Ashaiman had for years, been tagged as the hub of miscreants, this negative narrative about the community caused others to subject indigenes to stereotypes.
Famous Ghanaian dancer, Laud Anoo Konadu, stage-named Dancegod Lloyd had to lie about his roots just to secure jobs at the beginning of his career.
According to him, he was not shy but had to lie about his background for fear of losing opportunities when he visited the homes and offices of his clients for dance lessons.
“You go to people’s houses, these people are well-to-do, people of class and when you go to their house to teach them, they want to know you well. Your background, where you are coming from…what if you are up to something else?
“Sometimes when I go to people’s homes, I tell them that I am from Tema or just say I live around because they had this perception about where I was coming from, Ashaiman,” he shared in an interview with Babs Cann on Original TV.
When Dancegod Lloyd finally had a wake-up call, he promised to live the truth and be proud of the community that raised him despite the risk to his career.
“One time I was like, I need to stay true to myself because here I was motivating others on Instagram. I was contradicting myself. I needed to face reality so I started telling people that I am from Ashaiman,” he said.
The dancer who has worked with several top brands and celebrities in Ghana was proud to finally see change and upliftment in the Ashaiman community. He named Dancehall musician, Stonebwoy as one of the proud sons of the community.
“When we start talking, it’s all vibe and happiness until I mention Ashaiman, and then their mood starts to change but now things have changed. They are proud to have an Ashaiman boy on board…it feels good, and I feel relaxed…just like Stonebwoy. Others can boldly say that they are from Ashaiman and other slum communities,” Dancegod noted in his May 2023 interview monitored by GhanaWeb.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com