Effecting the CCI - Series 4
REGISTER
The ongoing pandemic brought significant loss for countless businesses and that lead to serious disruptions of the Cultural Creative Industries (CCI).
Intl Starz debuts its Bridging D! Gap 2022 VC Series through the eyes of A-lists Speakers addressing the important topic:"How has the pandemic affected businesses of the CCI industries in their regions; past, present and plans for the future?"
Global Entrepreneurs and Thought Leaders will join in a Conference setting to be a part of the six (6) week Saturday series commencing Feb 19, addressing the short and long term risks and challenges.
The Series 4 Speakers includes Don Dada (South Africa), Andrew Musoni (Zimbabwe) and Kennedy Mensah (United Kingdom) will brief us on the importance of Effecting the Cultural Creative Industries in their regions; highlighting risks, challenges, pros and cons of the CCI industries they serve. The six (6) weeks Series will feature global Speakers from various countries, sharing a wealth of knowledge
Don Dada - CCI South Africa
RuFF CuTT Studio owner and recording multi-platinum selling South African Reggae / Hip-Hop artiste Menelik Nesta Gibbons aka DON DADA continuously pushes boundaries, changing the norm, quickly moving beyond static thinking by reinventing the game. He is fast becoming an industry Thought Leader by breaking tradition and creating ground-breaking possibilities for growth for himself and others in the music business. Don Dada pioneers a new generation of hope, inspiring everyone to not only feel and think positive but actually embody the great vibes through his song. He has achieved a great deal in the entertainment industry, a gifted Reggae/Hip-Hop artist and social influencer since he made his debut on the prestige 2016 Mandela Day Concert stage in Johannesburg South Africa.
Bosco Ocansey - CCI Ghana
Speaker Bosco is President of the Rastafari Council, Ghana, Chairman of the Rastafari Continental Council, Overseer of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, Ghana Chapter and outgoing Secretary to the Board of Directors of the Black Star Line Cooperative Credit Union. He is a Creative Arts Practitioner and have been involved in the creative arts space since 1984, initially as a Disc Jockey. As an entertainment Journalist, he has contributed to newspapers like the Ghanaian Chronicle and Weekend Chronicle, Ghana Life, The Horizon and Weekend Herald among others. Subsequently he has worked with Groove FM as a Presenter and News Editor, Program Director with Multimedia Group Ltd, Adom FM and Hitz FM. He’s currently the currently Director of Communications and Special Projects with the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA).
Speaker Kennedy Mensah; ‘Self-Made’ is often a term used for persons who have reached the pinnacle of their careers through determination and self-elevation, Kennedy ‘Prezedent’ Mensah is no different. He brought himself up professionally to be recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on Reggae Music and the Music industry. His extensive music expertise has been utilized around the globe from Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Malawi, Gambia to America, Japan, Greece, France, Italy, Russia to the home of reggae music Jamaica and of course where he resides in Britain. Born and raised in South-West London to Ghanaian parents, Kennedy fell in love with reggae music at an early age. Kennedy’s love of Reggae was founded on his Father’s Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Trojan compilations in Kumasi, Ghana. Upon his return to London in 1981, his passion blossomed when he discovered sound system tapes in school, began writing reggae lyrics with his School friends and even became part of a local sound system in Battersea.
In his adolescent years, he spent every spare penny he could find on records which landed him the role of ‘DJ Next Door Neighbour’ to his friends and family. He recounts, “Whenever friends were having parties they would say – ‘call Kennedy – he’s got loads of Records’”. That record collection grew into a Library of thousands of Records, CD’s & Tapes which confirmed his alias ‘Mr. Prezedent’.
Kennedy Mensah - CCI UK
Whilst studying Journalism at Vauxhall College and then the Polytechnic of Central London (now the University of Westminster), Kennedy started freelance writing for EX Magazine, NME, Music Week and The Voice Newspaper. His segue into the music industry proper came in 1990 when he started writing the weekly Reggae column, ‘Ragazine’, for The Voice Newspaper.
Kennedy also acted as Arts Editor for the Voice Newspaper during his stint there. He later applied that experience when he became editor for a number of publications including Ticketmania Magazine, Reggae Sunsplash 21st Anniversary Programme, Nexxus Magazine (for the UK/Ghanaian Community), On Air (for LWR) and Peace & Love Concert Programme. In October 1996, he was recruited by New Nation Newspaper to bring his Reggae Column’s cult-following to the new publication, his time there was short-lived however as the publication quickly got into financial difficulty. As his experience in journalism bloomed, so did his other professional faculties. In his twenties, he joined the P ’n’ P Family as resident DJ’s at the Moonlighting Nightclub in London’s West End, a residency he held down for over a decade. In that time, he grew from an occasional club DJ to playing in many of the biggest Clubs & Events in London and across Europe.
In 1999, Kennedy was approached by the world renowned Westbury Music Ltd – a music publishing company based in Brixton to become their Reggae Specialist. By his departure in 2008 he was the manager of the Westbury Reggae Catalogues and head of Copyright at the company. Their clientele included Reggae Legends the likes of John Holt, U Roy, Bunny Lee, Winston Riley and Max Romeo as well as current reggae/dancehall artistes like Wayne Wonder, Shaggy, T.O.K., Turbulence, Jah Cure & Kiprich. Whilst at Westbury he signed the likes of Mad Cobra, Jah Mason, Harry Toddler, Tarrus Riley and Delly Ranx.
Kennedy left Westbury Music in August 2008 and started the ‘Back 2 Da Future Music’ publishing consultancy which was incorporated as a limited liability company in 2010. To date the company has amassed some 200 clients and represents some 40,000 copyrights. The present clientele includes Delly Ranx, Ansel Collins, Govana, Romain Virgo, Frisco Kid, Macka Diamond, Robert Livingston, Dean Fraser, Lloyd Brown, Aidonia, Rodney P, Blak Twang, Kalado, Reggie Stepper, Babyboom, Rodney P, Ty, Nereus Joseph, and Commissioner Gordon.
Kennedy has also contributed to radio and TV stations in London, Gambia, Ghana and Jamaica as a pundit, presenter and DJ. He was an associate producer of “Access” a magazine programme on OBE TV (a Ghanaian television station based in the UK) and he also worked in a research capacity for various organisations including the Natty B Reggae Show on Choice FM, Riddim & Blues Show on BBC London with Ranking Miss P and Chris Goldfinger’s Dancehall Show on BBC Radio 1. His Radio Presenter credentials include working alongside Dotun Adebayo on BBC London’s Reggae Time and BBC Radio 5 Live, Colourful Radio’s Movers & Shakers Show with Elayne Smith, Spectrum Radio, Buzz FM, LWR, Vibe FM (Ghana) Playvybz Radio, Colourful Radio, Voice of Africa Radio & 1095JAMZ.
These days along with managing Back 2 Da Future Music Ltd, Kennedy the music industry supremo, lends his extensive expertise and industry knowledge to organisations by way of Workshops & classes on the Music Industry. He is still a well sought name for contributions on Award Committees which he has done for The Black Music Awards, MOBO Awards, GUBA Awards, British Reggae Industry Awards & Jamaica Music Academy Awards over the years.
Kennedy is also a family man with four amazing children and one Grandchild who often assist as copyright assistants and his wife, Isabella, also runs the Royalties department. Kennedy lives by the popular Henry Wadsworth Longfellow quote “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.”