Jacquiline Afua Bondzie
18 July 2008
The ace Ghanaian comedian Mr. Adu Kofi Mensah, popularly called Agya Koo, and the great highlife musician Ofori Amponsah, over the weekend, brought African entertainment to North America, to be precise Toronto, the national capital of Canada, where over 50,000 Ghanaians are currently residing.
Attendance at the show was overwhelming, because many of the residents, who attended the programme, wanted to have a feel of what ace comedian Agya Koo had up his sleeves.
Indeed at the Luna Ball, on the Jane and Finch Street, where the event was held, the two artistes gave the audience what they needed, and paid to watch last Saturday night, July 12.
The night show was organized by the Sankofa Radio, to raise funds for the establishment of African Entertainment Television [AETV], owned by Mrs. Sophia Aboagye, to give Africans, and for that matter Ghanaians, a 24-hour news, entertainment and educating programmes in Canada.
The programme, which was billed to start at 8.00 p.m. Canada time, and priced at 20 Canadian dollars, saw people reporting two hours before the scheduled time.
Four hundred attendants were expected to attend the programme, however, the crowd, which turned up for the show was almost three times that figure, indicating that Ghanaians in Canada are true lovers of Ghanaian music and comedy.
Because of the overcrowded hall resulting in a hot atmosphere, most of the audience began to go out few minutes before the show began, while others remained glued to their seats, waiting for the show to begin.
It was like the people celebrating a big victory, when the ace comedian, Agya Koo, was brought into the hall by well-built security men, because a crowd had gathered at the main entrance.
After a hectic time finding his way through the thick crowd, the show began with much of his well-prepared 'toli' stories, which sent the audience laughing their hearts out till the end of the programme.
All along the security personal had it tough controlling a section of the crowd, who wanted to jump on stage just to touch the comedian, but they managed to put everything under control till the end of the programme, which run into early morning of July 13.
The attendance could comparatively be described as fantastic, since it was always very difficult to get at least hundred Ghanaians to turn up for programmes, due commitment to work duties.
However, some the audience, who spoke to this reporter, admitted that they tried as much as possible to attend the show, because they believed it would be full of fun, and true to it, it was full of fun.
Mr. William Amoah Set, a professional cameraman based in Toronto, said the programme was so fantastic, that he wished it could be held, at least every six months to give Ghanaians entertainment from home, with different artistes coming to perform as well.
He had the belief that the show had a positive impact on the audience, since there is too much work and less relaxation, making people stressed up, so the programme released them of tension through laughing.
Mrs. Mary Osei Hams was quick to pass such a comment "my brother, today I feel like walking about in Ghana. I am so happy that I cannot describe my happiness. We need such entertainment programmes periodically, so that at least we can release the pressure of going home for just fun. Though we buy some of the tapes to watch, outings like today are very good."
A Minister of God, Reverend William Jacob French, of the Ghana Methodist Church of Toronto, preaching a sermon on Sunday July 13, took time of to comment about the show, which he had attended the day before.
Earlier there some murmurings among some members in the church auditorium, when he said he attended the show, but when members remained silent, he advised all to explore their talents to the fullest.
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