A music awards night in Ghana erupted in a mass brawl that saw a handgun drawn as the entourages of two rival dancehall acts clashed on stage.
Livingstone Etse Satekla, who goes by the stage name Stonebwoy, had collected the award for best dancehall act at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards on Sunday night ahead of bitter rival Shatta Wale, whose real name Charles Nii Armah Mensah.
But, apparently unhappy with the result, Shatta Wale and his crew burst on to the stage, sparking a mass brawl that brought the award ceremony to a standstill.
At one point Stonebwoy was pictured standing to one side of the stage with a pistol clearly visible in his hand.
However, security guards intervened and the situation was diffused without anybody being injured. After a 30 minute delay, the award ceremony resumed.
Despite initial reports that Stonebwoy had been arrested, he remained in the venue for the rest of the evening and was pictured alongside police afterwards.
During a later acceptance speech for best collaboration, he apologised for the fight.
‘I only had to react out of natural instincts because we all know how premeditative some people can be,’ he said.
‘We’ve seen on social media the treats and everything so we couldn’t come in unprepared because anything could have happened like you guys saw.’
Stonebwoy had just scooped the award for best dancehall/reggae act at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards when rival Shatta Wale stormed the stage, prompting a brawl (left and right)
Stonebwoy has been named best dancehall act at the awards ceremony five years in a row, spurring on a bitter war of words with his rival
Shatta Wale has stoked the rivalry by referring to his counterpart as a ‘one-legged cripple’
Shatta Wale denied that his entourage started the fight, saying he went to the stage to congratulate his rival – who scooped the best act title for the fifth year in a row.
Shatta himself scooped two awards during the ceremony.
He took to Twitter after the award ceremony had finished to continue lashing out at his rival – who he often refers to as a ‘cripple’ – and calling for him to be arrested.
‘Don’t play with a lion like that …He dislikes to smell blood,’ he wrote.
‘You pull out Gun on innocent people ..Ghana police do your work !! This is called insecurity …it’s a shame Ghana music supports this arrogant cripple !!’
Following the ceremony, Stonebwoy issued another apology in which he opened up about fears around his security.
He wrote: ‘I have been the victim of incessant vilification and physical attacks in recent times.
Following the brawl Shatta took to Twitter to continue the fight, calling for his rival to be arrested and threatening him
Stonebwoy issued a full apology for his behaviour while denying rumours that he had been arrested, and was pictured with police
‘My own dear wife has in the past suffered a knife attack at a concert – an attack that had been meant for me and which resulted in her being rushed to hospital.’
He continued: ‘I am taking remedial measures to ensure that there will never be a repetition of such actions. These include improving security measures within my team.
‘It is my ardent hope that the show will be remembered for the showcase and appreciation of talents and not the few minutes of regretful haywire.’
Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale have been locked in an increasingly bitter war of words for years over who can lay claim to the title of best dancehall act in Ghana.
While Shatta often refers to his rival as a one-legged cripple, Stonebwoy has nicknamed Shatta ‘a dog’.
The rivalry has seen legions of fans backing both musicians and has sometimes spilled over into violence.
Source: Daily Mail
