I interviewed Abdul Salaam Mumuni, the Managing Director of Venus Films & the producer of the movie “Beyonce” while I was in Ghana in 2008. I asked him why he chose names like Ciara, Beyonce & Tyra for his lead characters in his films & he flatly told me it was because he was trying to appeal to the western world. All I could think is with the millions of Africans who watch western movies, why are we not given the same consideration in terms of the western world trying to appeal to us for our hard earned money? At the end of the day these African films are bought by more Africans than westerners & the industry is being built on the earning power of Africans, yet the ultimate goal is to appeal to the western world -the colonial mentality continuing to be perpetuated by Africans on Africans. During the panel discussion the same woman from Ghana who was speaking on the growing Nollywood film industry that is now entering many western homes through bootleg DVD’s & internet piracy made notice of the fact that many westerners can’t belive that African films are showing actors in the same trappings of their western counterparts, with fancy cars, designer wardrobes, flashy jewelry, fancy houses etc.; yet what we fail to recognize is that most of the designer clothes are made in China knock off’s because Dior , D & G, Vuitton & Chanel have not opened shop in Africa yet. While these African actors can be patronizing local designers who create true haute couture- one of a kind hand made pieces utilizing the abundance of locally made fabric, leather, wood, metals, natural materials turned into the finest designs in fashion & accessories-which has been all the rage in the past couple of years from the fashion runways of New York, Paris & London. There is a tailor/designer at every corner from Lagos to Durbin to Accra, but our high profile Africans in entertainment would rather appeal to the western world by showing them that they can be just like them, as we build their economies while dismantling & destroying our own. I was told by a MP (member of parliment equivalent to a congressman in the US) that a random white man or westerner can come to Ghana (Africa in general) & be able to meet with the president or get a buisness venture to take off in the country quicker than he or any native can. I SMH(shake my head) because I know this is a fact because I have seen the colonial mentality in full bloom live an direct. I have a friend who is an engineer that has worked for the US government & major companies in the US, who wants to return back home to Ghana to open up a technology business where hi-speed internet would be more accessible to the everyday people of Ghana, not only did he meet resistance from the many millionaires & government in Ghana in attaining financing for the project, but he was told that if he wanted Ghanaians to patronize his business then he would be better off using some sort of Chinese or western name instead of his own Ghanaian name which ironically means to fly/soar like a bird because Ghanaians & Africans in general would rather patronize western & now the almighty Chinese companies rather than their own. I guess not much has changed from Africa to the Diaspora & back again.


http://globalfusionproductions.com/fbl/ode-to-black-history-month-how-one-night-accumulated-into-bringing-black-history-full-circleglobal-colonial-mentality-how-far-have-we-come/

I think the reason was pretty obvious

he needs to try again because contrary to popular belief Beyonce is no icon to all of us westerners as pretty and talented as she is; same goes for Rihanna, Ciara, Tyra; etc. That was just a cheap example of poor marketing. Keep that aspect (name wise) original.