GAMA Films, in collaboration with TV3, are set to give live band music
in this country a big boost when they take off with their Bands Alive
reality show on Friday, February 22.

Bands Alive is a live contest for bands comprising between six and nine members. Auditioning has ended this week for 52 bands from Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast,Tema, Koforidua and Agona Swedru and 12 of them will vie to collect the four prizes at stake.

The selected bands are Amen, Big Shot, 3x3, Liberty, M1, S-Touch, The Sax, Kakraa, CAF, Trinity, Warriors and BIB.

The idea for Bands Alive was mooted late last year by Mark Gilbert Coleman of GAMA Films. The programme was to take off right after the Looking For Love reality show on TV3 last month but was put on hold to begin after the 26th MTN Cup of Africa Nations (CAN) Ghana 2008 tournament.

“There was a bit of time to work on the proposal and fine-tune it,” says Coleman who is also the programme’s Associate Producer. “If the auditioning is anything to go by, then everyone should sit tight for the take-off of a thrilling programme.”

At the auditioning, the bands were asked to play anything of their choice and then requested to render specific items by the three-member judging panel made up of Mac Tontoh, Charles Amoah and Rex Omar.

“I sat through the whole auditioning and I was not bored at all,” said Tontoh. “You could easily tell there is a lot of potential out there and I felt proud that there are competent players to replace us when our generation moves on.”

Omar also made this observation after the auditioning: “I was surprised at the good quality of musicianship displayed.

I did know there is so much such talent around and almost going to waste because they don’t have the support and avenues to show what they can do.

“We are tired of the manufactured stars who go on stage and order deejays to ‘drop’ track this and that and then mime.

This is time to see who the real musicians are. I wholeheartedly support Bands Alive and I’m happy to be part of it.”

According to the Bands Alive Executive Producer, George Arcton-Tettey, Charles Amoah will be the Music Director for the programme when it starts next week Friday.

He said Tontoh and Omar will be permanent judges to be joined by guests for each edition.
There should be no shortage of such guests as people like Eric Antonio, Kojo Essah, Malek Crayem, Afrikabi Aper, Osei Tutu, Bob Pinodo, George Darko, Ben Telfer, Ebo Taylor and others are all around and can be called on to lend their expertise.

“ We would also like some female presence among the judges and Diana Hopeson and Stella Seal are among those being considered to come on board at various times.”

Arcton-Tettey said GAMA Films and TV3 are still working out the prizes for the four best bands to emerge out of the competition but there are already views that outstanding instrumentalists should be acknowledged and possibly given prizes.

Rex Omar, however, thinks the concentration should be on bands and not individual players.
“It is a contest for bands and the emphasis must stay that way.

We must not go looking for best drummer or best guitarist at this stage. The bands are made up of instrumentalists and their collective input is what makes them excell as a single unit.

We must encourage affinity among musicians so that they can think and work effectively as groups.”

Text messages from the public and the verdict of the judges will determine the winners in the Bands Alive contest.

This country has seen an era of great bands in the past. Uhuru, Ramblers, Noble Kings, Black Beats, The Tempos, Broadway, Stargazers, Sweet Beans, Hedzoleh Soundz and many others charted paths of glory for Ghanaian music.

It would be great for us if initiatives like Bands Alive can help us relive those exciting times.

By Kouame Koulibaly