Dance artiste, Afronitaaa
Ghanaian talent manager and CEO of Dancing With Purpose (DWP) Academy, Ernest Kwablah, alias Quables, has shared revelations concerning the exit of popular dance artiste Afronitaaa.
Recall that in January 2024, Afronitaaa, real name Danita Akosua Adomaah Yeboah left the DWP Academy.
In a statement released by the group, her exit was to pursue her own dreams and embark on new projects.
Her departure, the statement reiterated, was not due to any conflict but was a peaceful exit as she felt ready to move on after six years with the group.
In an interview shared by YouTuber Kwadwo Sheldon, Quables shared the story from how she came to DWP and the issues leading up to her exit from the dance group.
Quables narrated how he took Afronitaaa under his wing when she was just starting, with less than 500 followers on TikTok.
He managed her for four years, even handling her social media. But she and her parents never signed a contract with him, even after she turned 18.
“So when she came in, I said to myself that the industry is male-dominated. I have to find females that I can groom so that they can also stand strong. So she had about 500 followers or less. But she even showed a lot of interest.
“So I said okay, I'm going to manage her. So for the next 4 years, when she was in high school, I was managing her and her social media and everything.
“Initially, because she was a minor, all correspondence went through her parents, but they never signed any contract.
“Even when she turned 18, she still never signed the contract. I said to them that I'm not going to do this anymore because she wasn't signing the contract. I even told her to speak to a lawyer and get somebody to review it, but that feedback never came,” he disclosed.
Problems started when Afronitaaa became famous. Her mother complained to Quables about not buying her daughter enough clothes and said if he managed another dancer, Endurance, her daughter wouldn't work with him anymore.
Quables also narrated how he felt hurt when Afronitaaa didn't acknowledge him in a series of interviews on radio and TV.
He also mentioned a time when Afronitaaa planned dance classes for kids without telling anyone, which could clash with DWP's own kids' classes.
“When somebody blows up, people start reaching out to them telling them things. Once, her mother confronted me, telling me I was a bad manager because I had bought clothes for her daughter only once. I'm like, I'm not supposed to be buying clothes for your daughter. That's not my work.
"Again, the mother told me that if I manage Endurance, then her daughter will not do it again. I was shocked because it’s not like any contract has been signed that you’re telling me I can't manage another brilliant dancer like Endurance.
“Even when she went on McBrown’s show and was asked which people have played a role in her life and everything, she acted like she never heard the name ‘Quables’ before. She never mentioned the name,” he said.
The breaking point came during a paid video shoot. According to Quables, Afronitaaa ignored Quables all day. When he talked to her mother about it, she got upset and soon after, he got a letter saying Afronitaaa was leaving.
“We had a shoot. A paid gig. She passed by me the whole day and never addressed me. It was like I didn't exist. She disrespected me, her manager of 5 years.
“I told the mum that I feel like the problems that I've had with her daughter over the years, never get resolved because she always picks her daughter's side. And the problem never gets solved.
“But her mum took offence and said I disrespected her because I said she could not correct her daughter. But that's not what I meant. But she kept on talking. Afterwards, she hung up.
"The next minute, I received a letter saying that Afronitaaa was leaving the academy. The letter looked like it had already been drafted by a lawyer,” he disclosed.
Quables however, said he bore no ill feeling towards Afronitaaa, stating that he loved the progression in her career and saw it as a positive step when someone moves on.
Watch the full interview below;
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