Opinions of Tuesday, 24 December 2013

Columnist: Mensah, Solomon

Exposed: Andy Dosty’s Voodoo!

By Solomon Mensah
My thinking became painful. As painful as how the bell feels when its testicle is pricked against its walls.“W’asom y3 wod3,” I guess you want to know why? Well, it all happened at a library in Accra.
I had gone there to study but, frankly, I didn’t even know that I went there with handouts. For close to five minutes, she moved in and out of the library as if she had lost something valuable. Whenever she entered, something tickled my medulla oblongata (reminds me of Bukum Banku). Something that pushed me within to say ‘wow.’ If there is any word stronger than ‘beautiful,’ please write it here ……. for me so I use it to describe her to you.
Her firm inviting breasts dangled left then right, like the way a bush sways in a torrential storm, in her brownish loose gown that marched her complexion. For all this while of stealing glances at this lady who had placed her books adjacent to my studying desk, I tell you, I had forgotten all my Bible quotations. Not even, John 11:35; “Jesus wept” came to mind. Boyz Abr3.
I took my phone, plugged in earphone and turned the radio on to run away from this temptation. I moved from one radio station to the other in search of good music. Hypnotized by what I heard along the movement through the stations, I doubted my ears. A jingle of one of Ghana’s all-time best disc jockey, Andy Dosty, had been played.
Andy Dosty, we know trades his profession in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, therefore hearing him on an Accra based radio station made me quizzed myself with questions. Is he on a visit to say ‘hi’ to his Accra based-fans? The questions kept hovering around me.
I gathered later that he is now working with Multimedia Broadcasting Company’s Hitz FM (103.9). That’s another good move.
Andy, on that fateful day of my library ordeal, it was you who saved me from the hands of that charming looking young woman. I buried my head in the palm with my eyes shut and gently nodded my head like an agama lizard as I listened to the songs you played.
Our elders caution us not to call the forest that shelters us, a jungle. I have for long being listening to you. From your days in the Garden City on Otec FM through to Angel FM till your present day Hitz FM. I can therefore in no way rubbish your finger prowess. Yeah, not even in the time that your music playing has been of enormous benefit to me.
Andy, when, where and how did you learn your disc jockeying? You must be grateful to whoever taught you. From the era of cassette, where a DJ would wind it with his finger to get the track he wants to play to smashing it in the palm, through to the present day compact disc and the use of computer has been great.
But aside all these milestone of your achievements, why a voodoo? Has your heart palpitated as if a set of abadza drums were mounted on your chest? Well, I think in our modern Ghana, one doing business or intending to pull crowd needs this or that to succeed. What do you think?
Steuart Henderson Britt says it best that doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. The voodoo I speak of is not that of Kyeiwaa’s in a Kumawood Movie but of what Henderson speaks of. Advertising one’s self/business.
Of late, social media has become so importantly relevant that one doing away with it renders one’s life ineffective like clapping with one hand. One of my brothers, knew nothing about computers nor the modern trend of communication when he was leaving the shores of Ghana to the Whiteman’s land, Today, he worries me with Skype, Facebook, Whatsapp and the like. He has become so good at social media that he at times updates me on the happenings around the world.
Andy Dosty, like Printex- ‘maaso m3hy3 bi,’ is not left out of the web of social media. Ever since we became friends on Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook, I have followed every single post of his like the way a vulture traces after a carcass. Andy would post a question on Facebook prior to the start of his show and there he goes actively interacting with his listeners.
“I bought a refrigerator for my wife for the sale of ‘pure water.’ Each time I pick one to drink, she strangles me to pay for it. I want to take my fridge away; after all I pay for all the utility bills. What do you think?” Such is one of his ‘voodoos’ dated December 12, 2013, and this attracted 94 Comments, 38 Likes.
With 21K likes on his fan page and actively engaging them is something good to write home about. I have always lambasted the National Service Scheme (NSS) for being communication crippled. Ask the NSS why one, for instance, has to travel all the way from Accra to Sunyani just to register to be a service person? Could this not be done by just a click of a mouse? Recently, I received a barrage of text messages from candidates (NSS personnel) vying for various positions. They were telling me to vote for them. But frankly, I did not partake in their election; how can I vote for someone I do not know?
Had the NSS been a bit inclined with social media, pictures and short details of the candidates could have been posted on Facebook- categorized into regions. Are we waiting on President Mahama or Nana Addo to do this for us?
Companies and organizations like VRA/ECG, Ghana Water, GTV, GCB and the likes should take a cue from the man with magical fingers. But you, my reader, are you utilizing the social media?
Lest I forget, Mr. Andrew Amoh (or you prefer I call you Andy Dosty?) aside teaching your students disc jockeying, do you as well teach them about the power of social media? The world now knows a bit of your secret ingredient to success through my “exposing” you.
The writer is a Sunyani-based Freelance Journalist.
Email:nehusthan4@yahoo.com
Twitter: @Aniwaba
Facebook: Solomon Mensah