This year, a brunch event was held in California for African nominees prior to the 65th Grammy Awards.
The event was hosted by GUBA Enterprise, a pan-African non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating excellence and innovations of Africans around the world. Its founder and president, Lady Dentaa Amoateng MBE, says the event lived up to expectation and was worth every penny spent on it.
She spoke to Sammy Forson on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z last Saturday, February 11.
Asked how much it cost to put together the Africa Nominee Brunch on the eve of the 2023 Grammys, Dentaa disclosed, “it cost a lot but I think [its] worth, in terms of what happened on the day, and what’s going to happen, you can’t put a price on it”.
The passionate African promoter detailed that she is more interested in the positive aftermath of the event that sought to present golden opportunities to its participants.
“What can we do from this platform? How do we engage from this platform? How do we get more creatives on that platform?”, she quizzed.
Present at the event as guests of honour were Harvey Mason Jnr (CEO) and Panos A. Panay (President), both, of The Recording Academy.
The event also assembled a good number of high-profile record labels in the world with an aim of creating a platform for African artistes to network. However, other creatives were given equal opportunities to build contacts, relationships and business partnerships.
“We gave Chocolate [by Kwaku Bediako], our designer, the opportunity to also do a small fashion show. We gave Selorm the opportunity to present his artworks that he’s doing. So just really promoting the different creatives that are from the continent which was really important”, Lady Dentaa disclosed.
According to her, Ghanaian fashion designer Kwaku Bediako has since then received an impressive number of clothing orders from new clients.
This, she believes, will be replicated if the brunch event happens every year. She thus promised that the Africa Nominee Brunch will be held again next year, and hopes that a lot more artistes, including the female, would also get the chance to be represented.
The Africa Nominee Brunch was attended by some Ghanaian artistes including, three-time Grammy nominee Rocky Dawuni, Kidi, and Edem. Unfortunately, Sarkodie and King Promise, though invited, could not make it.