“Stip” Champions Content Production

As a young boy growing up in Teshie, a suburb of the nation’s capital, Accra, Ezekiel Okletey Tetteh dreamt of becoming a professional boxer and the biggest sporting personality to raise high the flag of Ghana. His decision was hugely influenced by his immediate society, where most people had love for boxing.

Widely known within the arts and entertainment fraternity as Stip, he had a humble beginning with parents who placed a premium on education and wouldn’t compromise on the education of the children for anything. The family considered education as a priority and would go the extra length to ensure the children received the best of education.  

After his elementary education at the Mensah Sarbah International school, Stip attended the Teshie Boys School for his Junior High School education. Discovering his love for the arts, he enrolled at the Ghanatta College of Arts for a diploma course in Graphic Designing and later obtained a certificate in Television Production from the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI).  

He is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Solid Multimedia Limited, one of the most sought after television content production company in the country at the moment. The company also specializes in event management and has successfully executed some of the biggest shows held in the country.

      

“I remember when I was growing up, anytime a child was asked about his or her future career, the child will either mention becoming a doctor, lawyer, pilot or architect when he or she had no clue as to how to get there. For me, I always said boxing because the people closest to me in my society always talked about boxing and viewed boxers as great people whenever they talked about Azumah Nelson and others. On the other hand, I loved to draw so my dad decided to assist me realize my dreams and that was why I opted for a course in graphic designing instead of what I fancied, boxing”.

Explaining his journey into the world of multimedia content production, he said “on the completion of my course, I had my mandatory internship at Sifex Digital, now known as Ohene Media (OM) Studios. There, I was introduced to television production by Abraham Ohene Djan and it didn’t take long for me to start as a music video director in addition to designing CD labels. To succeed in this new field, I knew I had to get back into the classroom to learn the basics and be properly tooled”.

That was the genesis of Solid Multimedia Limited, a company he had to start with his personal savings and just a laptop in the bedroom of his then girlfriend, who is now his wife, Mrs. Phillipah Tetteh and mother of his daughter Dulcie Dede Tetteh.

“I came up with the name of the company after my first client described my work as solid to signify it was a good work. I was thrilled by the term and decided to name the company Solid Multimedia. After three years working in my girlfriend’s bedroom, I rented an office space and moved my operations there. I then employed two people as I was getting overwhelmed with the workload. After directing music videos for some of the best musicians at the time, we went on to win the Best Music Video Director at the Ghana Music Awards in 2008. To remain relevant in the industry, we continued to work hard and strive to raise the bar with each project we handled.”.

For the last five years, Solid Multimedia has been the power behind some of the best content on Ghanaian television at the moment including the very popular entertainment magazine show on multiple television channels, 30 Minitz, which also won the Best Entertainment Show at the 2015 Television Awards. Other content owned by Solid Multimedia are FASHIONgh, Extra Play List and Footprint TV. Other shows produced by Solid Multimedia are Who Is Behind and Celebrity Delivery TV.

As an event management company, Solid Multimedia in partnership with Bullhaus Entertainment has for the last three years been organizing Bass Awards, an annual awards scheme which seeks to recognize and celebrate musicians and other players within the Reggae and Dancehall fraternity. Other events managed by Solid Multimedia are FashionGH Weekend, an annually held fashion show, Sallah Carnival to commemorate the Idr Adhar celebrations and Footprint Poolside Praise.

In 2014, Solid Multimedia won a bid to manage the digital television platform, TV7, with Stip as the Channel Manager and head of the business unit responsible for the day to day administration and the planned strategic growth of the channel.     

“It was another chapter in my career going in to manage a television channel after producing content for various television platforms in Ghana and beyond. I took up that challenge knowing it was an opportunity to implement some of the ideas I have had for several years. The vision is to transform TV7 into a channel of choice for exciting family entertainment content”, he said.

According to Stip, his dream is to expand his operations to other strategic markets on the continent and also start movie production. “Without a doubt, I am hopeful of becoming the first Ghanaian to win an Oscar in the next decade or two and this is very possible. My advice to the younger generation is to believe in themselves, keep working hard and put God first”.    

NABIL ALHASSAN MOHAMMED, A PASSIONATE EVENT PRODUCER

My first encounter with Nabil Alhassan Mohammed was somewhere in 2010, then a staff of Charterhouse Productions, a member of the Multiple Concepts Group. Nabil had come in to meet with my immediate boss, Ms. Juno Abena Turkson (now Mrs. Juno Abena Dadson) to discuss some ideas for media and marketing he had developed for the then MTN Ghana Music Awards and Miss Malaika Ghana. Being the media executive assigned to execute campaigns for those brands in that year, Ms. Turkson asked me to join in the meeting. Though his ideas were not approved by management for implementation, we would later work with him on other projects.    

Nabil can best be described as a cool and unassuming dude. He is accommodating and fun to hang with. Young, smart and multi-talented, Nabil is the Chief Executive Officer of Event Factory Ghana, a company which specializes in event management and production and also known to be the power behind the successful execution of some of the biggest events in Ghana for the last ten years.

His journey into the world of show-business began at the state broadcaster, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, where he worked with the outdoor broadcasting unit. There, he usually found himself at various events as the major part of their job was outside the studio, doing outside coverage of news and events.

“It was an exciting time for me as a young person entering into the media. Sometimes, you felt you were the luckiest person getting access to all the big and nice events in town by virtue of your work. Due to youthful exuberance, I would go beyond my limit sometimes doing other things that isn’t part of my defined roles as a result of excitement being on the job and seeing a lot of great and important people I admire a lot”, he said.

After working with the outdoor broadcast team for a while, Nabil wanted to do more and be exposed to other aspects of broadcasting. His next option was to move into radio programming and production.  That was another important period in his life during which he described as “a period of finding himself and identifying his direction in the industry”.

Nabil will soon start a business on the side, rental of equipment and other logistics for event management and production. Luckily for him, he found himself assisting one of the best Ghanaian event producers around, Fred Darko, then head of production at Charterhouse Productions and currently the Chief Executive Officer of Evolution International.

“Meeting and working with Fred Darko was overwhelming. He is one of the best brains you can have around when it comes to event production and management. It was from him I learnt the rudiments of the trade and got the opportunity to work on some of the biggest shows to have been held in Ghana. I realized the need to work harder and be innovative with the grooming I had received from Fred and that has been my philosophy till date”.

That was the genesis of Event Factory Ghana and Nabil’s attempt at ensuring he kept himself and his company relevant within the industry at all times. He achieved this by strategically positioning himself to either work solely on projects or partner other bigger competitors at the time to execute projects. He either provided the logistics for the event or got paid for his services as a member of the production team.

On challenges he encounters on the job, Nabil outlined a host of them but his approach has always been to have a positive attitude towards everything to deal with each project and the challenges it may come with. 

“One of the most challenging projects was the Shaggy Live in Ghana Concert in 2007 where I had to produce the event from scratch. MTV later come on board and had a totally new plan for the execution and also had high expectations from the production team. The bar had been raised and you cannot afford to disappoint. The thought of that alone placed a lot of pressure on me and the entire team working on the project.

Another challenging project was setting up for Crossover by International Central Gospel Church at the Accra sports stadium 3 years ago when we experience a heavy storm the night before the event day. We nearly lost all our equipment, from lighting rigs, lights to sound machines. We had to be in the rain climbing the rigs to pull down the hoisted equipment in a bid to save the equipment from getting damaged. Other big and challenging events I have worked on are the Mo Ibrahim Concert in Ghana as well as the Sonni Badu concerts at the Accra sports stadium and Baba Yara sports stadium”.

According to Nabil, his high moments on the job has to do with the satisfaction he gets after any great production. “I am always fulfilled after seeing how excellent I perform on the job and interestingly, almost all my jobs well executed have led to other jobs. I did an event for Stanchart Bank at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel which was code named Iron Man sometime in 2006, delivering my part of the event alone was fulfilling. Other I could say the same about are Lauryn Hill Live at the Afrobeat festival in Ghana a few years ago, Black and White Concert with Samini and Amakye Dede and what is now an annual event, the Lord of the Ribs Comedy show”.

According to Nabil who recently worked with other producers to successfully execute the 2016 edition of the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards in Nigeria said he is looking forward to executing his biggest project to makes headlines around the world.

FUSE ODG, THE MAN “LAUGHING OUT LOUD”

Without a doubt, Ghanaian born multiple award winning musician, Fuse ODG, is one of the nation’s biggest music export making the headlines on several mainstream platforms globally.

For the third year in a row, Fuse ODG has won the coveted Best African Act at the MOBO Awards, making him the first African artist to ever achieve such a feat. He also ended last year on a high with a successful tour and live performance on the XFactor UK Finals to an audience of twenty million with Reggie & Bollie.

The performance on the XFactor UK Finals stage caught the attention of several millions of people including Coldplay front man Chris Martin who shared his adoration of Fuse’s performance on twitter.

After buying a mansion in a prime area in the nation’s capital, East Legon, on his last birthday, Fuse ODG is certainly a happy man laughing out loud at the moment with all the fame, revenue and endorsement deals coming his way.

This is evident in his latest released single, “Laugh Out Loud” which features the King of African Dancehall and fellow award winning Ghanaian musician, Shatta Wale, who brings his shine to the song.

With the first time airplay on BBC’s 1 Xtra a couple of weeks ago, “Laugh Out Loud” is gradually becoming a street anthem currently receiving heavy airplay in Ghana, United Kingdom, the rest of Europe and the United States of America. 

“Laugh Out Loud” talks about Fuse ODG’s journey into the world of music and narrated how critics wrote him off and doubted his ability to make a major impact, not to talk about making financial gains from music.

About his motivation, Fuse ODG said “God has been the secret to how far I have come in the music industry and all I have achieved to date is thanks to him. Also, I have always worked hard to ensure I remain relevant and get to the top and stay there. It isn’t as easy as one might think but I remain committed to this course and God is blessing myself and the team”.          

  

The past few years have seen the UK based Fuse ODG sell millions of singles with five top 10 hits songs in the UK with an ever-growing fan base and now has over 150 million views on YouTube.

His hit record ”Dangerous Love” which featured Sean Paul was featured on the hit US TV show Love and Hip Hop in 2015. In addition, his collaboration with global hit maker, Major Lazer, titled “Light it up” is also setting the world ablaze.

Throughout his career, Fuse ODG has been a trailblazer for African music globally. He has a unique ability to capture hearts and minds across the world through his music as well as his performances.     

In November 2014 Fuse wrote a well-received piece for The Guardian’s Comment is Free (CiF) section entitled “Why I Turned Down Band Aid”. His article become one of the most read pieces on CiF in the whole of 2014, receiving over 1.3million hits to date and has been shared over 80,000 times.

“It takes a certain amount of self-belief, integrity and courage for a relatively new upcoming artist to say no to a man like Sir Bob Geldof, someone not renowned for taking no for an answer, and very dicey to turn down the opportunity to appear on an iconic charity record with some of the biggest names in pop. The easy thing to do would have been to say yes and use it as an opportunity for self-promotion”.

It is obvious Fuse ODG isn’t an opportunist. Rather, he believes in his “This Is New Africa” (TINA) campaign to redefine Africa to the rest of the world by showcasing its unique attributes.

MEET BARBARA PRISCILLA ASIEDU, A DREAMER READY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD

Born in Ghana’s industrial city, Tema, Barbara Priscilla Asiedu, has been residing in the United States of America for close to two decades and can best be described as a dreamer ready to take on the world. The young, versatile, multitalented and self-motivated entrepreneur aspires to become a pacesetter.  

With a Master of Science Degree in Management, specializing in Human Resources, Barbara has risen to a Management position in Human Resources at Hojiej Branded Foods (HBF), overseeing several restaurants in six (6) major airports on the east coast of America. Her aspiration is to become exceptionally successful in her chosen fields of endeavours.

Currently as the Human Resources Coordinator, her duties include staff development, coaching, unemployment resolution, compensation, overall turnover streamlining and other staffing related matters.

HBF specializes in providing restaurants in the top airports across the United States and currently has a portfolio of over thirty (30) popular and widely recognized brands which provides the traveling public with outstanding food and beverage quality incomparable to the best street location restaurants in any major city.

She joined HBF with over five years of experience in Corporate Human Resourcing,  previously working at Artsy Couture as a Professional Recruiter,  Jos A Bank Clothiers as an Employee Relations Manager and ECO-Battery as the Chief Operating Officer.

About her motivation, Ms. Asiedu said "what drives me is my purpose to serve a vast diverse people from all walks of life. What better place to do that than in airports? Therefore I am walking in my purpose. My strategy to success in my line of work is by adopting the leadership by example approach.”

Ms. Asiedu is a member of Society for Human Resources Management, HR Girlfriends and Film Financing Group. She is also the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Orbit Management Agency (www.orbitmgmtagency.com), and Operator at Shop Dress Suits (www.shopdresssuits.com).

Responding to how she is able to manage all these jobs, she said “my work and family life has demonstrated and taught me the balancing necessary to conquer any goal predestined. I think my infused strength is derived from a self-motivating force I developed through watching my father progress in life".

In December 2014, Ms. Asiedu was hand selected by the top American model mogul, Tyra Banks and her staff at Tyra Beauty as one of the Fierce 200 to become a Beautytainer for her cosmetics company, Tyra Beauty (www.tyra.com/barbsie). After a few months after assuming the role, she moved on to become a Bling Beautytainer and she is currently a Club VIP member.

Ms. Asiedu graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and a minor in Gender and Women Studies and also obtained a Master of Science Degree in Management from the University of Maryland University College in 2011.

She indicated that though relocating to the United States of America has been very challenging, it has been a great and life changing experience for her. "Relocating to the United States of America has changed my life for the better and I will forever be indebted to God and my family who made it possible to offset my life's journey in this country. However, being born and raised in Ghana was a blessing and I will forever pay my respect and serve the country of my birth at any time when there is the opportunity.”

Under the umbrella of her Orbit Management Agency, Ms. Asiedu aspires to bridge the long standing gap between African Actors and Musicians with their counterparts in the rest of the world especially those within the American Entertainment Industry. This will include working with all relevant stakeholders across the African continent to ensure structures are put in place for this to be able to happen. As a Talent Agent, she secured roles for Yvonne Nelson, John Dumelo and Van Vicker to act alongside Hollywood star Jimmy Jean-Louis in the movie One Night In Vegas in 2013.

Prior to her departure to the United States of America, she attended the Creator Preparatory School and Mexico No. 1 Junior Secondary School. Her fondest memory was when she was promoted to her elder sister’s class because she always finished her work early and talked too much to distract others!

To give back to her country of birth, she intends to serve as an agent of change by focusing on initiatives to develop the capacities of the youth. “Bringing change to the youth specifically to a larger extend is my interest. I intend to establish a foundation to minister to the youth of Ghana. This will include an initiative to keep brilliant but poor students in school to ensure they grow up to realise their dreams."

MEET THE BRAIN BEHIND LAW EXPRESS, NUHELA SEIDU

She has become a regular feature on television, moderating a show which has instantly become one of the highly rated by professionals within the content creation industry and admired by lovers of quality television content in Ghana.    

Law Express, is a social service program designed to educate the general public on the operation of the law and the constitution of the Republic of Ghana in an easy to understand manner.

Airing every Sunday on Metro TV between 6.30 – 7.30pm, Nuhela Seidu and her team of lawyers deliberate on carefully selected and relevant law topics which applies in our everyday life. 

Nuhela Seidu is a lawyer and an entrepreneur with a passion to bring change to her society and people around her. Her philosophy in life is deeply rooted in the principles of justice, self-empowerment and loyalty.

  

A young private legal practitioner, she was called to the bar after successfully graduating from the Ghana School of Law with a BL Qualification. She obtained her LLB Qualification from the University of Ghana, Legon.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Ms. Seidu pursued her passion, broadcasting, from her undergraduate days at the University of Ghana, where she studied Sociology and Political Science for her Bachelor of Arts Degree.

“I was born in the Upper West regional capital, Wa, where I spent my early years. I had a humble beginning as a member of a family that placed premium on humility and respect. My father was a respected person within the community and wouldn’t compromise on his children’s education for anything”, she revealed.

Nuhela attended Aggrey Memorial Senior High School in Cape Coast where she served as the Studies Prefect in her final year. It was during her senior high school education when she discovered her passion for broadcasting.

After senior high school, she got admission into the University of Ghana for her first degree. There, she got involved in several extra-curricular activities which included broadcasting – radio and television.

For over a decade, she has worked with some of the formidable media networks in the country including the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Choice FM, Metro TV before establishing Ghana News Link, a full scale Marketing Communications Company.  

“My hobbies are cooking and reading. I am also a music person and open to all genres of music. To talk about experiences in life, I have once been a teacher at the basic level, a moment I cherish a lot due to my ability to impact on the lives of some young people. I served as a mentor to several of them who I kept contact with in order to guide them”.   

About Law Express, she said “the main motivation for introducing this initiative was my personal philosophy in life. We have witnessed a growing number of people resorting to wrong ways of resolving issues due to ignorance and sometimes a perception that the legal system is expensive. It was important to sensitize the citizenry about their rights and how the laws operates”.

Ms. Seidu revealed that she has received very positive feedback about the program with some people emailing her to talk about how the series have helped them made the best decisions.

Her final words were “I entreat everyone to make a date with us on Law Express every Sunday on Metro TV at 6.30pm to learn more about the law and how it could be applied in situations they find themselves”. 

QUENTIN QUARTEY LIVING THE AFRICAN DREAM

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, I made my way to the Labadi Beach Hotel to observe a training session for a group of dreadlock and natural hair stylists. This was at the invitation of a young man I had met four years ago, at a Ghana Independence Celebration party at the Ghanaian High Commission in London

Filled with a passionate to promote African culture across the United Kingdom, our subsequent conversations are usually centred on initiatives to be introduced by the Ghanaian foreign missions to sell Ghana to the rest of the world and the role Ghanaians, both home and abroad ought to play to make this a reality.

Quentin Nii Kwatei Quartey, was born and lived in Ghana until 2005 when relocated to the United Kingdom after visiting the country during his vacation holidays whilst pursuing his tertiary education at the University of Ghana. Legon. He is easily identified with his long hang down dreadlocks accessorized with red, yellow and green painted Cowrie Shells behind him.

Growing up with his late grandfather in Accra, Quentin had always wanted to become an entrepreneur having heard the numerous complaints by his uncles about how unrewarding some civil service and corporate jobs could be. He wanted to be happy with his work and also make enough money to own properties though he didn’t know what exactly to do to become an entrepreneur.  

Currently, he is an established loctician (Locs Hair Stylist) and works with the prestigious Morris Roots Natural Hair Salon, one of the biggest natural hair and dreadlocks specialists with several outlets across the United Kingdom. He has been the manager of the Morris Roots branch in Tooting Broadway, South London for the last four years. He is also a part-time disc jockey at a community online radio station, Fire Live.

  

Talking about his experience after staying in London for a decade, Quentin said “my stay in London has broaden my views on several things and has also empowered me as an African. Being in a cosmopolitan society, you need to stand up for yourself, your culture and your identity. That’s makes you who you are and not what people might think about you. I have loved every bit of my stay in London”.

Thought being a hair stylist and a disc jockey weren’t his dream career, he has no regret and feels fulfilled anytime a client compliments him and his boss commends him about his management style and skills. “I am very happy about my job and it’s amazing the kind of opportunities I have had as a result of being a loctician and a DJ. Through my job, I met Stevie Wonder and other great people I might not have had the opportunity to meet should I be doing any other job”.

Just like any other job, being a hair stylist also comes with its disadvantages. According to Quentin, “being a hair stylist comes with a lot of stereotypes in London and across the world at large. This goes beyond race or colour. People think I am a gay because I am a hairdresser and sometimes they will approach me in a very funny way. There isn’t much you can do about it, rather than educating them about the trade whenever you have the opportunity”.

The training at the Labadi Beach Hotel is part of his annual visit to Ghana for the last three years to train natural hair and locs hair stylist on the latest trends – hair treatment, twisting and styling and hair accessories. “Without a doubt, more people are embracing natural hair and it is appropriate for them to receive the best of treatment offered around the world. Every year, I spend three months in Ghana, from December to February and what I do is to help my colleagues here in Ghana by exposing them to the way we do things in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world. The workshops are about client service, hair textures, work environment preparation, treatment, presenting of products, pricing and others”.

As a person who always wants to be identified as an African, Quentin hopes to see more people loving our African attributes and keeping their identity. “We need to preserve our culture and heritage so we need to love who we are and our identity. Through research, it has become known that most ladies who use wigs and extensions loose some amount of their natural hair whiles fixing and removing the extensions. The way to go is natural!”.