Noella Wiyaala, a Ghanaian Afro-pop singer, is claiming that her award presentation scheduled to happen during Shatta Wale’s performance at SummerStage Music Festival in the USA was "blocked" by the Dancehall artiste's team.
According to her, the organisers of the show had informed her that she would be presented with a citation on stage during Shatta Wale’s performance, so, she should wait.
She indicated that when the time was due, Shatta Wale, who was then performing some of his songs, was asked to pause for the presentation so that he continues.
Council Member, Vanessa L. Gibson, who was to make the presentation climbed onto the stage and first made Shatta Wale’s presentation to him while Wiyaala was backstage waiting for her name to be mentioned, but that did not happen.
She stated in her a post on her varied Facebook timeline that, when Vanessa Gibson was done with Shatta’s presentation, she refused to call her to the stage but rather, she [Wiyaala] was told that she will receive her award backstage.
“At approximately 6pm 13th August, Wiyaala was advised that she and Shatta Wale would be presented with a Citation of Merit by Vanessa L Gibson, President of The Bronx Borough on stage during an interval in his performance at @SummerStageNYC.
“At about 8.15 pm Shatta wale’s performance was paused and Council Member Vanessa L. Gibson and Wiyaala went to the back of the stage for the presentation of the citations. Vanessa went forward to do the presentation whilst an unknown person advised Wiyaala to wait. The presentation was made to Shatta Wale.
“Vanessa then immediately vacated the stage without calling Wiyaala forward. Wiyaala was then told she could receive her award backstage out of sight of the audience. Wiyaala refused to accept the award under these circumstances and left Crotona Park for her hotel,” Wiyaala narrated in her post.
Wiyaala continued: “Vanessa was challenged by members of Wiyaala’s team as to why she had not been called forward to receive her Citation on stage. Initially, Vanessa blamed the organisers (SummerStage NYC) but eventually said that she had been blocked from calling Wiyaala forward by Team Shatta Wale.
“Wiyaala does not accept awards or citations from any organization backstage.
“Wiyaala respectfully requests that Team Shatta Wale confirm if they did block Wiyaala from coming on stage to receive her citation at the same time as Shatta Wale. And if they did no such thing, then Vanessa L Gibson should account for why she disrespected Wiyaala in this manner on a night of supposed unity and mutual support.
“Unless acceptable and credible explanations are forthcoming, Wiyaala has no intention of accepting the Citation of Merit supposedly awarded her by the Bronx Borough.”
“This is what happened and we now move on. Cased closed, good night #Roarrrrrr,” she concluded.
Wiyaala and Shatta Wale are in the United States for the annual outdoor music festival dubbed ‘SummerStage’.
The event is organised by Capital One City Parks Foundation, an independent non-profit organization in New York, USA.
SummerStage is one of New York’s most beloved, broadly accessible, free outdoor performing arts festivals which showcase live performances spanning all genres.
Singer, Wiyaala
