Fantana’s statement on sanitary pad ‘free show’: A limping defense?

Even before major online news portals could file reports on how Fantana showed the world her sanitary pad during her abysmal performance at Shatta Wale’s ‘Reign Concert’ held at the Fantasy Dome and Obrafour’s ‘Back To Taifa’ show, social media, as expected, was buzzing with comments as people expressed utmost shock and disappointment over the unfortunate incident.

The resounding backlash gained momentum after publications which detailed how the artiste, who had a very short, transparent, straight dress, gyrated and twerked to the audience while singing off-key.

In her quest to rationalize the incident, Fantana under the guidance of her management, BlownGH, has offered an explanation while expressing disappointment in websites which made the publications.

“Despite a lot of awareness going on and efforts by the UNDP to end this discrimination and abuse against young girls and women I was surprised to see some bloggers and a section of the media high light and body shame me because I refused to let my menses stop me from performing when I felt it coming 30 minutes before I went on stage last Saturday at the fantasy dome,” a statement from the singer, issued on Monday, October 21, 2019 read.

“Regardless of my costume being transparent, my only option was to put on a sanitary pad and still go ahead to perform. I am a woman and I’m not ashamed of menstruating.”

  

It will not be out of place to commend Fantana for taking the bold step to entertain her fans even in that condition. To be fair, it is possible some people were there purposely to watch her performance and go home afterwards – for whatever reason.

But same cannot be said of the press statement and how the menstrual situation was handled. It rather exposes the management and their artiste.

For starters, it is very interesting to note that management of Fantana made her perform when they knew her state, thirty minutes to her performance, considering the implications of menstruation which includes mood swing and cramps. By allowing your artiste to mount the stage, you do her a great disservice as you expose her to a large crowd that may not know her condition and even care less about it if they knew. They are there to be entertained; not to sympathize with you!



Granted Fantana was eager to entertain her fans, which she evidently failed, could she not have performed without twerking and gyrating when she knew things could fall apart and the centre may not hold? How do you comfortably twerk in a short, transparent dress when you have your sanitary pad on?



What is more startling is how Fantana used the same dress for both Fantasy Dome and Taifa performances even when comments flooded various social media platforms right after the first performance at the Reign Concert – most of whom tagged the artiste and her managers. Perhaps, they should be given the benefit of the doubt that they had their mobile phone data turned off.

Whether they received notifications or not, what is evident is, management looked on for Fantana to perform at the second concert in her short, sweaty dress. Just to serve as a reminder, King Promise, a male artiste, on December 28, 2018, performed at Detty Rave (La Palm Royal Beach Hotel) and Stonebwoy’s ‘Fill Da Dome’ with different attires.

Clearly, BlownGH and Fantana could have done better!