When was the last time a concert made you stand up and cheer, sing along and applaud? When was the last time you felt irresistibly pulled to the center of a dancing floor by uncontrollable forces of rhythm? That’s what happened to me at the Newark Symphony Hall on 1020 Broad Street in downtown Newark, on the night of August 2nd, 2003. The occasion was a 3-hour live concert performed by Kojo Antwi, the Ghanaian megastar.
Really, can the self-dubbed Mr. Music Man ever go wrong? I don’t think so! Okay, he came to the Olympics Concert Hall in the Bronx and won us over on the night of July 5th, 2003. But in Newark, the locks- haired, cool-singing and humorous entertainer went a step further by treating his audience to one of his jaw-dropping, eye-popping and fun-filled shows ever. He mesmerized them with some of his greatest hits, some old, others new, such as those from his latest album “Densu,” played mostly toward the end of the show. Gosh, I caught myself humming away the last tune played on the show – a tune from Densu, called “Amirika,” – while cruising on the New Jersey Turnpike on my way back home to Jamaica, Queens in New York City.
With guest stars like Kweku Boateng, a.k.a. Zaakus, and Kontihene, you could never go wrong being at this concert. This new generation of Ghanaian hip-hop music warmed up the audience with their powerful rhymes before the main feature of the show, Mr. Music Man himself, took to the podium and made us dance till the wee hours of the morning.
The most sensational part of the show was “the search for Ms. Wele.” She would be the contestant who does best the Mapuka-like dance. This dance, originally from the Ivory Coast, has gained popularity all across the African continent. Done mostly by women, it is performed with a powerful shaking of the buttocks. Buttock-less or small-sized buttocks ladies need not apply, for, they wouldn’t have anything to offer the audience. That’s why Mr. Music Man himself must first approve a contestant’s qualification, which consists of her being endowed with a sizable pair of fleshy buttocks.
The winner was a young lady by the name of Nana Akua; she was so knowledgeable of the dance that she was cheered continuously by the crowd. As a trophy, she was given a Compact Disc (CD). Two other runners-up who came second and third also won prizes. The most impressive sentiment I came away with from this concert was the tight security in and around the premises of the Newark Symphony Hall. The New Jersey State Police was in full force making sure nothing got out of hand. It directed traffic on Broad Street in front of the Symphony Hall, always giving concert goers the right of way – much to the annoyance of passing drivers – while at the same time maintaining order at the concert. They were assisted in their work by the employees of Pro Show Security Service, who only allowed ticket holders into the concert hall ten or so at a time. This allowed for a thorough search of each ticket holder before he or she proceeded into the Symphony Hall. Of course, all the security measures put in place, and the success of the entire show, wouldn’t have been possible without the good organizational skill of the promoters.
A few minor glitches, such as instituting a dress code, notwithstanding, rarely has such so jam-packed a concert been so well organized. www.AfricanSpice.com, Big Man Promotions, First Class Money Transfer and Universal Shipping are a commanding team of promoters who should be commended for a job well done. Two thumbs up for them!
Clearly, this concert was enormous fun. It’s a rare summer show that was more fun than any other African concert this summer, which is what summer concerts are all about. Mr. Music Man was explosively awesome. He performed with real magic and there has never been a concert by an African artist quite like the one at the Newark Symphony Hall on August 2nd 2003 in a long time.
