Emmanuel Yawson of ‘SOF’ fame reveals the brain behind his single “Midnight Cry”

After winning the Charter House reality show, Stars of the Future, in 2011,with his hit song ‘’My time” Emmanuel Yawson now Immanuel Emmanuel was “absent” from the music scene, till the release of his new single “Midnight cry”.
In an exclusive interview with the stylish musician he disclosed, the inspiration behind his new single was drawn from the frustrating moments in his life, especially when he grieved upon publications of him being absent from the music scene with his fame fading.
“I woke up one midnight to pour out my heart to God but something amazing happened, whilst praying I unknowingly worshipped God instead of complaining like I planned”.
Explaining further, he said as soon as he opened his mouth to sing, the lyrics from the song started coming out. “It was such an amazing, spiritual and intimate experience with God, thus the title of the worship medley “Midnight Cry”, he disclosed.
“Instead of a cry, God gave me a song and revealed to me that, my laying low from the musical scene for two years was His conscious decision”.
He confessed that his absence from the limelight enabled him make significant discoveries about himself and mostly about his style of music.

How it all began

At a tender age of 6, Emmanuel discovered an amazing gift, implanted in him by God, after joining his elder sister and cousin to perform at their grandaunt’s 80th birthday party.
Emma was brought up from a noble Christian family. He started singing in church with a wonderful support from his family especially his mother, and then the passion for singing grew with time, which led him to join Stars of the future train where he emerged as the winner.
“I wanted to prove to myself I was destined for greatness,and I chose stars of the future reality show because I believe it was more challenging and very diverse than other reality shows”,he said.
He acknowledged God’s favour for having emerged the winner of the 2011 SOF show even though there were equally talented people like Kaaki, Daniella, Noella among others.

Future Prospects
The smooth voiced singer aspires to go International, by producing chart topping music and award winning songs to leave a musical legacy. With his gift, he wishes to reach out to the world, proclaiming God’s amazing love.

Convictions
He is a fan of Kojo Antwi and Manifest, but believes his music ideas and style of delivering is heavenly inspired. “I love to sing and write about my most personal experiences with God and my fellow man” he said.
He then urged the need to scout for more song writers and more music producers who have international ideologies when it comes to creating music and, applauded the various stakeholders of Ghana music industry for massive improvement.

Education

A proud alumnus of the Central University College, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration Management, he plans to study Company and Entertainment Law.
He also participated in exchange programs in Boston, USA during his junior high school days which gave him enough exposure to learn about different culture and lifestyle.

You can interact with Immanuel Emmanuel via;
IMMANUELemmanuel,twitter
@real_immanuel,Instagram
@immanuelemmanuel,google+IMMANUEL EMMANUEL.Youtube IMMANUEL EMMANUEL on sound cloud and reverbation.


Watch "Immanuel Emmanuel - Midnight Cry (Official Video)" on YouTube - https://youtu.be/kqKXBKbs_a4

BEX MORRTY TELLS MORE ABOUT MOVIE 'FREETOWN'

Freetown, a film about Liberian missionaries fleeing violence in their hometown, premiered at the Silver Bird Theatres in Accra Mall last Thursday night before the international release date, allowing viewers a sneak peak of the buzzed-about movie that was filmed exclusively in Ghana and stars popular African actors, thanks to Agbeko Mortty. 
 

Acclaimed producer Adam Abel and director Garrett Batty worked with London-born Ghanaian casting director, Mortty, popularly known in the industry as Bex, to hand pick some of Ghana’s best talent such as Nuong Faalongto star in the movie and bring the story to life on screen.

“I was thrilled to get involved with this film because it had such a clear message about the power of faith.  I knew that I had to find actors with the strength and spirit to really deliver a forceful performance in each scene,” said Bex.

The film, based on a true story, has been met with much excitement and positivity after showings at the 2015 Pan Africa Film Festival (PAFF) as well as the Latter Day Saints Film Festival (LDSFF), largely due to the cast’s ability to equip the film with a palpable honesty. Critics hailed it as a thrilling study of the consequences of the violence in Liberia as well as a testament to what conviction, hope and belief can accomplish.

 “There were members of the cast that had lived through this civil war we were trying to recreate. They had their own experiences to draw from, [and] that made it all the more palatable when we were recording,” Batty said, “[Bex] has a remarkable eye for talent, and an incredible way with people.”

Perfecting the cast of Freetown is just one project in the docket of Bex’s busy career. In addition to his involvement with that movie, he is also the casting director for the upcoming film Children of the Mountain and acts in it, playing the love interest of a woman who has a special needs child. On top of that, he is a hunter in the upcoming film The Cursed Ones. Both films are expected to be released this year.

Although Bex already owns a successful IT company, QNS and Q-Vision Productions, performing fulfils a dream Bex had as early as his primary school days in St. Theresa’s, North Kaneshie, where he first started acting and dancing. Today, his resume boasts international involvement with projects in theatre, television, dance and film, and he still finds some free time to pursue his passion for music, playing the saxophone, drums and percussion.

In London, Bex acted in the play Rainbow Uprising, a Reggae musical featuring the music of Bob Marley that featured at the Astoria West End theatre and Saddlers Wells theatres. He played a role in The Amen Corner as well, which opened at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and began his now lengthy career on film with a role in the film Back Home Again, the tale of a Ghanaian returning home filmed in both London and Accra. Bex spent five years honing his dancing craft with Brekete, a dance group that performs all over Europe in popular festivals including the World of Music, Arts, and Dance festival (WOMAD), Edinburgh Fringe, and the Reading Festival.

 After returning to Ghana, Bex wasted no time getting involved with both theatre and film productions, working with Rover man Productions in the plays Apartment N1 and Everyone Has a Secret, and delved into roles for television including The 5 Brides, Poisoned Bait and Ashes. Poisoned Bait can be seen on DSTV Africa Magic Channel 150 every Thursday at 8:30pm, and Ashes can be seen on Multi TV Joy Prime every Saturday at 8:30am.

His extensive credentials have enabled him to be a part of multiple projects with award-winning directors such as Leila Djansi. In addition to remarking about how Bex was so believable in his Poisoned Bait role that she had to hold her mouth to keep from laughing on set, when speaking about working with Bex on the film Trip to Hell Djansi said, “He came on set with his character prepared and it was perfect. That is an actor.”

Bex, an enstooled chief who serves as the Mankrado of Gbledi Gborgame in the Volta region, is enjoying his return to Ghana and has big plans for his future projects. One of those projects is the film Hosanna, a crowd-funded movie examining the hardships experienced by immigrants in America through one man’s compelling story. 

Support it on https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hosanna–2.

“This is a great environment for inspiring creativity and getting involved in films and shows that really make an impact,” said Bex, I’m always excited to start the next project, and challenge myself to do something greater each time.”