Big Ben Productions Make Strides

The Poolside of the Coconut Groove Regency Hotel in Accra was a scene for laughter and groove when 21 young ladies and guys in their early twenties mounted the stage to entertain the audience. Ghana Television (GTV) captured it live for its viewers.

It was the beginning of the search and talent hunt for one musical star of the future and one comedy icon also of the future, a GTV and charterhouse reality television series seeking to bring out the talents hidden in Ghanaian youth.

At about 8 p.m., last Friday, a total of 21 contestants made up of those competing in the musical and comedy categories were introduced.


Each of them was given the opportunity to showcase their individual talents in terms of singing a musical piece from R-kelly, Celine Dion or from the Dion Warwick collections, while the comedy icon contestants subjected the audience to a marathon of laughter from their comedy pieces.

Raymond Osei Safo, a 23-year-old took the stage within three minutes to render the piece "I can be your hero," while William Prince Amuni Dery played the song "Let me love you by" Dion Warwick.

Rubby Asamoah also played "I surrender," by Ceiling Deon with Jane Awindor rendering the gospel piece" It is well with my soul."

The other contestants, namely Jemima Annor-Yeboah, Tony Simpson, Emmanuel Asante, Seth Adam, Victoria, Fredricka Safo-Asante, Irene Logan, Salome and Sealastica in the musical star category.

Then came the turn of the comedy icons who featured Francis Osei Bonsu, 23, a final year drama student of the School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana and David Oscar, as well as Kojo, Kelvin, Herbert and Forster.

What thrilled the audience the most was when one of the comedy icon contestants told a joke of how former President Rawlings and current President John Agyekum Kufuor were put in the boxing ring with Kofi Wayo as the referee.

Another joke was about the Ugandan former dictator Iddi Amin who visited the USA and received a presidential red carpet at the White House.

The musical star of the future and comedy icon is a reality TV show which will run for the next three weeks to determine the winners in each of the categories.

It is Ghana?s equivalent of South Africa?s reality TV series Big Brother Africa.

A cash prize of 5,000 dollars, assorted LG Electronics home appliances, beauty and hair products as well as other benefits will go to the winners each of the musical star and comedy icon of the future.

Acting Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) Director, Yaw Owusu Addo, who was the special guest of the launching of the talent hunt for musical and comedy talents, said GBC was now a born-again old things are passed away and all things become new.

""We are determined to be a part and parcel of modern trends in television," he said adding that, "tonight?s show should tell you what we are here to do to make GTV viewing an interesting enterprise.

Somotex Ghana Limited General Manager, Ajay K. Sharma, whose company is one of the sponsors of the reality series, said his company would continue to identify with all good things as their slogan clearly depicts, "LG, life is good."

During the search, Chartered House registered 700 individuals who turned up at the various auditioning centre throughout the regions.

Twenty-one out of the number succeeded to the final stage.