Video queen: Melina Matsoukas

Aren’t some of those videos offensive to women, with naked women often all over, you promote that?

As much as I am a video producer, I am also a woman. I would not take part in a video that I find degrading to women. I have never and I will never.

Are you going to help turn our Wahu to Beyonce?

(Laughs) Hmm! She is already talented and that why she is chosen. 

We are going to do some good work on the song but what I am keen on doing is also training the up-and-coming filmmakers to make quality videos.

They can then go on to make more for the other artistes.

You have seen some local videos, what do you think of them?

Your industry is young and developing so this is what I expect but I am here to play a small role in helping it improve.

I must say though that I have only seen a few videos.

Does the quality have something to do with the inferior equipment?

Not really and you should never think that way. You can come up with a very good video using just one camera. I have done it before.

A good video has the right visuals, a well conceptualised story and should be exciting and elicit reaction.

We will do that for Wahu (she pronounces it as Waheuu).

What impact will this video have on Wahu’s career?

This is MTV brother. Big, really big. But she has to build up on this.

You come from a very mixed family, tell us about it!

Yes, I am very multicultural and that is one of the reasons I agreed to come down to Africa on this assignment.

One of my parents is half Jamaican and half Cuban while the other is half Greek and half Jewish so I am sort of in between.