Renowned Ghanaian musician, Kojo Antwi has disclosed that the National Theatre that was uplifting his craftsmanship some years ago has now turned around to start shattering his dreams of reaching higher heights with his craft.
According to Antwi, he ceased hosting his annual December 24 concerts at the National Theatre due to a lack of proper maintenance and the venue’s incapacity to accommodate his expanding artistic concepts.
He said his decision was made upon realising that the National Theatre had transformed into a space that could not adapt to his growth and artistic evolution at the time.
Despite Kojo Antwi’s December 24 concert being one of the most highly attended events that music enthusiasts eagerly anticipated, the National Theatre had been its traditional venue since its inception in 1991.
However, in recent years, it was relocated to various venues such as the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), Kempinski Hotel, Accra Mall, and Labadi Beach Hotel.
This year, the event unfolded at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), once again bypassing the National Theatre. In a recent interview with Onua FM, Kojo Antwi reminisced about the initial appeal the National Theatre held during the concert’s early days, emphasising that this charm has faded over time.
“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.
He explained that 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 realised that the place wasn’t facilitating my growth, so I had to make a move,” he concluded.
