Opinion: The 2018 VGMA Scored Some Highs.
The Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs), arguably the largest entertainment event in the country-and held annually- came off once again on Saturday 14th April 2018 at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC). This event, which seeks to acknowledge and award industry players during the year under review, never falls short of the controversies and fun it churns out.
Doing this for the 19th time, we must commend Charter House for continuous improving on what they do from the previous year. And as usual, the night started with all the glamour on the red carpet which saw a host of celebrities tell audience what they wore to the show on the night.
Performances:
Performers on the night did their best to rock the house and notable among them were Joe Mettle, Kelvynboy, Stonebwoy, Sarkodie and Samini. Other artistes like MzVee and Nigerian songstress Tiwa Savage also shook the building. Except for the initial fluff his back-up singers (choir) had when filling onto the stage, he was awesome. You can’t be a gospel singer and not be able to sing. Obviously, singing isn’t hard for the former Artist of the Year.
Kelvynboy carried himself excellently on stage, both vocally and movement wise. Sarkodie, Samini and Stonebwoy proved why you must part with money whenever you hear them performing somewhere. Kwesi Arthur was expected to deliver and he did. The crowd responded accordingly. Tiwa Savage was expected to do what Tiwa does. From stepping off stage to making her way to vibe with the crowd, she was did her business without breaking a sweat.
I was a little disappointed in some of the artistes on the night; they could have chosen not to perform with the live band if they knew they were not comfortable with that. Imagine how the response would have been if the band delivered a good set to accompany the performances of Kuami Eugene, KiDi and King Promise.
Controversial Points:
On the awards given to the musicians, I think most of them deserved what they received on the night. Knowing the VGMAs, there would always be controversies in certain categories and one particular issue that came up was the Song of The Year award won by Fancy Gaddam’s “Total Cheat”. Many feel the song was not popular compared to other hits in that category.
Another category which many people talked about on twitter was the Album of The Year. Quite a number of people felt Stonebwoy’s “Epistles of Mama” should have won that category. Judging from the fact this album was listed on the Billboard Charts at number 13, the argument was that, it should have been quite easy for Stonebwoy to bag that award. But, this is the VGMAs.
Read: The 2018 VGMA Came With A Twist
High Points:
There were some very high points on the night which are noteworthy. First of all, the emotional tribute to the late Ebony Reigns. How her former colleagues in the game stepped up to perform renditions of her hit tracks was remarkable and I must say, kudos to the likes of MzVee, Adina, Efya and the evergreen Akosua Agyepong for showing love to the late dancehall diva.
Furthermore, the lifetime award given to Naa Amanua of Wulomei fame was something that brought smiles to the faces of those who know exactly what this woman is capable of doing with her unique voice. Thumbs up to the organizers for this wonderful recognition.
Another very interesting thing that happened on the night was the “reunion” of PRAYE. Many couldn’t believe what they witnessed when the trio stepped on stage and dropped some of their old bangers like Jacket and Angelina, which the audience loved.
Low Points:
On the other hand, some low moments on the night were the sight of many empty seats for celebrities who were expected to occupy them before the show started and the performance by South African star Nasty C. It was evident that many did not really know who Nasty C is. For the kind of clout he possesses in the game, the crowd’s reaction was a bit appalling if you ask me.
I must say big congratulations to all the winners and performers on the night. Headline sponsors, Vodafone as well as Charter House must also be commended for putting up a spectacular show and I think with this franchise, it can only get better with time.
We hope for a better and improved Ghana Music Awards at 20 next year.
Larry is a man of many interest and music is one of them. He tweets at @Larry__Andy
