Mzbel versus Charterhouse; Round 1

Please leave me out,” is the cry of Mzbel to Charterhouse, organizers of the much-anticipated annual Ghana Music Awards. “Sorry, we can’t leave you out whether you like it or yes.” is the reply from the organizers. The Ghana Music Awards was initiated in 2000 or  sometime around 2000 to award Ghanaian musicians for their hard work and success within stipulated years, and the awards show has grown from awards night to a festival and then back to awards night.

The organizers made it into  a week-long festival with special days for gospel show, highlife show and Industry awards due to its growing popularity but lack of sponsorship and patronage by the public compelled them to revert to just the awards night.

Mzbel is undoubtedly the highest selling female hiplife artiste in Ghana now and she wants her name to be scrapped out from the nominations and subsequent voting process.

Since making her feelings known, Mzbel has taken the flack from all quarters. Some are condemning her, others are supporting her call and others are nonchalant.

If fundamental human right is anything to lean on, then the lady has every right to make that call. Regardless of her reasons for wanting to opt out of the awards, she still has a valid point. Come to think of it, what has she got to lose?

She won’t get a car for getting nominated and she would definitely not get a house for winning a Ghana Music Award. Her name would be used to publicize the event, her pictures would be used in making the awards newsletter and her picture might probably be printed on the tickets. When nominated, her fans would vote for her via the SMS that generates money for Charterhouse and MTN. Her name and image would be used for the awards and if someone says Mzbel don’t have a right to request for omission, then I don’t know where the fellow is coming from.

I also get to hear the argument that winning a Ghana Music Award enhances your resume or CV. What resume or CV? MC Hammer was virtually the best among his peers in the late 80’s and early 90’s, and he won many awards but the man filed for bankruptcy years ago.

His many awards should have saved him from bankruptcy but it did not. Teddy Riley is the one of the all-time best producers and the front man for R&B group Blackstreet. He has produced hits for Blackstreet, Toni Braxton, Boys 2 Men and Toni Braxton, and has won numerous awards but Teddy is facing bankruptcy and is planning to sell his famous studio. His numerous awards are not saving him, are they? And his enriched CV is not saving him either.

In as much as Mzbel has a valid point, her reasons for wanting out of this year’s awards are flippant. Her complaints: whenever she’s nominated, panel members on Entertainment Review on Peace FM, Entertainment Hall at Asempa FM, Megahits on JOY FM, 205 on Channel R, Solid Gold Countdown on Radio Gold pass denigrating remarks on her songs, dressing and her life. Also, she’s been nominated several times but she is yet to mount the podium, receive a GMA and say all the thank yous.

Okomfuo Kwadee, one of the finest hiplife artists, after producing hit songs and getting nominated year by year, never won any award until he protested and threatened to withdraw from the event. The following year Kwadee got nominated, won an award and has kept mum ever since. Is there anyone out there who can articulate their grievances more than Rex Omar? Rex took Charterhouse on for years and punched holes in the organization of the awards and when he got eventually got an award, all the holes sealed miraculously. If Okomfuo Kwadee and Rex Omar could articulate their grievances and get the results, what stops Mzbel from doing same? Go get them girl!

On Mzbel’s issue with panel members and radio presenters talking too much about her, she should actually thank God she’s a celebrity in Ghana, where the word paparazzi is not very effective. She should go and ask the likes of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears. These ladies have no breathing space as paparazzi chase them everywhere, take photos, write and comment about their music, relationships and everything else.

Mzbel should know that there’s no privacy when you are a public figure or a celebrity because the media, the music lovers and your fans would like to know your every move. People are talking about her for few minutes on radio and she’s grousing. On the issue of getting nominated and not winning: Mzbel is getting the nominations every year but not winning because the other nominated songs sold more, got more airplay and topped the charts than her songs. Besides, getting a nomination is as good as winning the ultimate because you count as three or four people amongst a hundred that released songs within the Award year. The likes of Ohemaa Mercy and Koffi B were both nominated in more than three categories at last year’s event but they both left the awards show empty-handed.

Martin Scorsese is a legendary film director in Hollywood and has been directing movies since 1970, discovered and directed actors like Roberto DiNiro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and co. Scorsese has earned more nominations than any movie director for the Oscars but never won and ironically, others were winning Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Picture and others from movies he directed. In spite of all these, Scorsese never complained but remained resolute, committed and kept faith with himself to keep on directing good movies and when he finally won the Best Director for the movie ‘The Departed’ last year, it was hard-fought and memorable.

So Mzbel should relax, not be so mindful of everything said about her career and personal life and with commitment and hard work, her time ‘go come’.