MOGO Develops Into A 3-Day Festival

Ghana�s biggest and most authentic highlife extravaganza- the Music of Ghanaian Origin (MOGO) concert-is gearing up once again to titillate thousands of music lovers and highlife enthusiasts this December. The concert, which is in its 6th year, has amassed a loyal following of international and predominantly Ghanaian fans from all walks of life including corporate executives, academicians, politicians and Ghanaians from the Diaspora. The ever-colourful and deliriously exciting MOGO returns in a grand style this year. This time round, the much loved and highly anticipated event has evolved and been repackaged into a comprehensive 3-day celebration of indigenous Ghanaian Highlife Music and musical excellence. The repackaged and revitalised MOGO fiesta has thus been rechristened �The MOGO FESTIVAL� and is scheduled to take place from Thursday December 1 to Saturday December 3. The brand new MOGO festival kicks off with an official opening ceremony, vis-�-vis a forum for musicians and other stake-holders in Ghana�s music industry. This event is scheduled to come off on the morning of Thursday December 1, 10am at the British Council. The key event for the day will be the forum which will be coordinated by organisers of the MOGO Festival, Citi 97.3 FM, in collaboration with The Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA). MOGO Forum The MOGO forum will serve as a brainstorming and assessment platform where pertinent issues regarding the development of Ghana�s music industry will be extensively discussed. It is expected that practical and actionable resolutions will be reached at the end of the MOGO forum and these will be implemented as soon as possible in order to promote the highest standards of professionalism, creativity and excellence in Ghanaian music. Day 2 of the MOGO Festival promises to be filled with fireworks as the MOGO Concert hits the stage with a big bang. For just GH�50, music lovers in Ghana will get to witness an extraordinary showdown of pure Ghanaian Highlife music featuring the cr�me de la cr�me of Ghana�s most experienced, gifted and loved highlife artistes. This year, MOGO once again boasts of a truly remarkable and exciting line-up of highlife gurus from various segments of the �Old-School� era all the way to the more contemporary highlife acts. The list comprises George Darko, CK Mann, Pozo Hayes, KK Kabobo, Pat Thomas, Dada KD and Kwabena Kwabena. The artistes will be supported on the night by Kwabena Yeboah and the �Ohia be ye ya� band. Without a shadow of doubt, patrons of this year�s show can be assured of great music, fabulous stage artistry, nostalgia and of course, lots and lots of dancing in truly authentic �Ghanaian� style. The MOGO Concert will commence at exactly 7pm at the National Theatre on Farmers Day, Friday December 2. Organisers of the MOGO Festival, Citi 97.3 FM, will be announcing MOGO ticket outlets in due course. It certainly goes without saying that the National Theatre is the place to be for a truly memorable holiday and a truly Ghanaian experience on Farmers� Day this year. Finally, after the much looked-forward-to MOGO Concert, the MOGO Festival will be capped with a tasteful celebration of excellence on Saturday, December 3. This will take the form of a special MOGO Awards night/Dinner Dance which will be held to honour icons of Ghanaian music. At the event, dedicated players on the local music scene who have played diverse roles in raising the standards of Ghanaian music and ultimately contributed their quota towards the enrichment of Ghana�s musical heritage will be recognised and celebrated in a unique way. Awardees The awardees for the maiden MOGO Dinner Dance/Awards Night include Jerry Hansen, Faisal Helwani, Zapp Mallet, the legendary Ebo Taylor, and highlife icon Nana Ampadu. Further details of the final leg of the MOGO Festival 2011 will be made available in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, organisers of the MOGO Festival 2011, Citi 97.3 FM, have assured loyal followers of MOGO as well as the more recent converts that in line with the evolution of MOGO, this year�s event will push the borders of creativity and quality entertainment to dizzying lengths. They have pledged to provide a thrilling and unforgettable banquet of authentic Ghanaian musical delights. Musicians on the bill for MOGO 2011 have also lauded Citi FM for, among other things, exposing their works to the world through the MOGO Chronicles � a 30-minute expose on the life and works of each artiste � which is currently being aired on Citi 97.3 FM. The MOGO Chronicles will run throughout the month of November. The Music OF Ghanaian Origin (MOGO) Festival is a 97.3 Citi FM event with support from Zenith Bank and MUSIGA. The MOGO Festival is sponsored by MTN, everywhere you go.