Throughout the month of March, deliberate efforts had been made to educate Ghanaians about the need to know their roots and learn from the past to finetune the future, so far as culture is concerned.
To this end, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku Mantey has pointed out that Ghana will not sell globally ”if indigenous goods are not cherished”
He said it was critical for the country and its people to have confidence in locally manufactured products.
“We cannot sell to the outsider if we are not proud of ourselves. What are we going to sell”?
” We should begin to have confidence in the Ghanaian language and the Ghanaian food. I think the Ghana Waakye has changed”, as he laments how food has Europeanized.
Touching on the media, he was not comfortable with the way they pronounce certain words or air.
While encouraging the media to learn to pronounce indigenous names correctly, The Deputy Tourism Minister applauded the originator of the Heritage month saying that it is a good initiative.
“I do not know who started it but I think it’s a good thing. But I knew it started from the media but I do not know who.
We can only reinforce it and make it bigger”, Mark Okraku Mantey pointed out.
He spoke with Kafui Dey on GBC’s re-branded program, GTV Breakfast Show.
Mark Okraku Mantey at the time of working with Joy Fm was a music producer before venturing into politics.
He is the founder of Slip Music and has been producing since 1996. He also produced the Efiewura comedy series.
Okraku Mantey has worked with a number of musicians including Lord Kenya, Kumi Guitar, Oheneba Kissi, Daasebre Gyamena, Akyeame, and Adane Best.
He started working as a DJ in 1996 on Joy FM but later became a producer when he began helping an artiste produce his music for airplay.
He later started a company dubbed Slip Entertainment to manage artistes.
One of the most popular artiste many know to have worked with him is Lord Kenya. He did not only manage the Hiplife artiste but also produced some of his biggest hits and albums including Sika Baa.
He worked with Oheneba Kissi on his ‘ABC of Love’ hit and Dassebre Gyamena on ‘Kokoko’, both songs selling thousands of copies. They are still regarded as some of Ghana’s best songs.
Other artistes he worked with include Akyeame, Adane Best, Joe Frazier, Kudjo Sasu, Felix Bell among others.
Some albums that have been under his umbrella include Nana Tuffour’s – ‘Tontonte’, Kojo Ashkan’s – ‘Me Nse Ato Biso’, Felix Bell’s – ‘Butterfly’, Ohene Kissi’s – ‘Kabiribiri Kyere Me’, Akyeame’s ‘Brebre Obaa Hemaa’, Lord Kenya’s ‘Sika’ and Daasebre Dwamena’s ‘Kokooko’
At some point, he became the executive producer for the popular Efiewura comedy series which was airing on TV3. He was also a judge on TV3 mentor which launched in 2006.
Mr. Okraku-Mantey also helped organise some of Ghana’s big events including the MTN Highlife Festival.
