Accra (Greater Accra) 26 September 2002 - A Jazz Festival dubbed “Ghana Jazz and Heritage Festival” will be held in February next year. The celebration coincides with the Black History Celebration in the United States. The festival, which is the first of its kind in Ghana, is expected to assist boost the country’s economy and expose the richness of Ghanaian Culture and national talents.
Mr Paxton Baker, Executive Vice president for BET Jazz Digital Networks and President of BET Event Productions (Washington, USA) made this known at the launch of the festival in Accra on Wednesday.
He said the programme is being made possible through the help of Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the Okyenhene, who earlier this year invited BET Jazz to consider working with Ghana on a major event that would bring together the network, Ghana’s private sector and the government in partnership.
He said that the Jazz festival, which has been previously held in a lot of countries including South Africa, St Lucia and the United States among others, aims to educate and entertain. Additionally, a portion of its proceeds will go to Ghana’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Programmes, the Okyenhene’s AIDs awareness programmes and castles of Cape Coast.
He said the festival will have a big impact on the nation and the music Industry as both local and foreign musicians like Freddie Jackson, Marcus Johnson, Mike Philips, Angela Bofill and Sy Smith will participate.
Mr Baker said that BET will help to uplift the image of Ghana through commercials they plan to shoot depicting the Country. The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Nana Ankomea, he said that, the festival that is meant to attract tourist to the country will generate a lot of income for the country.
He said that, tourism has a great potential in the country, which have not yet been fully realised and the utilities that should promote investment have not yet been put into place. Mr Ankobea noted that the country still has a long way to go as it lacks a lot of facilities.
He said that the country is faced with a myriad of problems because of the small private sector, which does not give room for promotion. He added that many tourists visit the country each year there is the need to look at a more innovative and imaginative ways to change things in the country.
He said that, the festival, which will allow Ghana to access the large African/American Market, has the government’s commitment and full support and congratulated BET for its efforts to stage the programme in Ghana.
Nana Fredua Agyeman Okotomin, Acomkahene of Akyem Abuakwa who spoke on behalf of the Okyenhene stated that the initiative is very important as it will not only benefit the urban areas but the rural areas as well. Present at the ceremony was Desmond Skeet, Chairman of St Lucia Tourist Board. Graphic Showbiz
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Wenchi (Brong Ahafo)
26 September 2002- The Twafohene of Wenchi Traditional Area, Nana Akura-Tua
Adu-Twum has called on the people to use their annual Yam Festivals for
stocktaking and to initiate development projects to raise the living standards
of the people.
Nana Adu-Twum said the
festivals should not be regarded as a period for idol worshipping but for
development planning. Nana Akura-Tua was addressing a durbar of chiefs and
people of Twafo family at Wenchi at the Annual Munufie Yam Festival, which was
under the under the theme "Education, Health and Patriotism".
He urged the chiefs to
focus on the development of the area and to assess the past performance for the
benefit of the people. The Twafohene advised the people to continue to offer
communal labour to improve sanitary conditions in the area and to help protect
the environment.
Nana Akura-Tua, who is
the National President of the Tree Farmers Association of Ghana (TREEFAG),
called on the people to learn to unite and that plans were far advanced for the
award of scholarships to brilliant but needy children in the area.
The Chief, who had
earlier led the people in a three-hour clean-up exercise at the Wenchi Methodist
Hospital, asked them to plant trees around their houses to serve as windbreaks.
He later presented a football valued at 250,000 cedis to the youth in the
community.
GRi…/
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