PEACE TRAIN STARTS FROM BOLGA (SHOWBIZ, Thursday, October 16 - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 PAGE 4)

By Benjamin Xornam Glover
The Ghana First Peace Train, a nationwide campaign for peace and national unity, took off in the Upper East Region last week-end with shows in Bolgatanga, the regional capital and Bawku which is recovering from violent conflict. Musicians on board the train included Shasha Marley, Adane Best and Sherifatu Gunu as well as up-and -coming ones like Kitchen, Blaq Swede and Spirit.They were complemented by the Mozak Sounds and a Bolga-based live band. They thrilled the sparse audience at the Bolgatanga Jubilee Park to some good music interspersed with peace messages last Friday night. After an introductory performance by Kitchen and scintillating dance moves by Sherifatu Gunu, Adane Best and Shasha Marley electrified the atmosphere with some popular tunes. Adane Best did Maafio and Shasha sung some reggae tunes from Lucky Dube and Bob Marley. He capped his performance with his famous Boom Boom Waa Waa and Martha Family songs. Nana Adwoa Awindor, Chief Executive Officer of Premier Productions, is the coordinator of the Ghana First Peace Train. She emphasised to Showbiz that the peace train aims at communicating through music, the need for all to embrace peace and eschew all acts that lead to violence. "This particular election is viewed by many as very crucial and the kind of exuberance with which the politicians are approaching it is there for all to see. If the excesses are not checked, we can end up experiencing conflict. It is necessary for us to cross over smoothly so that we do not disrupt the development process.” she said. The peace train had a wonderful programme in Bawku . After a courtesy call on the Bawku Naaba, Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, members of the peace train were joined by some citizens of Bawku on a peace walk. They later watched a football match between teams made up of members of the various ethnic groups in the area. There was a massive musical concert at the forecourt of the community center later in the evening. Nana Adwoa Awindor called on the people of Bawku to realise that Ghanaians do not need strangers to come and and streamline things in our own country for us. "We should find ways to solve our problems so that together we will move the developmental agenda to the next level," she said. The Ghana First Peace Train is scheduled to visit other locations around the country and its final event is slated for Independence Square, Accra on November 29.