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Music of Friday, 29 March 2013

Source: Ebenezer Narh Affum-Flexghana

What are the chances of Cwesi Oteng in the VGMA`s

Frankly enough, each day, I get disappointed when I go through the nomination list for the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.

The nomination list is fraught with so many inconsistencies. I only hope that these inconsistencies do not tarnish the hard-earned credibility and glamour enjoyed by the awards over the years.

For the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, the nominees for Gospel Album of the Year award are Obaapa Christy's ''Back to Sender'', Cynthia McCauley 's ''Wait”, Nicholas Omane Acheampong's '' Zaphanat Paneah'', Cwesi Oteng's ''Mercy Project'' and Joe Dee Owusu's ''Christian Life''.

These five artistes are looking forward to pick up the Gospel Album of the Year award but even though I have keenly followed the music scene in Ghana, I am finding it extremely difficult to make a prediction.

Why do I even worry myself trying to make a prediction when it seems like the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards organizers have already chosen a winner?

Just consider the Album of the Year award category and the nominees. We have albums of E.L, Okyeame Kwame, D Black, Asem and Cwesi Oteng nominated. Do you realize the similarity between the nominees for Gospel Album of the Year category and that of Album of the Year category?

Without much difficulty, you realize that it is only Cwesi Oteng's ''Mercy Project'' which got nominated in both the Gospel Album of the Year and Album of the Year award categories? What does this mean to you? Does it mean that of all the albums nominated for Gospel Album of the Year, Cwesi Oteng's ''Mercy Project'' stands out as the best?

Quite obviously, if Cwesi Oteng's ''Mercy Project'' is the only Gospel album which earned a nomination for the Album of the Year award, then it means that album is the best so far as Gospel music is concerned.

What then happens if a different Gospel album wins the award for the Gospel Album of the Year? Can we conclude that, the album has been unfairly dealt with as it wasn't even considered for the Album of the Year award?

Based on the observations I have made, I would not be surprised if Cwesi Oteng indeed wins the Gospel Album of the Year award. However, if he does not win, then we would all have good reasons to conclude that members of the Award Categorization Committee did not really do a good job.

I have made my concerns known and would want to lay down my ''diabolic'' pen for more work ahead.

For now, I hope Charterhouse would be bold enough to come out and clear the air with respect to my concerns. I rest my case.