“Shatta Wale is a musician, and what he can do best is to do his music.” That was the response from contemporary Ghanaian Highlife musician, Kwabena Kwabena when he was quizzed about his thoughts on the ‘Dancehall King’, Shatta Wale’s request to President Nana Akufo-Addo for an ambassadorial role in the Ghana Music Industry during a courtesy call on the President at the Flagstaff House in Accra.
According to Kwabena Kwabena who is also an accomplished draftsman, with all the difficulties currently facing the virtually non-existent music industry, he is hard-pressed trying to figure out exactly what Shatta Wale’s role as an ambassador of the Ghana Music Industry would entail.
Kwabena Kwabena who was speaking on Beach 105.5 FM during an interview with Skinny Agyekum Gyimah on E-BUZZ added that, it is important for Ghanaian musicians to look past the desire for “hype and funfair” because according to him, “the play has become too much,” and it is having a detrimental effect on the country’s already wobbly music industry.
In his view, Kwabena Kwabena noted that the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts should rather be equipped and adequately resourced in order to be able to tackle issues such as the long-standing scourge of piracy, and the non-payment of royalties, rather than continuing the Ghanaian ritual of giving appointments which yield little to no results.
Kwabena Kwabena went on to disclose that, in the 12 years he has been in the music industry, he has not yet received any royalty.
By: Godwin Kpade/beachfmonline.com/Ghana
