Ghanaian Hip life heavyweight Kwaw Kese refused, according to eye witnesses report, to perform (mime) at a concert last Saturday, to give main artist Ofori Amponsah the chance to take a breather to return later when a major live band hitch was detected minutes into the highlifer's first solo concert at the Park Central Ball Room in New York City on March 26, 2011.
It was the first of six Ofori Amponsah concerts in the U.S organized by Hashim Haruna's Boogie Down Production. Ofori had opened his show a little after 3am only to realize that his band was playing a completely horrible sound, and even Ofori's vocal output, too bad enough for consumption.
"I could not hear a thing just 10 feet away from the stage", said Trinity Quao, a Ghanaian who was at the event.
"It is the worst Ghanaian show I have ever seen. All you heard was 'Do you feel me'; meanwhile we were not feeling anything Ofori was doing on the stage considering that we had waited and travelled long distances just to see that concert due to the lack of good Ghanaian concerts in the States." Doreen Ackumey, another Ghanaian told www.myhiworld.com.
So when things got bad and Ofori couldn't switch to miming, according to back stage sources, Kwaw Kese who was seen at the show was immediately talked into getting on stage to save the situation because he could do (and he has long been doing) with P.A System, while the band issue was sorted out; but the 2008 Ghana Music Awards Artiste of the Year, allegedly responded negatively refusing to perform as he thought same thing might happen to him and might be booed off, our source said.
Very usual of African gigs in the States, the show started at about 1pm and Ofori Amponsah hit stage a few minutes after 3am. Early on, a U.S based Ghanaian underground rapper Nana NYC thrilled the crowd to songs that have made him popular among the Ghanaian committee. A fashion show was staged by Ghanaian fashion icon Zila Fashion.
When Hi enquired about the bad sound output, a source close to the organizers blamed Ofori Amponsah for not having enough time to rehearse with the band.