Samdakus (the OG Samuel Darko), the dude who basically put Kumawood on the map, is kinda ticked off. There’s this new film gang popping up in Ashanti called the Kumawood Ashanti Film Association. Sounds fancy, right? Only problem, they just went ahead and slapped “Kumawood” on their banner, no “Hey, can we borrow your trademark?” call to Samdakus. Rude.
Apparently, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, is the boss man behind this new club. The goal? Unite the region’s filmmakers and push the industry up a notch. Cool idea, but, um, maybe ask the guy who owns the name first? Just saying.
So, Samdakus hops on Hitz FM with Kwame Dadzie, and he’s basically like, “Look, nobody called me at first. I found out from Seancity after they pulled up to interview me. Now I know, so yeah, I’m open to joining. I’m a producer, director, actor the whole package, man. But don’t just jack my name.” He’s not about to throw hands or anything, but he’s definitely not thrilled.
Here’s the kicker: he’s not even asking for cash. “I just want credit. Say it loud founder, that’s me. No need to stuff my pockets,” he says. Kinda refreshing, honestly. Recognition over money? You don’t see that every day.
He did mention he’s been talking to someone from the minister’s office, so there’s hope things won’t get messy. Still, he’s keeping it low-key till they actually settle stuff. Smart move.
Now, in case you’ve been living under a rock Kumawood is basically Ghana’s answer to Hollywood, but with more local flavor, zero pretension, and a whole lotta hustle. Started blowing up around the mid-2000s tons of Akan-language films, mad relatable stuff, always super quick on the production side. The whole Kumawood thing? That’s Samdakus’ brainchild. He literally made the brand. Everyone else just ran with it.
His credits? Let’s just say the man’s got receipts. “Kumasi Yonko,” “Hard Target,” “Obonsam Besu,” “Ohia Asem” the list goes on. He even set up the Kumawood Akoben Festival and Awards, hyping up Ashanti’s creative scene and handing out props to top talent.
Bottom line: Samdakus is cool with the new group, but if you wanna rock the Kumawood name, show some respect. A handshake, a shoutout, maybe a plaque. That’s all he’s asking. Seems fair, right?