In a recent turn of events, celebrated reggae and dancehall artiste Stonebwoy, who was named Artiste of the Year at the 25th TGMA, has firmly denied any involvement in the cancellation of fellow musician Shatta Wale’s performance at the Wave Africa Artiste Night on the University of Ghana’s Legon campus.
The incident occurred on June 8, when both Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale were slated to perform at different events on the same campus.
Stonebwoy was scheduled for the Limann Hall karaoke night, while Shatta Wale was billed to perform at JT Nelson Yankah Hall’s artiste night. However, just hours before the latter event, organizers received an unexpected directive halting Shatta Wale’s performance.
Despite the abrupt cancellation of Shatta Wale’s show, Stonebwoy’s performance went ahead without any interruptions. This sequence of events fueled speculations and rumors that Stonebwoy had leveraged his connections to influential personalities to prevent Shatta Wale from performing.
Addressing these rumors in an interview with Asaase Radio, Stonebwoy dismissed the allegations as “ridiculous.” He emphasized that even if he possessed such influence, he would not abuse it in such a manner. “I had nothing at all to do with it. So, I am surprised where the accusations are coming from,” Stonebwoy asserted.
The University of Ghana also addressed the controversy, attempting to quell the notion that the institution harbors any animosity towards Shatta Wale. Dean of the University, Prof. Rosina Kyeremanten, clarified that the original plan for the event at JT Nelson Yankah Hall was a karaoke night, not an artiste night. The shift to an artiste night necessitated additional security measures, which the organizers failed to assure.
“The university has no issues with Shatta Wale. Normally, if any event is to be organized in any hall, a request for approval is sent to my office with an outline of the program. When you are having an artiste night, it comes with a lot of implications; security and others. So we need to ensure there is enough security, and that is why you need approval from the University Authority,” Prof. Kyeremanten explained in an interview with Radio Universe.
She further noted that the final approval for such events comes from the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, not her office.
As the dust settles, it remains clear that the cancellation was due to logistical and security concerns, rather than any interference from Stonebwoy. Both artistes have yet to comment further on the incident, leaving fans hopeful for future performances devoid of such controversies.
