Editor’s
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or the second time, we have fulfilled our promise to bring you stories of exemplary people excelling in their {individual} fields of work. Through all the stress and delays we have experienced along the way, the seasoned team has relentlessly worked hard to bring you amazing and inspiring stories of people making a difference not only locally but internationally. This second issue is indeed packed with a wealth of content for your digest. We begin with the story of a young rising fashion model with just one aim, to make it to the top. We had a short chit chat with Ekow Barnes about his experience so far in the modeling industry as well as his dreams for the future. Akosua Kaalayire shares her knowledge and experience about beads in her piece she calls ‘Everything you need to know about beaded accessories.’ She touches on their history, how they are made and even how to rightly accessorize yourself with them. Ghana meets Naija 2014 is one of the events we choose to feature in this issue for the year 2014. Photographs of the event published are kind courtesy of Kwabena Awuka photography. Almost all of our readers engage us, or access this magazine via one social media outlet or another. I’m pretty sure even you are on at least one of the multiple social media outlet in existance. Did you know they directly or indirectly affect you? Social media strategist Irene Donati explains why your presence on social media has changed your public self in an article titled ‘How social media has changed our public self.’ Adwoa Hagan-Mensah has an interesting story that would excite you. She is a seasoned chef who holds a degree in Business Administration. Combine the two and you can imagine the outcome. Adwoa Hagan-Mensah graces the cover of our second issue with her amazing story of how she created Eat Jollof London, a high end catering service in London. In the first issue, you saw photographs of Radford University College’s 2013 Graduate Fashion Show and tipped you off about this year’s Graduate show. As usual, they pulled it off magnificently at the Moevinpick Ambassador Hotel and you can find the runway photos inside. We know him as Dee money but his real name is Desmond Amoah. In this issue, Dee money lets us in on his life and music career. If you want to know him better, I suggest you read every word of the interesting interview done by Faisal Mohammed. We stay in Jamestown to bring you photos from one of the most modern and creative art festivals Ghana has ever seen. The Chalewote Street Art Festival is this issue’s on the map feature. The 2014 edition of the annual festival was themed ‘Death: An eternal dream into limitless rebirth’ and was simply a joy to behold especially if you love art and fashion like I do. Did you know paintings sell for hundreds of millions of dollars today? I am pretty sure you do, but if you don’t then read on because I have personally included the 10 most expensive paintings ever sold, in this issue. The 2014 Fifa world cup held in Brazil was a great one despite the delay in preparations prior to the event but then again, it cannot be discounted that the campaign of the Ghana Blackstars team was in complete shambles. From alleged fighting in camp to refusing to train, the whole world cup experience was a nightmare to fans abroad and at home. Read as Faisal again dissects the performance of the Blackstars and tries to identify what went wrong and how we can improve the beautiful game of football in Ghana. Finally, Vanessa Marbell writes about the dreaded hair condition dandruff, and easy ways to keep your hair dandruff-free. She doesn’t leave out food too. Join her make some sumptuous Funfetti cupcakes in the food section. If you can’t now, then try it in your spare time! My deepest gratitude goes to the whole Seasoned team, all the contributors and especially to Sheila Bempong for the time and patience. Once again, I say, enjoy your copy of Seasoned and have a good read. 2 | Seasoned Magazine
Yaw Biney Editor seasonedgh@gmail.com
Oriel Barbara Sackey popularly known as Akosua Kaakyire is a third year student of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. She loves to make beads accessories and is currently managing Kaakyire Creations.
Vanessa Marbell is a writer and co-editor of Seasoned Magazine. She is currently studying Human Resource Management at Central University College.
Curtis Osei-Owusu is an Accra based event wedding, event and newborn portrait photographer. He is the face behind Kwabena Awuku Photography.
Irene Donati is a digital strategist working in Accra. She has gained a wealth of experience in Social Media and advertising through all the years she has worked in the digital industry.
Faisal Mohammed is the Public Relations Officer (P.R.O) of Seasoned Media Group. He is an avid reader and a die-hard Arsenal football club supporter.
Yaw Biney is the founder of Seasoned Media Group. He is a photographer and blogger who has authored a few blogs. His most successful blog is Humans of Accra which has earned him media coverage and recognition both locally and globally.
Content People Rising: Ekow Barnes
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Art: 10 most expensive paintings ever sold
36 Chalewote 2014: Death: An eternal dream into limitless rebirth
12 Fashion: Everything you need to know about beaded accessories
BLACK STARS Failure Realization Rebuilding
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Sports: Black Stars: Failure, Realization, Rebuilding
30 Interview: Dee Money the Ga Boy
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Entertainment: Ghana meets Naija 2014
Health: Dandruff, my worst ‘hairmare’
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA HAS CHANGED OUR PUBLIC SELF 26 Fashion Show: Radford Graduate Fashion Show 2014 Runway Photos 4 | Seasoned Magazine
18 Technology: How Social Media has changed our public self
56 Recipe: How to make Funfetti Cupcakes
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Cover Story: Adwoa HaganMensah and Eat Jollof London
EKOW BARNES 21 year old Ekow Barnes, a student of Ghana Technology University College, is a fast rising talent in the model and fashion industry. His modelling career started by chance when he had to be a makeshift model for a photo shoot. The model booked for the shoot failed to turn up and Ekow had to relieve his assistive role to Idona, his photographer friend, and take up the posing role. “The outcome was awesome! Idona told me, ‘you are going to be a great model if you take this serious’ ”, he said. So he did, and now Ekow is an accomplished model mostly doing runway and editorial modelling. His love and passion for his work makes it easy for him to express himself in an extraordinary way. Ekow is currently the Brand ambassador for Namibian Men’s Bespoke Brand Loux by Lourens Loux Gebhardt and has worked with brands like Wusuwaah’s Diary, Doneal Collection by Neal Davids for the Androgynous Summer Collection among many others. He has so far walked the runway of the Mercedes Benz African Fashion Festival and has recently been featured in the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Berlin as a result of the lookbook shoot he did for Loux The Vintage Guru. “I still hope and pray to grace runways like Milan and London Fashion Week and also cover international magazines like Vogue and GQ”, hinting his future plans for his career. Publications that have featured Ekow include the UK Travel Magazine, Suit Magazine, Gentleman’s Valet Magazine and a host of others. Asked if he had hobbies, he answered “Yes, I watch Fashion TV and reads a lot of magazines. I love soul music as well. I listen to Efya, Irene Logan and Tiwa Savage. These ladies are everything; they have soul soothing voices and are making Africa very proud.” Ekow’s modelling career is inspired by Atta Junior, a South African based Ghanaian model, Fernando Cabrel and his cousin Traval Mensah. Ekow Barnes’ last words of advice to young folks were “Never give up on your dreams. Whatever you dream or even think of achieving, surely you are going to attain it, just believe in God. Prayer is the key.”
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Photographs by Manuel Lensman Nii Sackeyfio 10 | Seasoned Magazine
Everything you need to know about beaded accessories -Akosua Kaakyire
B
eaded accessories are worn by people of all ages. They are very valuable in our society and anyone can purchase a beaded item regardless of their status in the society. Beads serve many purposes. They are used in fashion, artworks and for adornment. They are also worn as a form of identity. There are beaded accessories made for and worn by people in high status to identify their position in the society. Some people wear beads to indicate the tribe or town they come from. Beads play a significant role in the traditional African society. They can be worn for every occasion naming ceremonies, weddings, funerals, parties and many others. There are various colours of beads that are suitable for such occasions. White symbolizes newness and victory. Therefore, it would be suitable to wear white beaded accessories to a naming ceremony. Bright colours are suitable for wedding ceremonies. Dull and dark colours like black and brown represent 12 | Seasoned Magazine
sorrow any death. These are suitable colours for beads that can be worn for funerals. Beads are made of glass, bones, animal teeth, seashells and tusks while beaded accessories are produced using materials like twine, wire and elastic thread. Beads are highly produced in Africa especially Ghana, South Africa, Mali, Egypt, Nigeria, Sudan and Kenya. Nigeria and Egypt are noted for producing glass beads of very high standards. Recently, the Indians and Chinese have started producing glass beads that look very shiny and come in various sizes and shapes. These beads have become very common on the market and are used in making bracelets, waist beads, necklaces and other accessories. They are also used to decorate plain dresses to create outstanding designs. As a bead maker who produces accessories on the request of my clients, I consider certain factors before making an item. I consider their complexion, their weight (sometimes), the particular function they need to wear the accessories to, the colour of their dresses and the time of the day the accessories will be worn. This helps in producing the right accessory for the client. I help my clients to select the best materials and best designs that would suit them. Personally, I think everyone must have a beaded item in their possession. Even if they do not fancy beaded accessories, a beaded bracelet is a must-have. Depending on the occasion, a beautiful set of beaded accessories can compliment a person’s dressing. Bead making is a very lucrative business and a high percentage of the youth are getting involved. This has created some sort of competition in the market. I have seen many shops on the streets of Osu in Accra that are lined up next to each other having in stock the same accessories or similar accessories for sale. This is a typical example of a competitive market. There are also a number of people on the street who do not own shops but are sported
hawking selling beads to earn a living. These items on sale are similar but attractive. This really makes it difficult for me to purchase items from a particular shop or hawker. I may not be the only one with this problem. The only thing that will motivate me to buy any of these products is the quality and the packaging they come with. I will be willing to pay more for beads that come with quality and attractive packaging. Some students in the secondary schools and tertiary institutions who see the bead making business to be very lucrative have been making accessories for sale to generate income. I did not learn how to make accessories. It is a talent that I worked on. When I realised I had such talent, I felt reluctant to make accessories for sale. Later in secondary school, I felt the need to make accessories for sale in and outside the country. I would like to add that bead making can be a lifetime job that will fetch an artist a lot of money depending on the type of materials being used and how products are packaged and advertised. I patronise beads from Dodowa in the Greater Accra region, Krobo in the Eastern region of Ghana and imported beads from Mali and Kenya. This is because high quality beads are produced in these places. Mali and Kenya are some of the countries noted for producing recycled beads. The use of recycled beads is a way of using traditional inspiration to bring new use to old materials. The Makola market in Accra is a popular shopping centre which is famous for the various trading activities that take place there. At the Makola market, I buy other beads and materials for making accessories that are imported into the country from all over the world. There are cheap beads on the market that are made out of plastic. I choose not to patronise these beads because they do not last long. Their colours fade out within a short time and they become useless. I always want my clients to have value
Akosua (left) and models showcasing some of her jewellery. for their money and always feel the need to pay more and that is why I go in for quality beads and materials. It is right for people to know who they are and the accessories that suit them best before buying them. Designers should assist customers who are not certain on what would suit them in selecting the best accessories. Customers have the right to request for specific finishing materials that they want. It is always advisable to purchase materials of high quality standards. Quality finishing is very essential. Without excellent finishing, I personally consider an artefact useless. The type of finish and the materials used in producing the artefacts will tell if it will last long or not. Durable materials must be used to create the perfect finish for a product.
Organizers of the Ghana meets Naija Concert, Empire Entertainment, once again lived up to expectation this year as they hosted the 4th edition of the concert at the Accra International Conference Center. Over ten artistes from Ghana and Nigeria graced the occasion and gave the concert goers a thrill of their lifetime. The aeroplane themed concert welcomed attenders onboard with Chris Attoh as the pilot for the night. Artistes who performed include Sarkodie, Guru, Edem, Mz Vee, Dee Money, Castro and Artiste of the year award winner Shatta Wale among many others from Ghana. Nigeria also represented with Wizzboy of Wizolingo Fame, Davido and Kcee. 14 | Seasoned Magazine
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HOW SOCIAL MEDIA HAS CHANGED OUR PUBLIC SELF A behaviour created by smartphones and social networks has become the word of the year, and like everything that happens on social networks, it is influencing people. As a strategist in advertising, it is pretty clear to me that we should all understand how social media is changing our lives.
E
very end of every year, the Oxford Dictionary announces the international word of the year. It is a word, the use of which has become predominant in the last twelve months. The use of the word chosen for 2013 has increased by 17,000%. That is a lot. Any idea why? The 2013 word of the year was SELFIE. And still, this is one of the most used and (let me say) abused words. The Oxford Dictionary research shows that the word selfie was in use since 2002: it made its first appearance in an Australian online forum post on ABC Online but its usage wasn’t widespread until around 2012, when selfie was being used commonly in mainstream media sources. Michelle Obama took her first selfie in South Africa in July 2013 after deciding to join Instagram to describe her family trip to Africa.
Irene Donati Digital Strategist
There’s even a backstage video showing the first lady taking her first selfie on YouTube and if that
was popular, her latest selfie was even more so: Michelle took a picture of herself and her dog Bo. One of the comments: “The first lady takes selfies.
#sheistoocool”. So Michelle, in her branding activity, has 18 | Seasoned Magazine
probably decided that she needs to be cool and more appreciated by young people, people who can maintain a high opinion of Obama during his second term and who can be the next Democrat’s voters. She’s pushing the Obama brand in many ways, also with selfies. Yes, because when a celebrity goes public, their image is nothing but a brand image, and what they do on social networks is what brands should do: take their values, be it controversial or not, and share them with people in order to increase their awareness, and most of all, to become not only appreciated or liked, but loved. The Pope took a selfie with some young Italian pilgrims in the St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. The Telegraph noticed: “Since the Pope was selected, he has made clear his intention to connect with young people, and to move the Papacy into a more modern, informal age.”- Branding. Beyonce and the Kardashians are the most followed celebrities on Instagram. Their profiles are full of selfies. And what about Neymar: the most vain football player on earth, champion of selfies. When Beyonce put up this selfie with her new short haircut online, it became one of the most debated topics on the web for two days. So why do people who normally hate paparazzi
decide to put their private life on Instagram every day? Because when you are on social networks you show what you want people to see. You show what improves your public image. You chose the value you think will appeal most to your fans, followers or friends and you make it public. This happens even if you are not a celebrity. Check the hashtag #selfie on Instagram and you will find more than 50,000,000 posts. As Mashable says in a very interesting
psychological review on this cultural revolution, our self-images represent how we define ourselves and how we want to be perceived by others. But again, the social networks changed the game. Instagram filters on pictures have determined a new condition: you are not putting your real image online, but a better one, an improved version of you. Huffington Post underlines the fact that this is an expression of the new generation. They define it as the “Me Generation”, seeing a sort of selfcenteredness behind this attitude. But it can actually be considered the exact opposite. To show off is what young people want. They want to share and to connect with other people, which is exactly what social networks are about. Once again, these media are influencing not only
our online behaviour: this is how we interact with people, this is how we talk, this is how we define ourselves. And this, of course, is advertising: look at these famous photos reframed as cellphone selfies, created for the South African Cape Times’ print ads. The tag line says ”You can’t get any closer to the news”. Last but not least, as usual, we have to notice that these digital behaviours hide a creepy side… This video shows how a group of young people pose in front of a camera thinking they’re having a picture taken, but, unfortunately, it was a video. Remember it next time you want to show off in front of a camera.
A new WEST AFRICAN FOOD experience
Her love for cooking and the need to cater for NonAfricans ignited the Eat Jollof London. Today, she is showcasing and serving redefined West African food on the international scene.
ADWOA HAGAN-MENSAH
W
est African food is gradually making waves on the international scene. Whether it is for the nutrition, taste or physical appeal, food lovers have a wide array of choices to select from when it comes to West African foods. West African cuisine are typically characterized by their heavy and starchy nature, however one woman is creatively working to change this perception. Adwoa Hagan-Mensah through her brainchild Eat Jollof London is promoting the concept of light and tasty West African dishes that meet fine dining standards and appeal to food enthusiasts who want to have a feel of the redefined West African food experience. Eat Jollof London was created out of the need that Adwoa saw in the UK market to cater for Non-Africans. I had an interview with Adwoa Hagan-Mensah and this is her story. Adwoa is the second of five daughters of her parents and lives happily with her husband and two young daughters in Kent, England. Growing up, she remembers being influenced by her mother and grandmother in the ‘kitchen moments’ they often shared. This allowed her to learn many Ghanaian recipes she would later find useful. With a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Greenwich,
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Adwoa decided to merge her administration skills and her love for cooking into a business and that was the beginning of Jollof Pot. Jollof Pot was a catering company set up by Adwoa and her husband Llyod Mensah which specialized in modern Ghanaian food with a twist, introducing Ghanaian food to Londoners and foreigners alike in a fresh, simple, light and definitely less spicy form. After 10 years of operating Jollof Pot, Adwoa and Lloyd decided to separate business but still in the food industry. Adwoa concentrating on fine dining - Eat Jollof London and Lloyd on street food Spinach & Agushi (market stalls). Adwoa was approached by investors who are equal partners of Eat Jollof London and together, they have been able to create a high end West African catering company to cater for the African and Non-African markets and ultimately make West African food mainstream and easily accessible in London. Eat Jollof London commenced officially in August 2014 and since then, Adwoa Hagan-Mensah and her team have succeeded in creating a defined brand of tasty and light West
African food that meet global standards as a result of their relentless effort. A combination of seasoned chefs, administrators and a strong public relations team form the structure of Eat Jollof London. They are responsible for that last meal you enjoyed at Eat Jollof London, if you are a patron. The company uses a unique social media approach to stay in touch with its customers and potential clients. Their presence on Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram ensure that they take advantage of these growing online social communities to promote their brand and gain new followers every day. Eat Jollof London’s splendid showcasing of West African food in a beautiful and modern way means that they are constantly contracted to cater for events such as weddings and parties. Their great customer service coupled with their mode of
Eat Jollof London’s splendid showcasing of West African food meets fine dining standards across the globe
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Menu Ideas for your EVENT BY EJL
Canapes
Tangy chilli prawns on wholemeal croutons
Fried ripe plantain, grilled mackerel, shito & dill
Seared scallops with mango 24 | Seasoned Magazine
serving with custom made oak bowls has earned them a hefty client list of celebrities and charites such as charirites Street Child and Feed the Minds amongst others. They have also catered for private parties like the 80th Birthday celebration of renowned Ghanaian artist Ablade Glover at the October Gallery London this summer. Individuals and families have also attested to the services of Adwoa and her team, and continue to urge others who are yet to experience West African food to give it a try. Eat Jollof London’s menu is unlike the usual caterer’s menu. A lot of hard work and research goes into making it. Adwoa and her team of handpicked chefs, with Michelin experience, spend time working with West African flavours and textures, to come up with the best ideas for the market and for each event. They have also decided to adopt the practice of making canapés which is unknown to their traditional roots of presenting food. The dynamism with which Eat Jollof London uses to transform the concept of heavy and starchy West African cuisine to light but tasty meals has succeeded in appealing to many and offered them a great opportunity in the global market. Adwoa and her business have come a long way and she has no intention of
Mains
Guinea fowl, coco yam shallot and scotch bonnet rosti
Grilled plantain with beans
Jollof risotto with sea bass
stopping now. As she goes through her day meeting with corporate clients, introducing and discussing West African fusion cuisine with tailor made ‘Eat Jollof London’ taster boxes as well as researching and developing trends within the catering industry, she does not neglect her family duties. She loves the outdoors and spends every break away from her busy schedule with her young family. From camping and discovering the beauty of the English countryside to entertaining dinner parties and family gatherings, Adwoa makes sure to bond with every member of the family. Adowa Hagan-Mensah’s plan for the future is to have a range of cook books that will give ideas and inspiration to people on how to cook delicious West African food, gradually making it a must-have delicacy for every home around the world. I look forward to following the exciting journey of Eat Jollof London down the line and I definitely cannot wait to get my hands on those cook books to try, Adwoa. If you want to join me, then follow Eat Jollof London on @eatjolloflondon on Twitter and Instagram, email them at info@ eatjolloflondon.co.uk or simply call them on 02089848437 to book your event or to just say hi.
Ghanaian cocoa chocolate pudding
Desserts
Chocolate mousse with mint
Vanilla mousse with amaretto and almonds
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RADFORD GRADUATE FASHION SHOW 2014
Radford University College prides itself as the leading University when it comes to Fashion in Ghana. In June, they hosted another Graduate Fashion Show at the Mรถvenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra. The works of graduates Afua Anima Biney, Anisa Hamid, Babara Tetteh Appiah, Abigail Adu, Naa Amua Offei Hepzibah, Naa Adoley, Yaa Comfort Tieku Nana, Rhoda Narh, Anne Owusu Marfo, Grace Baffoe, Alberta Osae Quansah and Woodin were showcased on the runway for fashion lovers and icons from all over the world to see. Afua Anima Biney and Nana Osei were rewarded by Silver Star Autos for being the best student in Fashion and Graphic Design respectively.
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DEE MONEY THE GA BOY 30 | Seasoned Magazine
By Faisal Mohammed
I
t’s been five years or so since the hands, mind you, he still had to hit mainstream debut of Dee keep grounded and get po-faced Money titled ‘Kpokpo Body.’ so as not to get bypassed by other Ever since that release, the ar- eager and ‘hungry’ up and coming tiste known otherwise as Des- musicians. “I had been doing Hipmond Amoah has released songs Hop covers and I thought it was which in the USA or UK would time to get serious with my music. have earned him platinum records. I was in South Africa with my proDee weathered the storm brought ducer then, Gafacci. We put two about by a split from one of Gha- and two together with the House na’s top labels, and now owns his sound and Kpokpo body was the own record label Millitant Mindz result.” “I records. Despite all, he has proven to be echt, driven, full of forehad been doing sight whilst keeping his feet on the Hip-Hop covers and I ground. “I’m a simple guy, I appreciate fashion, I love music and I thought it was time to get am a family guy. I’m laid back serious with my music. I was in and cool too. I schooled back and forth in Ghana and the USA South Africa with my producer and I also remember attending then, Gafacci. We put two and two Achimota Primary.” Desmond has been seen in the past to make music which caters to only lovers of the Hip-hop genre, and also the early social media fanatics, no, not the current twitter lovers. The entertainer has been making music since hi5 days. Yes, hi5. “I had been recording with one of my boys in a small studio. We’d cover the microphone with a sock and the beat would be all over the place but we still thought it was hot. Gradually I started doing covers of other popular songs and put it on Facebook and hi5. I had friends in G.I.S, A.I.S, Lincoln and S.O.S who put my songs on their pages and I started gaining recognition. That was it I made my first hit.” Dee Money is an offspring of the Internet Age. With the exposure brought about by the Internet, which he accepted with both
together with the House sound and Kpokpo body was the result.” “B a s i c a l l y, there’s a point in your life where you think you should move on if probably things don’t go as you expect it to.” This was the terse response given when the Black Avenue Music split was brought up. “I personally felt my music wasn’t being pushed as it should have been as an artiste. You guys should be the judge. Compare where I was then and now.” Asked again about the split, his answer was, “if we keep going back to that topic the answer is just going to drag. So I’ll just talk about this once. I moved on to push my music and it’s been good. There’s nothing like beef in Ghana, I think it’s a joke, I don’t understand it. At the end of the
day if you’re nice to me, I’ll also be nice with you, but there’s nothing like going back to do business with or shaking hands with anybody.” In recent times the country has been taken over by the Azonto Wave. As a result, there’s been a shift of musicians from one genre to jump on the Azonto bandwagon just to push their music, thus moving away from what endeared them to their hard core fans. “Like I said, in the Ghanaian music industry, you’ve got to be really tough. I’m originally a Hip-hop artiste, but I like to experiment with my sound, Afrobeats, House music, Tech sounds, the Pop and the like. With the type of music I make, and Ghanaians loving the Azonto sound, there might be the need to follow that trend so my music can be played on the radio. But I realized I don’t have to do that because I’ve built a little fan base who appreciate my music, you can see from my recently released music, Money Talks, Marilyn Monroe and even Finish Line. Since I do Hiphop, I’ve just got to keep on pushing.” Samini, Sarkodie, R2Bees, The FoKN Bois, Efya. These entertainers are amongst only a select few who have been opportune to grace international stages to perform to audiences of various races, been nominated for and won monumental international awards all with the view to boosting the brand of Ghana music worldwide. Dee is a part of that select few. “I was one of the first and youngest African acts to go on Tim Westwood Live, the
first artist from Ghana to perform in The Indigo O2 Arena in London, I had a sold-out five city tour in America, D.C, Chicago, Atlanta, New York and I did Ohio too. I did a concert in Nigeria, One Mic Naija.” He’s also friends with the Best Group in Hip-hop, according to the B.E.T award they received this year, Young Money. “During the B.E.T awards three or four years ago, I was at the mall where I met Lil Chuckee’s father and told him I was from West Africa, Ghana. He didn’t believe me, but we spoke a bit and then I showed him the Excellence Hotel where I was staying in Beverly Hills. Later we met at their hotel. We were just vibing and later on, Twist came, then Tyga also came. We played a couple of beats and had fun. We were both trying to expand our brands because they had not met an African artiste yet, maybe apart from Akon. So I played them my freestyles and videos and they loved it. It’s been like that ever since, when I go there we hook up and hang out. We’ve got projects but I’m waiting for the right time to release them.”
The Black Entertainment Television (B.E.T) Awards are one of the most highly rated in world. Desmond was one of the first Ghanaians nominated for an award on that international platform. He didn’t win the award though. Hardwork or success, according to Dee Money, should not be gauged only by awards. “I’ll be honest with you, when it comes to awards I don’t put my mind to it, whether the B.E.T awards or it is The Grammys, I just work. I’m not saying don’t
Samira (former member of The D3 Group). I will be honest; I listen to myself a lot and sometimes to Ayigbe Edem as well. In the United States I like Ludacris, Jay Z and Nas, but my favourite rapper of all time is Big L. I don’t want to mention the clichés like Kanye West, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, but I love Kanye’s attitude on his songs, because when I’m recording I don’t just want the lyrics, I want the attitude on it. But my biggest influence is Big L.”
Millitant Mindz Records - the brainchild of Dee Money.
According to the entertainer this is just the tip of the iceberg, he envisions owning a chain of companies because of his love for money and no, he isn’t selfish, he has a vision, and it involves the youth of the nation. wFor instance, I was having an interview on Y FM I think, when a lady called and asked in Twi ‘Don’t you attend school?’ So the vision basically is to pave the way and give the youth a face to tell them to wake up and stand up for and be what they want to become. I don’t think you should be thirty something before you start to record, you should start when you are young.” 32 | Seasoned Magazine
pay attention but I’m saying don’t focus on it, because those currently winning might be doing Azonto or House music or Techno, that will sway you but I’ve decided to be me. If you’re an artist believe and focus on your brand and push it. I’ve got a couple of nominations for some awards since last year, but I’m just focussed.”
Desmond Amoah is an avid basketball player who stopped playing because he injured someone during an altercation in a game sometime back. He backed the Miami Heat to beat the San Antonio Spurs. (The Spurs inevitably sucker punched the Heat in 5 Games in The Finals.) He’s also a huge fan of EA Sports Fifa franchise, especially Fifa 14 but “I don’t have favourite artistes in according to the ‘Ga Boy,’ he doesn’t Ghana but I like to listen to some: play the actual game anymore. Dee R2bees, Kwawkese, Fuse ODG, and Money doesn’t drink
“
The vision I have is too big. I came up at a time when there wasn’t a young act like myself. People were complaining, asking, won’t you go to school?
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KWABENA AWUKU
or smoke but likes to have fun. I asked about his favourite hangout, and this turned out to be one of the most serious moments of the interview, when he brought up his tightly- knit group of friends. “You see, to me, the best hangout can be in this room. As long as my favourite people, my friends are around me and we’re chilling, we’re chatting, having fun then it’s my favourite spot. But when I’m outside the country, I love Miami, I love Beverly Hills, I love up-state New York, that’s about it maybe the clubs, but most of the time I like to have my ‘peoples’ around me playing games, listening to music, making freestyles, that’s when I’m having fun.” In an industry where having a façade to lure more fans to your base is the modus operandi, Dee Money was plainspoken and candid beyond belief. Certainly a nice turn from musicians who say one thing in interviews, only to be doing another in reality. “In the Ghanaian industry, honestly, there’s no one I go to for advice. Basically, to me God is everything. All the decisions that got me here were by God, not I. When I came up, I was too young to be able to strategize and to do stuff on my own, so all the steps I took; I think it’s God.” And about that special someone? “Charlie, I don’t have a girlfriend oh, to be honest I’ve spent too much time on all that, when I started the record label I didn’t need any extra drama from anywhere because the work is too demanding. Imagine I have a corporate meeting with these investors then this girl is hitting up my phone saying I’m not replying her texts and all that. I can’t deal with the extra drama.” Dee Money rebounded from the split with Black Avenue Music 34 | Seasoned Magazine
remarkably and hopes to use that experience to nurture his brain child, Millitant Mindz Records. “I love music so if an individual has potential and makes good music, I’ll sign the person, but right now it is just me. Before I sign any act, I want to be in a position where no promises are broken, then give the artist the push because in Ghana, record labels sign you and rather rip you off. You can’t sign an artist and not do much for the artist, they pay for their clothes to perform and all that. I don’t even call them labels because they don’t do what a label is supposed to do. It’s a commitment; you don’t just sign an act and con them.” A pair of all-black Nike Air Max, a pair of jeans ripped at the knees ‘Kanye West style’, a white tee teamed with a classy gold chain and a snapback. The ensemble put together by Dee money for this sitdown. He’s been known to be eccentric in his fashion sense but he’s definitely got the youth following some of his trends. “Am I a fashion freak? (Laughter) I like to put things together, abstract stuff. I used to match denims when I was young, jeans top and jeans trousers. I paint as well so the artistic mentality of putting colours together is stuck with me. I was a sneaker head Dee Money too. I love the Jordans, the Nike Huaraches, The Chuck Taylors, the be a Dee Money fan from the inClassic Reeboks, Timberland, the ception. You had to pay attention Air Max too. My favourite Jordans to realize it, so my fans make me are the tens.” feel great and I appreciate it. I always go hard for them because I You’ve got to admit at a certain don’t want an ‘against’ person to point this is an entertainer who is sit somewhere and tell my fan Dee honest and wants to give the best to Money doesn’t do this right or do his fans always. “Every artiste will that right , that’s why I always go say this but I think I have the best hard. So I’d like to thank my fans, fans. I have fans that send me lyrics my family and God and any other of my song on Facebook and I’m person who appreciates my music.” touched. Sometime ago a fan was singing ‘DJ bring it back’ to me and to have heard that song, you had to
CHALEWOTE 2 0 1 4
Every year, Accra[dot]Alt hosts the Chalewote Street Art Festival in Jamestown, Accra. This year’s edition dubbed “Death: An eternal dream into limitless rebirth” was the fourth of its kind to be held.
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Death: An eternal dream into limitless rebirth
if you haven’t then this is what we saw through rt, music and fashion was displayed in abundance at this year’s Chalewote Street our lens. Art Festival at Jamestown on the 23rd and 24th of August. This edition which happens to be the 4th was themed “Death: An eternal dream into limitless rebirth.” Numerous artworks of artistes were showcased along the streets of Jamestown turning the oldest district in Accra into a beautiful, colourful work of art. The two day festival also saw performances from music artists like Wanluv the Kubolor, Mutombo da Poet amongst a host of other musicians. Fashion was not left out as fashion designers and clothe makers also showcased to the hundreds of people who thronged the streets of Jamestown. A few designers also had their works paraded through the streets and were warmly received by onlookers. Oh and before I forget, photographers were there in their numbers, so I’m sure you may have already seen most part of the festival from the comfort of your screens. But Kodak moment: A quad catches fire after numerous
36 | Seasoned Magazine
stunts
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10 MOST EXPENSIVE PAINTINGS EVER SOLD 42 | Seasoned Magazine Source: Wikipedia
Anna’s Light Painter: Barnett Newman Year: 1968 Price: $105.7 million Buyer: Unknown Year sold: 2013
Turn your screen sideways for the correct view of the painting
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Nude, Green leaves and Bust Painter: Pablo Picasso Year: 1932 Price: $106.5 million Buyer: Unknown Year sold: 2010 44 | Seasoned Magazine
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Flag Painter: Jasper Johns Year: 1954 Price: $110 million Buyer: Steven A. Cohen Year sold: 2010
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The scream Painter: Edvard Munch Year: 1859 Price: $119.9 million Buyer: Leon Black Year sold: 2012 46 | Seasoned Magazine
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Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I Painter: Gustav Klimt Year: 1907 Price: $135 million Buyer: Ronald Lauder, Neue Galerie Year sold: 2006
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Woman III Painter: Willem de Kooning Year: 1953 Price: $137.5 million Buyer: Steven A. Cohen Year sold: 2006 48 | Seasoned Magazine
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No. 5, 1948 Painter: Jackson Pollock Year: 1948 Price: $140 million Buyer: David Martinez Year sold: 2006
Three Studies of Lucian Freud Painter: Francis Bacon Year: 1969 Price: $142.4 million Buyer: Elaine Wynn Year sold: 2013 50 | Seasoned Magazine
Turn your screen sideways for the correct view of the painting
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Le RĂŞve Painter: Francis Bacon Year: 1932 Price: $155 million Buyer: Steven A Cohen Year sold: 2013
The card players Painter: Pablo Picasso Year: 1892/93 Price: $259 million Buyer: Qatar Eoyal Family Year sold: 2011 52 | Seasoned Magazine
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BLACK STARS Failure Realization Rebuilding
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ionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Mesut Ozil, the household names. James Rodriguez, Joel Campbell, Toni Kroos, the youngsters who came into their own. These stars converged in Brazil, the world’s spiritual football home to compete in a World Cup never seen before. Africa sent her representatives as well, chief amongst them our own Ghana Black Stars, the surprise package at the last mundial in South Africa. The team who were stopped from making history by the cheating, biting, racial abusing Luis Suarez. Ghana was in a group alongside European powerhouses Germany and Portugal and a USA team coached by the fearless Jürgen Klinsmann. Despite this fact, there was a palpable sense of belief amongst us all. We believed in the scoring abilities of Africa’s highest World Cup scorer in history, Asamoah “Baby Jet” Gyan, the assuredness of Dede Ayew, the passing mastery of Kwadwo Asamoah and the levelheadedness of the pair of John Boye and Jonathan Mensah. Alas, in the first minute of the first match against the vindictive Americans, it all fell apart; the problems which have plagued our national team since we last lifted an international trophy magnified for all to see. Before the World Cup had even began there were problems between the national teams of Nigeria and Cameroun and their associations, money-related as usual. There
was a refusal to travel to Brazil in some circles. But hold on, this article would rather veer away from the hubbub surrounding the financial triangle involving the Sports Ministry, the GFA and the national team, which definitely played a part in our exit though. It is rather about accepting our flaws, realizing where we erred and how we can return Ghana to the apogee of African football. There is none better to draw lessons from than the winners of the just ended mundial, Germany. Ghana’s illustrious opponents in the World Cup, Germany, whom we almost beat, were eliminated from the group stages of the Euro UEFA Championships in 2004. This result was seen back home as a complete failure and saw to the total overhaul of the German football structure. There came Jürgen Klinsmann and Joachim Low. The association that runs German football saw it as a blemish to the footballing standards upheld by the football crazy nation and immediately took steps to ensure it never happened again. For the decade Germany took to finally find itself atop World football, this has been their record. Semi-final in the 2006 World Cup, Final in the 2008 Euros, Semi-final in the 2010 World Cup, Semi-final in the 2012 Euros and on the grandest stage in Brazil 2014 they became Champions. This record has taken place during a period where they are rebuilding the national team,
mind you. On the European continent, immense attention is given to building from the grassroots level and seeing to it that those to whom time and attention was given to refine their talents give it their all on the international stage for their nations. Ghana, led by the mercurial Andre Dede Ayew, in 2009 to surprise of the whole world beat Brazil to the World Under-20 Championship. Amongst the crop of young talents who took the world by storm then, only a handful now belong to the fold of the national team, a whole half a decade later. This shows a clear problem for the hopes of our future in the game if we can’t see to the progression of talents to the big time. Meanwhile, Germany in 2009 won the European Under-21 Championships with a team consisting of Manuel Neuer, Benedikt Howedes, Jerome Boateng, Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil and Mats Hummels, six starters in the 2014 Final of the World cup. The contrast in tales with the Ghana team, where only Andre Dede Ayew from the world beaters in 2009, can stake a claim for a starting spot is immense. There ought to be clearly defined path from the youth levels to the national team. A proper structure would be great to keep the talented ones in the sights of the national team at all times whilst ensuring they mature with the style of play decided upon for the team. The former coach of the Black Stars team, James Kwesi Appiah, was handed a new contract before the team left for Brazil to take on the world. This is not a slight to the work he has done, but again let us look to the Germans for comparison. “We lost 4-1 to Italy in a game three months before Germany 2006 and everybody wanted my blood. Three weeks later against the USA we won 4-1, that victory saved my job.” Jürgen Klinsmann made this statement in March 2006. “The German federation had been ready to make a change. They wanted a conservative approach again, not the revolution.” Jürgen Klinsmann, one of the world’s most talented coaches even had his job hanging by a thread after a FRIENDLY MATCH loss. Not a World Cup match but a friendly against Italy. After this cataclysmic showing by the national team, definitely a thought at least should be given to changing the whole or at least a part of the technical setup of the team. This team played without a particular style, there were numerous claims of nepotism in camp (some of which I believe, such as against Kwarasey), and it was blatant the coach lost control of the team at a point in time. I believe change must occur, be it a foreign coach or not, someone who is firm, a disciplinarian and has a compendious plan to take the nation forward. Some might argue against bringing in a foreign coach but 54 | Seasoned Magazine
let’s be honest; there really is nothing wrong with one if he can deliver. Colombia and Costa Rica and even the USA, this year’s surprise packages are not headed by their countrymen, but they were dedicated to the cause and have both made themselves proud with the standard of performances they put up. Also, it isn’t like the Ghana is bursting at the seams with coaches of the highest calibre. Germany has 34,970 UEFA licensed coaches. I shudder to think of how many CAF licensed coaches our nation boasts of. Germany began addressing the problems in their game by grappling with a case of lack of identity, style and grassroots development. They are now serial achievers and rightly so. They are dynamic and attack-minded, but with a balance. Hans-Dieter Flick, Germany’s assistant coach, is a strict advocate for the practice of set pieces unlike his boss, Joachim Low. Since 2006, they’ve placed bets on if their team can score from a corner kick. The loser buys a quality bottle of red wine for the other. After the Confederations Cup, chief scout Urs Siegenthaler made a report. The Germans couldn’t play their high tempo style all tournament long, due to the incredible heat in Brazil. As a result they needed to take advantage of set pieces, especially corner kicks. Thus they started extra sessions mainly for set pieces. Now Germany, one of the worst set piece takers, scored from set pieces against Ghana, USA, France and Brazil. Not bad at all. This type of innovation, astuteness and overall a high level of football IQ is lacking in the Ghana fold. We conceded terribly from set pieces, couldn’t create a balance between attack and defence and simply put, lacked innovation. It’s clear that such an extensive scouting mission as undertaken by the Germans would cost a lot of money but honestly, money spent on the so called Ambassadors, John Dumelo et al could have been better appropriated. The FA must decide on the philosophy needed to ensure triumph. Should we play a possession-based game? Should we adopt a counter attacking mind-set? A decision should be made and that philosophy should run from the lowest level of the national youth team through to the senior team. This is Ghana. Our beloved country. We know the mindset all too well of “all talk and little or no action.” It has to come to a stop now. Progress has been made since 1982 when we last triumphed in the African Cup of Nations; but we still need a clearer blueprint, a plan which the Football Association makes public to the whole nation so we know where we are headed in the beautiful game. It could have been Asamoah Gyan and co the world would have been watching on that fateful Sunday. It seems impossible but never say never in Jogo Bonito!
Dandruff my worst ‘hairmare’
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Vanessa Marbell
cratch, scratch and scratch till it’s sore. Dandruff is common. It is a scalp disorder that affects most people and often causes itching. It has been well established that keratinocytes play a role in the expression and generation of immunological reactions during dandruff formation. There is actually no true cure, but some specialized Shampoos help. Dandruff has several causes, mostly mild and severe. Such includes dry skin, psoriasis, seborrhoeic dermatitis, shampooing too often, eczema, being sensitive to hair care products etc. Dry skin is the most common cause of flaking dandruff. Mythically, dandruff has been linked to the rapid growth of hair,therefore the more the dandruff you get in your hair, the faster your hair grows and the longer it becomes but it has not been scientifically proven. How is dandruff is formed? It’s caused by yeast like fungus called Malassezia globosa, and it goes pretty wild on your scalp. This microscopic fungus is a normal inhabitant on your head; it feeds on fattyoils secreted by hair follicles in the scalp. It’s said that, it’s when their action goes out of control, that you experience the uncomfortable irritable sensation you go through that makes you want to tear your head off. How do I deal with it? • Ciclopirox is widely used as an anti-fungal dandruff agent in most preparations • Some shampoos use a combination of ingredients to deal with dandruff. For example antifungal containing Ketoconazole, ZincPyrithione and Selenium Sulphide • Coal Tar causes the skin to shed dead cells from the topmost layer and slows down skin cell growth. But if it’s the coal tar I’m thinking...urr...I will just stick to my shampoo • In Indian, Japanese and Chinese traditional medicine, egg oils are used as a treatment for dandruff, but there isn’t any clinical evidence to it. I know dandruff gets tiring scratching the life out of your hair, but please go easy on it, because no amount of scratching actually solves it, it only makes your scalp red-hot and sore.
Funfetti Cupcakes
Recipe
Don’t we all love that mm!!! When the icing just melts in your mouth, I’m talking about that heavenly feeling that lasts until the last bite. Who doesn’t love bright colors and sprinkles? It’s so festive and fun and totally appropriate for any birthday party. Funfetti cupcakes are totally easy to make right at home. All you need is basic vanilla.
INGREDIENTS: For the Cupcakes: 1¾ cups cake flour 1¼ cups all-purpose flour 1¾ cups granulated sugar 2½ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into ½-inch cubes 4 eggs 1 cup whole milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
low, add the butter, a few cubes at a time, continuing until all the butter has been added and the mixture resembles coarse sand.
a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
5. Make the Frosting: Using the
BASE CUPCAKE RECIPE ADAPTED FROM COOKIESANDCUPS.COM
wire whisk attachment of your 3. Keeping the mix- stand mixer, whip the butter er on low speed, add on medium-high speed for 5 the eggs one at a minutes, stopping to scrape the time, scraping down bowl once or twice. Reduce the the sides of the bowl speed to low and gradually add between additions. the powdered sugar. Once all Slowly pour in the of the powdered sugar is inmilk and vanilla and corporated, increase the speed mix until combined. Increase to medium-high and add the DIRECTIONS: the mixer speed to medium vanilla, mixing until incorpo1. Make the Cupcakes: Pre- and beat for 2 minutes, until rated. Whip at medium-high heat oven to 350 degrees F. batter is smooth, scraping the speed until light and fluffy, Line a cupcake pan with pa- sides of bowl as needed. Using about 2 minutes, scraping the a rubber spatula, gently stir in bowl as needed. per liners; set aside. the sprinkles. 6. Frost the cupcakes as desired and garnish with additional 2. In the bowl of a stand 4. Fill the liners two-thirds sprinkles. Frosted cupcakes mixer, add the flours, sugar, full (about ¼ cup of batter) can be stored in an airtight baking powder and salt, and container at room temperature mix together on low speed for and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the centers are set and for up to 3 days. 1 minute. With the mixer on 56 | Seasoned Magazine
For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature 5 cups powdered sugar 2 tablespoons vanilla extract Rainbow sprinkles, for decorating
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58 | Seasoned Magazine