Fans thrilled at Joy FM Nite with the Stars

Wow! What a night Saturday turned out. The Accra International Conference Centre simply went gaga as patrons of Joy FM Nite with the Stars abandoned their seats for their dancing shoes all night.

They had no choice though, for how else were they to respond to the thrilling hotshots of the ever entertaining Samini, or the gigs of the sensational trio, Praye. It was simply irresistible and worth all the night sweats.

Breathtaking stagecraft, and lofty calls for peace as the nation goes to the polls on December 7, raised the annual event above a mere musical bash.

Five Five, Sarkodie, Kwaw Kesse, R2Bees and Samini, the first five to perform, all had unique and interesting entrées to the stage, just as the rest of the pack of high performers.

The stage opens slowly with a blend of increasingly glowing beautiful lights showing a bedroom setting with an apparent ‘boss’ and his mistress, while a strongly built body guard keeps close watch. Enter Five Five.

They slowly warm the crowd with their songs ‘Number One Fan’, and then mixes of ‘African Gurlz’.

Then enters Sarkodie, and the speedy rapper will not only set the house dancing, but he jibes everyone into side splitting liners that rained spontaneous applause after him as he headed for backstage.

And then Abodam! Kwaw Kesse, true to form, entered in a special way. Saddled in a wheelchair with his hands cuffed behind his seat, lights show Kwaw Kesse struggling to pick a fallen microphone without much success. As a young lad offers a hand, the chained musician grabs the chance to ‘blow’ his songs. And when he is eventually set free from the cuffs, Kwaw Kesse works patrons into a frenzy with a couple of songs, ending with his ‘Odeem’ hit. He signs off with a call for peace in the December polls, explaining that Ghana had been, and would need to remain peaceful.

As the lights return from seeing the ‘mad’ Kesse off, the stage bears what was supposed to be a posh car – two piles of car wheels and shiny alloyed rims. It was another but a new set of ‘madness’ – R2Bees, who performed their favourite ‘I Dey Mad’ and ‘Yawa Girl’.

Next, somewhere within the crowd, a boom of ‘yaga yoo ei!’ heralds MTN Music Icon, Samini - rasta-turbanned and elegantly fashioned after His Imperial Majesty Haille Sellasie. In any competition, Samini would have been ‘too much’ of a match as he rolled one song after another in a seamless chant. In one moment the multi-talented star has his voice sweetly low and charming, and the next minute, he was all hot and vibrant, yet lovely.

Samini stressed the need for peace, reminding all Ghanaians that before NPP, NDC, CPP et al, Ghana was and must be!

Tic Tac played and showed he still has a good following, and homeboy, the ‘Sexy’ Tinny, who entered the stage masked with a handkerchief and minus his trademark hat, rocked the house with a variety of renditions. Asem, Okyeame Kwame and Bradez were equally on top of their game. And as for Praye – it is well they say the sky is not the limit – their entire performance of about five songs was simply fantastic, not least ‘Angelina’. And the crowd appreciated it, upstanding all through and applauding. The group tipped their act with a stage stunt featuring an ‘enormous’ lady with endowed everything – boobs and behinds – which sent the room wild.

Okyeame Kwame was voted Joy FM Star of the Year, worth prizes from Joy 99.7 FM and telecoms giant MTN, event sponsor. (The musician was profusely surprised with his fortune, announced by the ‘ruffian’ Ato Kwamena Dadzie of Joy FM.)

The programme was also televised live on national television, GTV.

The Joy FM Nite with the Stars is in its eighth year, and while the artiste line-up and patronage have recorded appreciable improvements over the years, organisers may want to have a re-look at time – just as previous seasons the event took off late!