Five reasons why Ghanaian music may be losing out

Ever wondered why Ghanaian music is still struggling to get the maximum exposure even after the recognition and seal of approval from award schemes like the BET and MOGO? Enewsgh.com’s Abdullai Isshak attempts an explanation. He looks at five trivia yet salient reasons why it may just lose out in the long run. 1. Wizkid is good at ‘freestyle’ music, a style the Ghanaian music consuming public love with all their heart. D Black’s experimentation with the rap music genre has had to make way for the more relaxed ‘Vera’, My Kind Of Girl, ‘Change Your Life’ and the most recent ‘Alhaji’ kind of music. If they are ever going to dance to it, then it has to follow a similar style as Wizkid’s ‘Matter’ or ‘Don’t Dull’. 2. A local event is never complete until a Nigerian artiste gets to perform. It’s evident from the rotation Nigerian music get on Ghanaian radio, TV and at most major events that we simply can’t get enough of our Naija brothers. From our Music Awards to our least attended events, organizers find ways and means of sneaking in a Nigerian artist to give the show a crossover appeal! Who encourages the Ghanaian artiste? 3. We assume miming is an accepted joke. Only a few out of a good number of concert goers go to events and expect to be blown away by some amazing stagecraft. For others, it’s all about dancing. And since most Ghanaian artistes can’t find bands who can help them deliver that kind of showmanship, they usually mime. That lazy act is getting boring, and gradually becoming outdated. Music fans want variety. 4. YouTube is not a library, it’s a promotional tool. Some acts simply don’t get it. There is more our artistes can do with YouTube and any other social media sharing platform than the regular routine of uploading and letting the whole world know you’ve done that. We see and cherish that of others; get stucked to it before realizing how well we’ve been ‘brainwashed’ into judging how good an artiste is. The next minute, he is on a flight to perform at a major concert here. Burna Boy? 5. It’s all about that one hit single. A typical Ghanaian artist only finds budget for a song, shoots a video and then hope and pray it records some mainstream success. Elsewhere, artists go a step further and plan on how to promote the material to cross borders.

Tamale needs professional event organizers not charlatans !

Event organizing is an imperative element that can contribute to the development of any entertainment industry and that is; only when professionals are handling that sector. On the other hand it can gradually eat up the soul of any entertainment industry when incompetent people take up the task of event organizing. Event Organizing is not considered paramount my entertainment industry plays in the north and that has made it easy for anybody at all to take up the task or title of an event organizer. This has caused the industry some loses in the past and is still destroying the entertainment industry and the efforts of hard working musicians and other players in the industry. In other parts of the country musicians make more money performing at concerts than sale of their songs or albums, this is due to the power of professional event organization. Radio presenters, MC’s, DJ’s and other players in the entertainment industry also benefit more from well organized events. Is Tamale experiencing or enjoying the same benefits from events? If no... Have you ever asked yourself why? A few have made their own conclusions with regards to the failure of the events sector in Tamale but the most perceptible challenge is imposters taking charge of the sector. It shocks me when some self acclaimed event organizers damage each others reputations just to be messengers of an event organizer in Accra. How can we shoulder up with our colleague in the south when we refuse to seek the knowledge they have spent years acquiring, or better still support each other with the little knowledge we have. The last time I checked only few people in the industry can write a convincing proposal for sponsorship or even using their own funds to organize a show. If we can not initiate our own events and find a way to fund it we will always be mere messengers and always will wait or go begging event organizers in Accra to help us develop our industry….. which will never happen. A CEO of an event house in Accra once asked “Soundboy can you hook me up with any event organizer in Tamale I can work with” I said yes and give him information of some event organizers I know, later he call and told me they were not all qualified and the reason was, they either didn’t have some basic knowledge of event organizing or could not produce some basic documents to seal the contract. He then advised; Tamale is an interesting place with huge opportunities, the events sector should be well check and with the right people it can boost the entertainment industry and bring about recognition of northern musicians and entertainment players nationwide. Northern Music Festival is an event that can even attract attention from all over the world. Use your own musicians and entertainers, pay them well and find ways to support them and you will be surprise what will happen to the events sector. Am yet to find an event house or organizer who can organize a huge concert using only our local artist or entertainers like they do in the south or better still organize a concert in the southern part of the country using artist from the north; in your dreams!!!! ..Some will say. However it is possible, if it can be done in the south it can equally be done in the north all we need is selfless and knowledgeable people. Long live northern musicians, DJ’s, Presenters, entertainers and May we live to see a healthy entertainment industry in the north. N/B: Don’t see this as an attack to anybody but a reason to learn and equip ourselves with the required skills and knowledge in the area of business we are venturing... It will not only increase our earnings but also will give us the power to stand up to anybody in the field.

Bass Award 2013 - Sheriff Ghale nominations

MOST POPULAR REGGAE SONG OF THE YEAR(S) 1. Rocky Dawuni (African Reggae Fever) 2. Black Prophet (Wicked Soul Train) 3. Knii Lante ( House Of Pain) 4. Edem (Ghetto Arise) 5. Blakk Rasta / Kaywa (Miss Right) 6. Sammy B (Tongue Tied) 7. Sherif Ghale (Ghetto Side) 8. Ras Kuuku ( Wa ye bibioo) MALE VOCALIST 1. Rocky Dawuni (African Reggae Fever) 2. Knii Lante (House of Pain) 3. Sherif Ghale (Ghetto Side) 4. Stonebwoy (Climax) 5. Lutha (Love) 6. Kese (Care) 7. Mugeez (Am Done) KWAME NKRUMAH AWARD (ARTISTE OF THE YEAR(S) 1. Rocky Dawuni 2. Blakk Rasta 3. Samini 4. Kaakie 5. Knii Lante 6. Sherif Ghale 7. Iwan BEST REGGAE ARTISTE OF THE YEAR 1. Rocky Dawuni 2. Blakk Rasta 3. Black Prophet 4. Sherif Ghale 5. knii Lante “To vote for Most Popular Reggae Song, text BA1 Sherif Ghale to 1406, BA3 plus Artiste Name to 1406 to vote for Alternative Song across all networks.”

Vodafone Icons Audition in Tamale

WIYAALA out again with ‘ROCK MY BODY’!

Sensational upcoming singer Wiyaala will drop a new single ‘Rock My Body’ featuring VGMA nominated dancehall artist, JupitaR on June 7th. Produced at Genius Selection studio and released on the Djimba World label, ‘Rock My Body’ is a re-worked dancehall version of the 1960’s reggae hit “Wreck A Buddy” by the Soul Sisters. “This song is so much fun!” said Wiyaala “Whenever I do it live, I ask the guys to come on stage and Rock My Body and they love shaking their waists! But there is a serious message in my version of the song - True love will find you where you least expect it”, the singer added. Wiyaala’s management team confirmed that a video for Rock My Body has been shot which will be premiered on Rythmz, GHOne TV on Friday 14th June. The video was filmed on location in Ashaiman by Djimba World Productions and directed by Mr Chapman. The video is a follow-up to the innovative “Make Me Dance”, which featured Ghana’s first underwater scenes also contains scenes which will surprise, Wiyaala’s managers added. Noella Wiyaala became popular with TV viewers in 2011 for her electrifying live performances on Charterhouse’s Stars of the Future and the 2012 Vodafone Icons Mixed Edition TV Reality Show.