Music of Saturday, 2 October 2004

Source: ghanamusic.com

KOD Battles Spacefon Legend

KOD One of Radio Gold?s affable presenters and member of the planning committee of the Nescafe African Revelations (NAR) event; Kofi Okyere-Darko (KOD) has launched a swipe at the Hiplife Grand-papa and Spacefon legend Reggie Osei Rockstone for protesting on the outcome of the NAR on stage.

The Hiplife Grand-papa went a bit out of character when he took the microphone on stage and asked the crowd who is the winners were after the event organizers had done their declaration.

The crowd screamed the name of the Spacefon Legend?s Mobile Boys after they were asked, but KOD insisted the judges were right even though he agreed to the fact that the Mobile Boys were incredible on stage. For weeks now the African Revelations (NAR) has being on radio, TV and in newspapers.

The event organized by Top Dog Communication for Nescafe was put up to unearth the hidden music talent in the youth of Ghana, to represent the country at the international level. The Nescafe African Revelations went through five zones, which was supposed to cover the ten regions of Ghana. Namely; Northern Zone, Western and Central Zone, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo, Volta and Eastern zone and Greater zone.

Finally, fifteen groups, with a least three in group were brought together to battle on the microphone for the ultimate prize. Two hundred million cedis to produce the winning group?s debut album, under OM Studios. The winning group will also represent Ghana at the NAR international event; the group will be given an official car for a year, an official house for a year and many more.

Mobile Phone Boys Reggie Rockstone?s Mobile Boys were one of the electrifying groups discovered by the NAR among great groups like Adinkra, Ahenfie, Praye, Ojah, Trinity, Seprewa, Russian, Praise Music and other groups who together made up the fifteen finalists.

The grand finale which happened in Accra at the Freedom and Justice Park of Kwame Nkrumah Circle on the 18th of September 2004 is what has brought lots of controversy among many entertainment patrons and the funs of the NAR. The bone of contention is that Praye, the group which took home the prize according to some observers didn?t derserve it

According to Nkonyaa, a member of the Mobile Boys, even before this incident, same person alleged to have been the manager of the Praye group called Reggie on phone and told him that morning the Mobile Boys are older than the required age for the competition which Reggie Rockstone defended by referring him to the rules of the NAR which stated that ?All contestants must be Ghanaian citizens between the ages of 16 and 24 years?.

According to Grey, another member of the Mobile Boys, they began to sense something very fishy at the finals. The most serious aspect they said is, when Bed Sheet, the fourth member of the group vanished just fifteen minutes to their performance leaving them to perform with three members only. Bed Sheet has not been found till present. ?But even with three members we were able to take over the crowd we took our turn on stage? said the Mobile Boys.

Reggie Rockstone, the hiplife grandpapa who happen to be the god father of the Mobile Boys, when asked of his opinion said the whole thing is a mafia plan from the people in charge of the event. When all their plans of bringing Mobile Boys down failed they tried through skipping songs on their CD which had tracks of all fifteen contestants.

In a response, Mr. Lawrence Agblo, the Event Manager of Nescafe African Revelation (NAR) for Top Dog Communication, denied having any knowledge of what the Mobile Boys alleged happened the morning before the event and said they are all untrue. As to what happened on the day of the event, Mr. Agblo said there was nothing like stealing or bias in the judge?s decision and the skipping of the CD is just mere technical mistake.

The noise from the crowd for the Mobile Boys was just a home support, says Mr. Agblo. ?If the final was held in Takoradi, the crowd there would have screamed Ahenfie?, he added.

He said there was a pre-judging session, meaning the songs of all fifteen contestants were given to the judges to listen for one week which took some percentage off the entire judgment. So to the best of his knowledge, there is nothing controversial about the decision of the five distinguished judges.