explanation I guess.
Lest I forget, the strategy and approach by Shatta Wale and his team have worked perfectly well but must also take note that a lot of Ghanaians just like myself have “our eyes opened” now just as Shatta Wale tells Charterhouse in his new song.
I believe it is time the concert stopped but I’m scared if the said artist would still find a very solid feet should he stop the particular approach he and his management adopted. Well, it is never illegal to play mind games with people to achieve what you want though.
If you took time to read this piece, thank you and I need your critical opinions and not the ‘hater’ tag.
