Monday 11 March 2013

To Be or Not To Be... The Future of Our Values

Hello everyone, 

I trust we all doing awesome by the abundant Grace of the most high God. My weekend was quiet and restful and I trust yours was good too.

I have some things bothering me that I want to get off my chest. Recently, RLG (a communications company here in Ghana) invited American R&B singer Chris Brown for a concert and the kinda things that went on during the show has given rise to this small piece of writing...

This singer whom the RLG paid a huge sum of cash to bring to our shores, quizzed the over a thousand crowd during his performance of how many of them smoked wee? After that question, the singer said “If anybody's tripping on y'all smoking wee, f**k them.” He then went ahead to bring out a neatly rolled stick of marijuana (wee, ganja, or "igbo" as my naija friends call it), and "puffed" it right before the glaring eyes of the security and the crowd which was a mixture of adults, minors and little kids.

As if that wasn't enough insult, producers of the show came out to say that, Chris didn't smoke as purported but rather an e-cigaret. imagine!  

These are my concerns: Is it that we (Africans) don't appreciate the talents we have among us as much as we ought, that we are even making them wish that they were the ones who we are willing to give up an arm and a leg to go and watch? Instead of spending so much to bring foreign artists into the country, won't it better to invest that money in the local artist in order to boost our local entertainment industry, especially considering the fact that these guys (the local entertainers), no matter how controversial they get, will always seek recourse to the values and mentality of our society? Me, I like my country and the values we have as a people. Most importantly, it's important to me what my kids watch and what information they are imbibing all in the name of entertainment. 

Like seriously, Africa has got some of the finest artists in the world, but we Africans, have little or no regard for them. Lets get talking... Do you think if any local artist did what Chris Brown did on a Ghanaian stage, that artist would be allowed to go scot-free without some questions from the security agencies? I was so happy to hear that Jimmy Cliff tried smoking wee in Nigeria a long time ago and was picked up for it, without considering that he was one of the mega world stars of that time. Can that happen in Nigeria again or have we lost everything?

Have a wonderful week and may God guide us in everything we do. Amen!

Peace... I'm out!
   

13 comments:

  1. I'm all for developing local talent, and as for the smoking on stage Smh.

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  2. This same thing is happening in Nigeria. Wish all that money goes to local talent. As for the smoking and cursing off those who maintain authority in the country that invited you, what can I say?

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  3. Wow, I didn't even know that was what Chris Brown did in his 'concert'

    But it's not exactly better even with our local artistes, I was watching D'banjs Koko concert and all the performers seemed high.

    I'd have said that there is no hop for our performers as regards concerts if not for Darey.

    My sister, the values are slowly diminishing. The police are standing there and watching him smoke it smh. Equality my behind

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  4. My dear, it's so sad. Shebi at least he sang at the event. Kim K was in Nigeria and till date I can't pin point what she came for.

    Smoking weed in front of an audience is not good, maybe he wants to give people cancer

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  5. My dear Priscy, the issues you raised are my concerns too. Our values are gradually fading away as we try harder and harder to be like the Americans.Lol

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  6. I wish the youth of this generation can place value on themselves a lot more and look down on themselves a lot less in comparison to other cultures. Its so sad and such a shame.

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  7. I don't think there's any hope honestly. Nigerians glorify foreigners and put them on a pedestal. Why do Nigerians and Ghanaians support local artists who fill their videos with white women as if local women are not good enough?

    There you go.

    That's why Chris Brown can come to your country and do whatever rubbish he feels like.

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  8. I honestly do not blame these foreign artistes when they come to Africa and misbehave,the fault is ours (Aficans).We worship these people and don't see their wrongs lots of the times so they can come and misbehave without regards for us.Our local artistes are even better sef.*sentiment* Hehehehe

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  9. It is a sad thing indeed because it seems our values are been gradually eroded by westernization. These celebrities with questionable values and morals seem to be the one that society holds up as role models to the younger generation, who parody what they see mindlessly. The responsibility goes back to the family, to teach its children what our values are.

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  10. Priscy, I nominated you for the Liebster Award. Kindly check it out here: http://www.therelentlessbuilder.com/2013/03/liebster-award-courtesy-of-one-one.html

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  11. Hi Priscy,
    Unfortunately some people seem to support this kind of 'entertainment?', the sad thing is that they can take their very vulnerable little children to the venues too, although I am surprised that was allowed. As for me, if I had a choice between tin or gold? I think I know which one I would go for eh? Just noticed Unyime-Ivy's comment and I agree with her, the responsibility goes back to the parent. Where that lacks, at the moment in this country I think that social services might be called in to investigate.

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  12. I'm shamefully flashing my LASTMA card at seeing this so late.

    Really appalling behavior by Chris, and sadly he wasn't corrected or chastised.

    I believe he should have been made to publicly apologize, especially as there were minors at the show. That was just inexcusable behavior from him



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  13. nawa ooooo
    ahn ahn!!!..how come he wasn't chastised like jhazmyn stated!!..
    and why waste money on mediocre talent like him?!!!there are so much better artistes who are better talented than he is..eg ASA
    its very sad at what we take for granted sha...

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