An esteemed Ghanaian musician, Kojo Antwi, has revealed that the very venue that once propelled his artistry to new heights has now become a hindrance to his dreams of reaching even greater heights with his craft.
Antwi explained that he made the difficult decision to stop hosting his annual December 24 concerts at the National Theatre due to its lack of proper maintenance and its inability to accommodate his expanding artistic vision.
He realized that the National Theatre had become a space that could not keep up with his growth and artistic evolution at that time.
Despite being one of the most highly anticipated events for music enthusiasts, Kojo Antwi’s December 24 concert has always been held at the National Theatre since its inception in 1991.
However, in recent years, the concert has been relocated to various venues such as the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), Kempinski Hotel, Accra Mall, and Labadi Beach Hotel.
This year, the event took place at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), once again bypassing the National Theatre. In a recent interview with Onua FM, Kojo Antwi fondly recalled the initial allure the National Theatre held during the early days of the concerts, but emphasized that this charm has faded over time due to inadequate maintenance.
“The place has fallen short of being a theatre, and maintaining it has become challenging for those responsible. As an artist, I don’t feel confined to a specific venue,” Antwi remarked.
Mr Music Man as he is affectionately known further said, artists, like a glass, can be at different levels of fullness or even outgrow their container when their ideas expand. Antwi reached a point where he believed the National Theatre was no longer conducive to his creative needs, stating, “I did many avant-garde things, but an artist doesn’t belong to a hall. I realized that the place wasn’t facilitating my growth, so I had to make a move.”
