Duane Stephenson, Kenyatta Hills thrills audience at 2025 Kuchoko Roots Festival

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March 13, 2025
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The 2025 edition of the Kuchoko Roots Festival, held at La Pleasure Beach on Saturday, March 8, was a night filled with electrifying performances and thrilling reggae music. Attendees were treated to an unforgettable experience, with both local and international acts taking the stage, including reggae legends Duane Stephenson and Kenyatta Hills, the son of the iconic Jamaican band, Culture.

Duane Stephenson, famed for his timeless tracks like “August Town,” “Cottage in Negril,” and “Ghetto Pain,” delivered an outstanding performance that had the crowd singing along to every note. The highlight of the night came when he performed “August Town,” with the audience singing in unison, creating an incredible atmosphere.

Reflecting on the experience, Duane expressed his gratitude, saying, “I have been touring around the world, but I don’t remember the last time I played with a full horn section. Kuchoko gave me that. Thanks so much. I will come again.”

The energy remained high as Kenyatta Hills took to the stage at 4:00 AM, performing classic reggae hits from his late father’s iconic album, including “Addis Ababa,” “One Stone,” “Behold,” and “Jah Rastafari.” His powerful tribute to Culture resonated deeply with the audience, creating an emotional and memorable connection with the crowd.

The festival also featured a wide array of performances by talented artists such as JahWi, Osagyefo, Aklerh, Renner, Kwame Bediako, and The Mighty Orthodox Band. The event also saw performances from Burkinabé acts Ras Simposh, ZMo, and Ima Hado, who brought their unique styles to the stage.

Organized by Blakk Rasta, the Kuchoko Roots Festival continues to solidify its reputation as one of the premier reggae festivals in the region, bringing together music lovers from all walks of life for a celebration of reggae culture and community.

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Entertainment

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March 6, 2025
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2 minutes Read

Unqualified individuals led to the collapse of movie industry- Fiifi Coleman

Popular actor and playwright, Fiifi Coleman, has pointed out some factors that have contributed to the decline of Ghana’s movie industry.

According to him, the adoption of foreign cultures, a lack of original storytelling, and the absence of effective distribution channels are factors that affected the industry.

Speaking in an interview on ‘Onua Showbiz’ with Naana Kwame Gyan on what caused a decline in the quality and quantity of Ghanaian movies, Coleman highlighted the influx of unqualified individuals into filmmaking, which played a role in the industry’s downfall.

“A time came when people realised that shooting movies was becoming profitable, so everybody became a cameraman, everybody became a soundman, and they kept doing that until they messed up the industry. There were so many round pegs in square holes,” he said.

He also criticised the industry’s tendency to mimic foreign cultures, which he believes diluted the authenticity of Ghanaian and African stories.

“The storytelling became copy-copy, with foreign cultures influencing us. The education we needed at the time was okay, but everybody came in and wanted to do something, which ultimately messed up the whole industry,” Coleman added.

Another major issue Coleman highlighted was the lack of reliable distribution platforms for movies after production.

This challenge, he said, discouraged many producers and industry players, leading to their eventual exit from the sector.

“After shooting a movie, figuring out where to distribute it became a challenge. This reluctance caused a vacuum, and eventually, everybody stopped,” he explained.

Source: ghanaweb.com

Entertainment

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March 6, 2025
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1 minute Read

Odumodublvck alleges ‘high level of stream manipulation’ in Nigerian music industry

Rapper Tochukwu Ojogwu, popularly known as Odumodublvck, has alleged that there was a high level of “stream farming” in the Nigerian music industry.

He noted that stream manipulations were insane as they do not translate into bookings and ticket sales. He questioned the essence of stream manipulations by some artists and their management.

On his X handle, Odumodublvck wrote, “There’s a high level of stream farming going on in the Nigerian music industry.

“Farming is crazy cause it’s not translating into shows. It’s not translating into bookings and ticket sales home and abroad. So, what’s the point?”

Another rapper, Blaqbonez has repetitively claimed that some artists were manipulating streams with the use of streaming farms, especially on Apple Music Nigeria charts.

However, famous Nigerian music executive, Don Jazzy, debunked the existence of such technology in a 2023 interview, declaring that there was no such thing as “streaming farm”.

Despite Don Jazzy’s dismissal, allegations of streaming farms have continued to pop up in the Nigerian music industry both from industry practitioners and observers.

Source: dailypost.ng