Wednesday 31 October 2012

Ghana: Our Stories /Our History: The Golden Stool of Ashanti

At that time Dankyera was chief among the Akan States that lie in the dense jungle of West Africa in the bend of the great rivers, between the haunted lakes and toppling crags, country of elephants and antelope, of porcupine and leopard, fertile land when the jungle is cleared, and with streams where the sand is thick with gold dust.

The king of Dankyera was called Ntim Gyakari. He had a clansman who was wise in all the mysteries of the gods, but the time came when he had to flee to a far of place, where he became ever closer to the gods. His name was Okomfo Anokye and he became the greatest of priests and prophets. Above all he came near to the supreme God of the sky, Onyame, who is so great and so hard to understand or think about that no image is made of him, no sacrifice is made to him, who is beyond the thoughts and doings of ordinary people, who instead must intercede with his sons, the lesser gods.

Yet the supreme God, Onyame, had so far deigned to interest himself in the affairs of mankind as to show favour to the Ashanti people. For at the time Kumasi, the great town of the Ashanti, was under the rule of Dankyera and every year the king of Dankyera sent for his tribute, and this was a brass pan filled with gold dust, and also the favourite wife and favourite son of every Ashanti chief. And so great was their fear of the tyrant Ntim Gyakari that this tribute was not refused.

There had been four kings of Ashanti, and the king who ruled now, but always under Dankyera was Osei Tutu. He was a man of great beauty and royal appearance, and as a lad he had been shield-bearer to the king of Dankyera. It was here that he might the wise Okomfo Anokye, who, foretelling the future, helped him in all his doings. For the sister’s daughter of the King of Dankyera loved him, and she it was whose son became heir to the throne.

When this was found out, Osei Tutu had to flee from Dankyera; he went to another court, that of the King of Akwamu, which was then also a strong kingdom, so that in the end he knew much of what lay in the hearts of these kings and their counsellors. And Okomfo Anokye, ever growing wiser in the affairs of prophecy and in the secrets of the gods, watched this young man and was glad when he was chosen from among the old Kings of Ashanti’s nephews-for the succession always lay with the sister’s line-to be the new king.

Now, when he came to the throne, it was clear to Osei Tutu that there was scheming against him in the capital of Dankyera. Ntim Gyakari was jealous of him and wished to destroy him and his people. Secret messengers came and went through the forest paths, quietly, bringing news. It became clear to Osei Tutu that he must prepare for war. He spoke of this, guardedly to his uncles and to the Queen other, Manu, who sat on his left hand, saying little but hearing all. She said to him: ‘There is a wise man, who has helped you before. He will know the minds of the gods on this.’

And so thought Osei Tutu, and he sent word to Okomfo Anokye. ‘Come’! said the messenger who was his mouth and who carried a golden staff whose head was a beast of the forest. ‘Come if the gods allow you.’

Manu the Queen mother knew he would come to the king whom he loved and honoured. ‘ We will make ready for him,’ she said. So she sent out for the plants and animals which will be pleasing to the Gods, and she and her women busied themselves with the necessary rites. Then the king sent out messengers, summoning his people to Kumasi, for he knew in his mind that Okomfo Anokye would in some way have prepared for him a great thing against his enemies.

So for many days thousands of men and women of the Ashanti nation came to Kumasi, all wearing beads and woven or printed cloths and ornaments of gold and copper and brass. Some wore the well prepared skins of forest beasts; some wore kilts of palm leaf fibre; many brought food and drink, driving in sheep and goats or carrying sacks of meal and roots, or great calabashes full of palm wine, and gave them to the king, who was able in this way to feed all that multitude. The lesser chiefs came with their queen mothers, the wise and gentle, who might be delicately marked with fine blue tattooing so that they were perpetually veiled. The drums sounded all day and all night; dancers danced and the dust rose between the thick clay walls of the houses of Kumasi, splendidly decorated with raised patterns, and in the great open space where King Osei Tutu sat with counsellors and drummers and horn blowers, his executioners and his speakers, who when he wished to speak to the people, made themselves his voices.

They carried staves of gold and ivory, splendidly carved into animals and fruits and symbols. But the King Osei Tutu wore the most wonderful golden ornaments; on his fingers were many weighty rings, each made into some figure about which there was a story or saying. His wrists were weighted down by nobbled gold bracelets, so that he must support his hands on the shoulders of his servants. Round his head was a circlet of pure gold, and his sandals were heavy with golden lumps. His chest was bare so that all could see the strength of his breathing, and round his waist was the cloth woven in thin stripes of many colours which proclaimed him as King, just as the cloths worn by his chiefs proclaimed their lineage. His mother, Manu, also wore gold, but her hair was grey and her breasts fallen, for she had borne many children. Yet without her word Osei Tutu would never have dared to come to any great decision.

Okomfo Anokye had spoken to them both, the King and Queen Mother, in the dark of night. He had spoken of a way of overcoming Dankyera, of making the the Ashanti into a great nation, ruler of all the Akan states, trading with the caravans of the north across Bornu and Kanem, and with the new white-faced strangers who were coming into southern courts near the great ocean. Okomfo Anokye had made a dazzling prophecy of riches and power. Manu had agreed first, then her son. They half-knew what was to happen.

And now Okomfo Anokye was speaking to the Supreme Being, shouting, imploring. The blood of sacrifice steamed up, the drums quickened and quickened. A black cloud seemed to gather; first a few saw it, then more, then all. It was blacker than a thunder cloud, but thunder rumblings came from it. And there came a thick white dust, and then falling, slowly, slowly, turning like a seed, came the stool, with its base sending out three branches to support the shaped top. It glinted with gold, yet it was not entirely golden; below the gold it was carved wood. It fell more and more slowly and at last it came to rest upon Osei Tutu’s knees.

The King was a brave man; had he not been bravest of the Ashanti he would not have been the Chosen One. But now he shook a little and he could not put out one hand to touch the thing which had come from deep heaven. He had not foreseen that it would be like this. But Okomfo Anokye , himself also shaking with effort, had made ready elephant hides and cloths and laid them on the ground. He took the golden stool from the king, and set it on the cloths. Then he chose an albino with white skin, pale eyes and reddish hair and sat him down on the stool. He touched this man on the head and it is said that his body disappeared utterly. His soul went into the Golden Stool, in great honour. And ever since that time, no albino has been put to death in Ashanti.

Then Okomfo Anokye spoke aloud to the King and to all the people, saying that now the stool had been given a soul, and that now it had itself become the soul of the Ashanti nation and all their power was bound up with it. So the King and Queen Mother, and each of the chiefs and his queen mother, gave hairs from their bodies and parings from the nails from their forefinger, so that their own souls should become one with this great soul. These were powdered and mixed with water and many other herbs and barks, and some was poured over the stool and some was drunk. And it became clear that all the welfare of the people was in this stool, and if it were ever to be captured or destroyed so also would the Ashanti nation perish.

Nor could any mortal man, not even the King of Kumasi, sit on this stool. In dire need the King must seat himself on his own royal stool, resting his arms on the Golden Stool. ‘And bells you must make,’ said Okomfo Anokye, the prophet and priest. ‘Two of gold and two of brass, and they must hang on the stool. Other things also will hang on it as time goes by. And it must have its own attendants and its own place, where it is greater than any king.’

Now soon enough the Golden Stool showed its power. For Ntim Gyakari, the king of Dankyera, sent his envoy for the tribute. And the envoy came laughing. But no sooner did he come to the first of the chiefs, before ever he had made his way to the King at Kumasi , then this man, the Chief of Juaben, felt the new soul of Ashanti stirring within him, so that he rose up and struck down the envoy from Dankyera.

Every other chief came and touched the blood of the envoy with his finger and swore to fight Dankyera and free the Ashanti nation. Then Osei Tutu set the talking drums to call up the armies and all came in good heart and, carrying the golden stool with them, totally defeated Dankyera. It is said that a hundred thousand of the Dankyera were killed that day and the days that followed, and their country was so plundered and destroyed that it never again became a great power or a threat to Ashanti or the other kingdoms. And further it is said the King Ntim Gyakari was found by the victorious army sitting bound with golden fetters and playing a game on the worri board with his favourite wife. Such was the power the Golden Stool and the benevolence of the great God Onyame towards the Ashanti people that he did not even look up, so at once the two were beheaded and the golden fetters were fastened to the central support of the Golden Stool.

Other kings of Ashanti also made golden ornaments and put them onto the stool, but today it is hidden and there are those who say it is all a story. But this is the truth. For the courage and strength of a nation is a real thing, though it cannot be seen. And every Ashanti knows that somehow, in some way, the Golden Stool has gathered up and strengthened all that is best and the finest out of the past, and if it is kept safe. Will give it back to the men and women of today.

There are several versions of story of the Golden Stool, but this is the usually accepted one. The stool of a West Coast chief is likely to have a soul of its own. It is a scared symbol as well as a royal one.

 

Credit: The above text is taken from ‘African Heroes’ by Naomi Mitchison / Dated:1968

IEA 2012 First Presidential Debate: Tamale


President John Mahama with CPP's Dr. Abu Sakara




President John Mahama with his three co-debaters walking to the venue



President & Mrs. Mahama welcoming Nana Addo and his wife



President John Mahama with Nana Addo



First Lady Mrs. Lordina Mahama grabs the hands of Dr. Bawumia and walks with him to the venue for the debate


 
Credit:
(President Mahama Participates In IEA Presidential Debate in Tamale) ….
Venue: Tamale
Date: Wednesday 31/10/2012
Source: http://presidency.gov.gh/


The first of the presidential debate series 2012 has just taken place in Tamale -and has the voting public of Ghana gripped!!! With the nation of Ghana totally engrossed with the debate -I had hoped to bring you a clip from the 'My Joy on Line' coverage via YouTube but unfortunately -I couldn’t hear the debate, it could be just my computer -but you can still check it out via: http://www.youtube.com/myjoyonlinetube

I like to form my own opinions of these ’things’ so I’ll wait until another media outlet uploads theirs -but in the meantime do google the presidential debate -and also visit The Presidency Website at:
http://presidency.gov.gh/ -to keep up with news about President John Mahama….

Credit:
http://presidency.gov.gh/gallery/pictures/president-mahama-participates-iea-presidential-debate-tamale
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Presidency-of-the-Republic-of-Ghana/184635181553585


PS ---The debate can be watched in full via: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zVy9-slBZY&feature=plcp


Ghana Rising Hearts Papa Oppong



 Duaba Serwa by Papa Oppong…..


Duaba Serwa by Papa Oppong…..
 


 









 

Paulina Opoku-Gyimah says: Ghana Rising’s new fashion crush goes by the name of Papa Oppong, and as you can observe from the above images, he’s a fashion illustrator and fashion designer, -and his fierce drawings are most definitely ones to watch-out-for…

I really love Papa Oppong’s work and hope to work with him in the near future. The thing is…the more I look at his designs, through his vast collection of images/drawing/collages, -the more impressed I am..

I want to see his work in magazines, -but as Ghana based magazines don’t have a clue -its hard.. I think that Ghanaian designers need to work with him -too, where would Manolo Blahnik be without his yummy illustrations? I’m guessing that the fashionistas in Ghana don’t fully understand his medium otherwise they’ll be clamouring for his talents -because he is good -and he is probably the only good fashion illustrator in Ghana /west Africa that I know off!!!!!

Also, I’m thinking …….Papa Oppong needs to work with the best printers in Ghana -and turn some of his [art] work into [greetings] cards.. What do you think?

The images of shoes wouldn’t look out of place at any fash-pack birthday party, the bride above would make a fabulous card for a bride to be and the rest? I’d be happy to buy them as post cards and mount them on my wall.. Thus, the first thing Papa Oppong needs to do ….is copyright his designs, get to work -and turn his lovely art form into cash -then expand -globally. Because there are many of us who would pay hard cash for fashionable images of women of colour be it on greetings cards, postcards or posters or wallpaper (hint, hint)..

I hope to see his cards/postcards in a shop near me [in London] soon. For more details about Papa Oppong visit:
http://papaoppong.tumblr.com/

Ghana: Our Stories /Our History: The Servant who was Always Grumbling…


The King of Koumassi’s servant was a grumbler. Every day as he went to work on his small plantation he complained about the way he had to toil for a bare living.

In fact the king was not a bad master to have. He knew his servant was always grumbling, but he also knew that he often sat in the shade in order to be comfortable while he thought of something else to grumble about. The life was not so hard as the servant made out. Nevertheless, the servant continued to think himself most unlucky.

One day while he was working on his land (and grumbling as usual) he saw , hanging from the a long chain from the sky, a big, copper, round-shaped boat which was coming slowly down. It landed on his field and a white boy jumped out of it. The astonished servant recognised the boy who was none other than the son of Niamie, the God (so the servant believed) above all gods.

The boy-God went up to the servant and said, “I have been charged by my Father to bring you to him. Come with me.”

So the two of them got into the copper boat and were immediately pulled up into the sky by the chain. They went up through some misty clouds into the clear blue above until at last they stopped in front of a closed door. The door opened, and they found themselves in a large square full of a chattering crowd of people. In the middle of the square, on a golden throne, sat a venerable old man gorgeously apparelled. He beckoned to the King’s servant to approach him, and said, “You do not seem satisfied with your lot in life or you would not be always grumbling. Look around you at these people and these houses, and you will see that families from all parts of the world are living in them. Choose one from among them.”

So, accompanied by a guide, the servant hurried through the streets of the town till he came to the large, comfortable houses of the rich people who did not have to work for a living. But he did not fail also to notice the humble dwellings of the poor folk who were living in huts and hovels, and in one of these the servant recognized his parents. This discovery was a great shock to him.

When they had been through all the streets, and seen all the houses and huts, they went back to where Niamie was waiting for them.

“Now you know you were born into a poor family,” said Niamie to the servant. “Those who are born poor remain poor. Though they make a lot of money they cannot keep it. Nevertheless, I am going to give you a present.”

And then Niamie ordered two bags to be brought in and siad to the servant, “The smaller one is for you, the other is for your master the King. But remember you mustn’t open your present until you have delivered my other gift to your master.”

The King’s servant was taken home alone in the copper boat in the same way as he had come. But as he was falling through space he thought to himself, “Nobody but me knows what has happened. I shall, accordingly keep the larger present for myself and hand over the smaller one to the King, my master.”

And this he did. He hid the bigger bag in a hole which he dug in his field, and he went to the capital of the country and presented himself to the kin, who received him with joy, and asked him to give an account of his wonderful adventure. In due course the servant handed his mater the smaller of the two bags, and the king was delighted to find it filled with gold dust and nuggets. But the lager bag, when the servant came to open it, was filled with nothing but pebbles.

I am sure, dear reader, you will appreciate that the moral of this little tale is that we should be content with what we have and bear in mind the say, “Too much is too much.” All the same, when thinking about this little tale, there comes the question, what would the king have said if the servant had given him the bag of pebbles as Niamie had told him to do? The king was delighted, we are told, with the bag of gold dust and nuggets. Would he have pleased with the pebbles or would he have given his servant a thrashing -and sent him away? Perhaps the servant came off best after all, though the poor, as Niamie had said, remained poor.

Credit: The above text is taken from ‘Odhams Child’s first Encyclopaedia in Colour’ by Odhams / Dated:1964

Friday 26 October 2012

Africa’s Economy Rising…..





The following is taken from The Independant...

Title: 10 things you didn't know about Africa's economy

By: Susan Lund & Arend Van Wamelen / Date: Friday 07 September 2012



1. Africa is booming
Africa has been the second-fastest-growing region in the world over the past 10 years, with average annual growth of 5.1 per cent over the past decade, driven by greater political stability and economic reforms that have unleashed the private sector in many countries.

Poverty is also on the retreat. A new consuming class has taken its place: since 2000, 31 million African households have joined the world's consuming class. At the point when household incomes exceed $5,000, measured at purchasing power parity, consumers begin to direct more than half their income to things other than food and shelter. The continent now has around 90 million people who fit this definition. That figure is projected to reach 128 million by 2020.

Indeed, contrary to conventional wisdom, the majority of Africa's growth has come from domestic spending and non-commodity sectors, rather than the resources boom.



2. Africa is poised to have the largest labour force in the world
By 2035, Africa's labour force will be bigger than that of any individual country in the world, which offers the continent a chance to reap a demographic dividend, using its young and growing workers to boost economic growth.

As Africa's workforce grows, the number of children and retired people that each worker supports will fall to be par with the US and Europe in 2035, the other part of the demographic dividend. With fewer dependents to support, African households will begin to enjoy even greater discretionary spending power, further driving growth.



3. African workers are better educated than ever before
Today 40 per cent of Africans have some secondary or tertiary education. By 2020, it will be nearly half. But African countries still need further progress to remain economically competitive. While 33 per cent of Africans in the labour force receive secondary education, 39 per cent of workers in India and 66 per cent in China receive education at this level.



4. Steady work is still hard to find in Africa
But here's the bad news: only 28 per cent of Africans have stable, wage-paying jobs. To reap the benefits of its positive demographics and advancements in education, Africa needs to quickly create more jobs. Although it has created 37 million stable, wage-paying jobs over the past decade, 91 million people have been added to its labour force.

As a result, 9 per cent of the workforce is officially unemployed, and nearly two thirds of workers sustain themselves through subsistence activities and low-wage self-employment. Youth unemployment is also a major challenge. In Egypt, youth unemployment is 25 per cent. For the sake of social and political stability, Africa needs to accelerate its creation of stable jobs that are the route to lasting prosperity and an expanding consuming class.



5. With a few reforms, massive job growth is within Africa's reach
The experience of other emerging economies shows that Africa could accelerate its creation of stable jobs dramatically. When they were at a similar stage of development as Africa today, Thailand, South Korea and Brazil generated jobs at double or triple the rate of Africa's.

This would lift millions more Africans out of poverty and vault millions of others into the consuming class. It would also cut the time needed to reach East Asia's percentage of stable employment by more than half, from over 50 years to just 20 years.
Africa's most developed economies, such as South Africa, Morocco and Egypt, are on track to create more wage-paying jobs than new entrants to the workforce. Three sectors have a proven capacity to create jobs and can do so in the future: agriculture, manufacturing, and retail and hospitality.



6. Africa can become the world's bread basket
Africa has about 60 per cent of the world's unused cropland, providing it with a golden opportunity to simultaneously develop its agricultural sector and reduce unemployment. On current trends, African agriculture is on course to create 8 million wage-paying jobs between now and 2020.

With two important reforms, however, Africa could add 6 million more jobs. First, policymakers could encourage expansion of large-scale commercial farming on to uncultivated land. African countries need to reform land rights and water management, build up their infrastructure and improve access to inputs such as seeds, finance and insurance to boost agriculture. Such steps have allowed Mali, which built integrated road, rail and sea links to transport refrigerated goods and to increase its mango exports to the European Union sixfold in just five years. Second, African economies can move from producing low-value grain to higher-value crops such as horticultural crops and biofuels. This will not only boost GDP, but provide much-needed jobs: staples such as grain employ up to 50 people per 1,000 hectares while horticultural products need up to 800.



7. It's often cheaper for Africans to buy goods made in China than those made at home
African manufacturing is declining as a share in most economies, and that needs to stop. Africa is on course to generate 8 million new manufacturing jobs by 2020 but could nearly double that tally if it can reverse this trend.

High transportation and input costs, duties and bureaucracy are some of the obstacles that have hindered African manufacturing. The continent needs to open itself up to foreign investment too.

Lesotho, a country of just 2 million people, has 100 times South Africa's exports of apparel to the United States on a per capita basis because it made investment attractive to foreign players and put the necessary rail and distribution infrastructure in place.



8. Nigeria's four largest cities still have only six shopping malls
Africa's rising number of consumers is already driving growth in retailing, but the sector could grow much faster. The potential of retail still goes largely unrealised: In Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana and Nigeria, nearly three-quarters of groceries are bought in tiny informal outlets. If barriers to foreign players were removed and action was taken to boost the share of modern retail outlets, this industry could finally hit its stride.



9. Africa needs more than petrodollars
Mining, oil, and gas contribute significantly to Africa's GDP, but these sectors employ less than 1 per cent of the workforce.

Africa needs a jobs strategy, not just a growth strategy. Countries need explicit programmes to create jobs, targeted at labour-intensive sectors that enjoy comparative advantage. Governments, working with private companies, need to improve access to finance in those sectors, build the necessary infrastructure, cut unnecessary regulation and bureaucracy and create a more business-friendly environment, and develop the skills needed to support the industries of the future.

Morocco's auto-parts industry is an example of success. Realising the country's unique advantage of proximity to the large market of high-income earners in Europe, the Moroccan government set a goal for the country to become the industrial automotive supplier for Europe. Today, the sector employs more than 60,000 people, and this year saw the opening of a €1bn (£793m) assembly plant by Renault.



10. The future for Africa looks bright – but there's still a lot of work to be done
More than 300 million Africans will remain in vulnerable jobs in 2020. And even if governments are successful at promoting job creation, the number will keep rising for at least another 20 years because the labour force is expanding so quickly.
Africa's employment challenge is daunting, but it is not unique. Many other emerging markets have transformed their employment landscapes and made sweeping gains in economic growth, and with the right policies in place, Africa has the right ingredients to produce similar success. Businesses and investors are beginning to take note of the continent's potential – not only its wealth of natural resources but its human capital. Africa may prove to be one of the next great global stories.

This is an edited version of a piece in Foreign Policy. Susan Lund is a principal at the McKinsey Global Institute, the business and economics research arm of McKinsey & Co. Arend Van Wamelen is a principal in McKinsey's Johannesburg office


Source:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-africas-economy-8113876.html

 

Thursday 25 October 2012

R2bees set to launch their own condom range….




According to Ghana Rising fave celebrity/showbiz reporter -Ameyah Debrah, hot rap outfit, R2bees (Refuse 2 be Broke) are set to launch their own range of condoms -and are presently awaiting, “approval from the Ghana Standards Board/Food and Drugs Board before they hit the market.”

I hope that this launch is accompanied by professional 'safe sex' education and that the boys visit colleges and universities across Ghana to promote said message.

I believe R2bees will do well with this, -Ghana doesn’t have STI clinics after all (only goodness knows why) and we have to stay safe -and condoms help…

You can read all about it via Ameyah Debrah’s website at:
http://www.ameyawdebrah.com/

Afia Schwarzenegger’s [fabulous] Ghana flag shoes…

Photo courtesy of Ghana Music.com via: https://www.facebook.com/ghanamusicdotcom


I know I shouldn’t love them, but Afia Schwarzenegger‘s Ghana flag platform court shoes are sooo wrong -they’re right.. -and she looks fabulous.…

The thing is....I kind of don’t like the idea of wearing flags as shoes, but by keeping the rest of her garb simple (you can never go wrong with black) -the shoes (and earring & clutch) are her statement piece…..

I’m liking Afia Schwarzenegger played by beautiful Ghanaian actress and comedian -Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa.

A real national treasure, this -the real Afia Schwarzenegger -may no longer be on TV in Ghana but Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa has many more loveable characters up her sleeve. Plus she’s not just a comedian, if you‘ve had the pleasure of reading her Facebook page -you’ll know…she’s a God fearing mother, wife and entrepreneur. And Ghana Rising is now a fan!!!
To keep up with the comical happenings of Ms Schwarzenegger visit her Facebook fan page at:https://www.facebook.com/Valentina.Nana.Agyeiwaa








P.s ---I’ve just had a good noise around Ms Afia’s FB page and it appears she has just launched her own accessories label (she’s selling shoes and handbags) called Schwarbility Designs -and you know what??? Afia Schwarzenegger’s fashion collection is fabulous and gets the thumbs up from Ghana Rising.

I get a lot of young ladies in-boxing me links to their shoe collection -and on closer inspection, I find out that they have bought cheap shoes from Primark and have covered or embellished them with wax print or bling etc …and honestly….they look cheap and gluey -and are just not right for Ghana Rising Blog.. -So I’m always happy when I come across a real shoes collection; one that’s been designed and produced from scratch and -even happier when I know that I ‘would’ wear them myself!!!

I’m truly blown away by Afia Schwarzenegger’s shoe collection. Her designs are neat and well made. They are elegant, stylish and a must buy. I don’t think they are claiming to be lined in leather -nor does it aspire to be Jimmy Choo’s but they are well made and fit for purpose and beautiful and I’m predicting that ‘she’s onto a winner -and I want a pair of each style above.

I’m going to send Afia Schwarzenegger a note asking for more info -and stockist details, so stay tuned or keep your peepers on her Facebook page…

Well done Afia or should I say -Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa….

Wednesday 24 October 2012

Ghana Rising Hearts Omenaa Mensah








 

Paulina Opoku-Gyimah says: Amma Omenaa Mensah is a Polish-Ghanaian weather girl/glamour model/socialite -and a mother of one based in Warsaw, Poland.

A celebrated fashionista, Omenaa Mensah is a fixture in the frows (front-rows), best parties and Polish TV, she took part in their version of ‘Dancing With The Stars’ -and its seems that Poland’s fashion blogs, glossies and gossip magazines are pretty enamoured with her…

I’m loving Omenaa Mensah’s high octane glamorous style. A lover of high fashion, Omenaa Mensah is all about uber groomed, perfect make-up, quality dresses and statement pieces during the day -and red carpet va-va-voom at night…

Its been a real joy and delight looking for photos of Omenaa Mensah. The worldwide web is full to bursting with beautiful (and some risqué) images of Omenaa Mensah -and I was spoilt for choice.

Omenaa Mensah is a beautiful, successful woman in a country that’s not known for celebrating people of colour, thus her success is truly inspiring, and I wish Omenaa Mensah -continued success and wished I could read/understand Polish; -because the media over there has a lot to say about her…

Ghana Rising Hearts Clara Amfo




Clara Amfo with Spike Lee
Interviewed the legendary director that is Spike Lee about his new Michael Jackson documentary 'Bad 25'. Go and watch his film, it's incredible!




Clara Amfo with Cassie
Interviewed Cassie today, full interview on kissfmuk.com soon !
 
 
 
 
Clara Amfo with Tulisa at Wireless




 
Interviewed @jessicabiel nice lady! Video is up at 3pm.Looking forward to seeing tonight's dress caption
 
 
 

 Clara Amfo with Melvin and Ricky....
The brothers! @RickieHW @Melvinodoom





Clara Amfo with Drake





I interviewed Ne-Yo on Tuesday, an artist who I quickly found out prefers to give hugs instead of handshakes!



 Clara Amfo with Mary J. Blige




Clara Amfo with Pro Green I interviewed Pro Green and his fellow nominees including JLS, Emeli Sande, Ed Sheeran and Jessie J at tonight's Brit's Launch for Kiss FM (UK) tonight, video going up tomorrow : )






Clara Amfo with Nicki Minaj

Nobody can deny that Nicki Minaj is killing it.

She’s successfully bridged a gap between Hip Hop and Pop on a level that no other female rapper can compete with right now and I saw that in full effect at her sold out show at the Hammersmith Apollo on Monday.

I know there were some naysayers after her performance at Hackney but from I was witnessed the lady knows how to put on a show, she spat harder and with more clarity than a lot rappers I’ve seen live and her singing voice was on point too.

Getting to the gig was fun, randomly found myself  travelling to the Hammersmith Apollo in a blacked out people carrier with our cameraman,Nicki’s stylist,make up artist and manager eating KFC ….she  standardly rolled up separately!




Clara Amfo with Rihanna
The only girl in the world...and me with no make up. We must laugh. — with Rihanna
 
 

 Clara Amfo with Colin Farrell
Another Totall Recaller, Mr Colin Farrell actor and decent pianist!






Clara Amfo with Justin Bieber





Clara Amfo in Ghana....
Some of the girls I worked with when I went to Ghana for Kiss and the charity Plan for their 'Because I Am A Girl Campaign...


Paulina Opoku-Gyimah says: Wow that Clara Amfo is like the most Blessed gal on the planet!!! I haven’t used this word for years but Clara Amfo is Fly, do you know what I mean!!! Not only hobnobbing with A-Listers, Clara Amfo seems to be at all the best music events!!!!

Uber talented, on trend, well-informed -and with that must-listen-to-sexy-voice, this radio, online/TV Presenter and voiceover Artist is most definitely on Ghana Rising’s radar and I’ll be tuning into KISS FM UK between 3-7pm on weekdays and 6-10am on Saturdays where she covers KISS Breakfast.

Clara life is uber glamorous but its not all about The Brits and Wireless festivals, she is also a proud Ghanaian and is very involved with, "Kiss and the charity Plan for their 'Because I Am A Girl Campaign."

I don’t know Clara Amfo personally but having watched her interviewing the biggies including: Lady GaGa, Alicia Keys, Jessica Biel, Colin Farrell, Nicki Minaj and Ne-Yo -I find her warm and love her happy, sassy verve.

To keep up with all of Clara Amfo’s fabulous happenings visit:
https://twitter.com/claraamfo
http://claraamfo.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ClaraAmfo

P.s Please note that Clara Amfo is also a DJ and can be booked via her website quoted above…


More Info
Clara Amfo is a fresh and dynamic radio, online/television presenter and voiceover artist.

She can currently be heard on KISS FM UK, weekdays 3-7pm and Saturdays 6-10am and has previously covered the evening show and KISS Breakfast.

During her time at KISS she has interviewed the likes of Alicia Keys, Lady GaGa, Britney Spears, Plan B,  Justin Bieber, Drake, Jessie J,  Dizzee Rascal, Nicki Minaj and Mary J. Blige to name but a few!

She’s hosted the British Premiere of ‘Red Riding Hood’ as well as The Transformation Trust’s annual Rock Assembly at London’s 02 Arena to an audience of 16,000. She has travelled to Ghana with her work for the charity Plan UK and has reported from some of the biggest musical festivals in the UK  including Wireless, Global Gathering, SW4 and NASS.

Clara is also a sought after voiceover artist who has lent her voice to Spotify, Motorola, MOBO and Operation Trident. She can currently be heard hosting the The Official UK Top 40, Top 20 and Official Chart Update on MTV channels, This Week’s Viva Top 20 Chart and MTV’s Countdown Specials….she also has a slight addiction to Nike trainers.



 

Music: "The Voice of Germany" winner Ivy Quainoo sings ‘Shake It Out’ with Florence And The Machine -[an uber wow moment]….




 

Break Away by Ivy Quainoo…..





Richest Girl by Ivy Quainoo…..




For more info visit: https://www.facebook.com/IvyQuainoo

To book Ivy Quainoo visit her agent at:
http://www.celsius-mgmt.de/de/

More Info
Ivy Quainoo (born 1992 in Berlin) is a German singer. In February 2012, she won the first series of The Voice of Germany..

Ivy Quainoo was born in Berlin, Germany to Ghanaian parents. She attended the Schiller High School in Berlin-Charlottenburg. While still in school and also after her Abitur in 2011, she attended a dramatic arts school in Berlin-Kreuzberg. [2]

The Voice of Germany
After finishing high school, she auditioned for the reality talent show
The Voice of Germany. During the live broadcasts, Quainoo was the only participant of the series to be 'voted in' every time by the spectators. During the finals show on 10 February 2012, she received 33.65% of the combined votes, based on telephone voting and the number of song downloads, with which she left the other three final candidates behind.

Recording with Jakob Royal
In the summer of 2011, Ivy spent time lending her voice as a background singer in writer/singer Jakob Royals self-titled debut album.

First Album and Tour
After the final show, she promoted her single Do You Like What You See on the Harald Schmidt Show and on Verstehen Sie Spaß?.[4][5] Her first album, entitled Ivy, was released in March 2012. At the Echo (music award) she sang with Aura Dione, Caro Emerald, Ina Müller and Dionne Bromfield the song Valerie for Amy Winehouse. Furthermore Ivy Quainoo presented her second single You Got Me at the Prosieben-Celebrity Boxing. On May 14, 2012, she started her first Germany-Tour with a concert in Lüneburg. At the finalshow of Germany's Next Topmodel Quainoo sang her single Break Away.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_Quainoo

Monday 22 October 2012

Nana Agyapong aka Nana Ghana stars in S/S 2012 7 for All Mankind Jeans ad



Episode 6 Spring 2012 -THE OLD DAYS directed by James Franco

(Source:
youtu.be)

Credit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YBSTgKwRSBU

 

For more info about Artist/Model/ Performance artist Nana Agyapong visit: http://amnanaghanailoveearth.tumblr.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/nananomadicfilmaker

Objects of Desire: Billboard bags by Trashy Bags.....

 
Out of the 60 Trashy Bags workers we have a small team who have become designers overnight. They are now regularly producing bags like the one you see here. Their designs and the quality of the workmanship is as good as can be found anywhere in the world. Each one is brilliant so please clap for Anas, Derrick, Oboy Sly, Anas, Kingsley, Kwame & Joseph. More about them in later postings.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Made from used billboards and lined with a great African fabric.


 

 



Looks like leather, feels like leather but it's not leather. Plastic waste reinvented!

 





We are now making a fantastic range of messenger bags. This bag is made from a discarded Agape House billboard with a purple batik lining. We hope you 'like' this one too!



 

For more info or to purchase the above bags visit:
http://www.trashybags.org/

Do LIKE their FB page at:
https://www.facebook.com/Recycled.Handbags.and.Gifts