Entertainment
Discipline, key to success- Ohemaa Mercy
Gospel music heavyweight, Ohemaa Mercy, has advised up and coming gospel musicians to be disciplined and decent in their work.
According to her, there were a lot of challenges in the ministry which could be overcome through discipline.
Speaking to The Spectator, she said up and coming gospel artistes should first know their calling, as this was very important in the kingdom, as such would allow God to take them through the process.
Ohemaa Mercy said, “ this would teach you how to write songs, how to understand His voice, this is important in the life of every minister. To be able to be in the system for long time, you need to be disciplined, stick to the word of God, and walk with the Lord.”
Artiste management and collaboration
Touching on artistes being managed by their partners, Ohemaa Mercy said, she saw nothing wrong with it.
“If you have a husband who understands and supports you to build your ministry, there is nothing wrong,” she stressed.
On gospel artistes featuring secular musicians, Ohemaa Mercy said “ mostly, there is nothing wrong, is it to win souls for God or business; in Ghana every Christian has his or her way of worship and as a result, I don’t condemn everything when it comes to gospel, God has a way of bringing people into His kingdom.”
For her, “the mindset behind the collaboration should be the winning souls for Christ, our beloved saviour.”
Song writing
Asked how she wrote her songs, Ohemaa said, “After getting the message from God, go into the Bible for more understanding and call others, including
Reverend Yawson, some gospel artistes, among others to discuss the message with them.”
Ote Me Mu (He Lives In Me)
She said during the lockdown in 2020, the scenes of COVID-19 patients on hospital beds and shown on Aljazeera among other foreign television networks made her pray a lot for lives to be save.
She stated that during one of the prayer session, God revealed the “Ote Me Mu” (He Lives In Me) song to her, and following that she called highlife artiste, Kwabena Kwabena, with whom they had worked on other songs in the past to discuss it.
Ohemaa Mercy added that she sat with him (Kwabena Kwabena) to look at the composition and arrangement of the lyrics.
“it is not the first time working with Kwabena Kwabena on a song, it is all about the motive behind partnering with secular artistes,” she said.
The Onim Me hitmaker disclosed that “I have been telling Kwabena Kwabena to sing gospel, and any time I tell him , there is always one thing he says, that he doesn’t want to bring the wrath of God on himself, and that when he is ready, he will dedicate himself fully to it.”
Ohemaa believes that anybody can sing to encourage, but the backing by the power of God is very important.
The Ote Me Mu song featured MOG, produced by Kaywa and video directed by McWillies is available on all digital music stores across the country.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme, Deborah E. Andorful & Tabita Quaye
Entertainment
Taste 68@68: Okyeame Kwame wins Celebrity Jollof Competition with Vegan recipe
Multiple award-winning Ghanaian musician and activist, Okyeame Kwame, known in private life as Kwame Nsia-Apau has been adjudged winner of the ‘Taste 68 @68’ Celebrity Jollof Competition.
The ‘Taste 68 @68’ Celebrity Jollof Competition was an event organised by the Ghana Tourism Authority(GTA) as part of activities to mark the country’s Heritage Month recently.
The event held at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park brought together industry players among others.
Okyeame Kwame competed with Mr.Beautiful, Uncle Ato, Victoria Lebene and Joyce Blessing.
The Rap Dacta called his food, the Vegan Jollof funnily some of the spectators claimed his Jollof could ‘lower global warming’ due to the ingredients used.
He used mushrooms, bell peppers, tomatoes, rice, oil and other vegetables.
The protein source was seitan which is made from wheat gluten.
Ultimately, he overcame other culinary skills from his competitors for the ultimate crown.
Okyeame Kwame expressed his appreciation to everyone who tasted it and urged Ghanaians to consider it as part of their delicacies, adding that it is healthier.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of GTA Mr.Gilbert Aggrey, affectionately called Abeiku Santana said Okyeame Kwame won the competition not because he is famous and likeable.
According to him, Okyeame understood gastronomy tourism and techniques in culinary artistry, a strength he leveraged against his competitors.
He added that “if you look at the presentation of his meals he used cucumber to garnish his food by creating a design with his initials, OK, Okyeame Kwame. In gastronomy tourism, there should be a story and motivation behind the food that you have prepared.”
Abeiku Santana further noted that Okyeame Kwame’s presentation was outstanding considering how he linked food to climate change and the symbiotic relationship between humans and animals.
He congratulated him for emerging as the winner of the competition.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Entertainment
Miss Ghana 2025 finalists unveiled
The talented 16 contestants have been unveiled at a grand ceremony held at the Tang Palace Hotel in Accra last Saturday.
These finalists made the cut following gruelling auditions in November 2024, where young women from across the country showcased their beauty, intelligence, and passion for service.
According to the organisers, the search is for a queen who exemplifies selflessness, intelligence, discipline, and dedication to societal service.
The contestants will go through calculated weekly tasks ahead of the highly anticipated grand finale on March 29, 2025.
Each contestant will now represent their respective regions as they compete for the prestigious Miss Ghana 2025 crown.
Organised by Exclusive Events Ghana and Miss Ghana Foundation, the Miss Ghana pageant is more than just a beauty competition.
As part of the modalities, the winner will not only represent Ghana on the global stage at Miss World but will also lead charitable initiatives under the Miss Ghana Foundation, focusing on supporting vulnerable communities.
The contestants expressed their readiness to prove their mettle in the competition for the ultimate.
This year’s pageant is being sponsored by Bullet TV and supported by Gold Presence, Tang Palace Hotel, Belaqua, Bel Beverages Ghana, Pippa’s Health Centre, Central Hotel, Accra, Airport Women’s Hospital, Renault Ghana, and Premium Motors Limited.
The rest include Dainess Chefs School, Eye360security, Hottees Ghana, Dyeweb fabrics, BELLE cosmetics, Akagres bakery, Blaq travels and Kingdom Books & Stationery among others.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
