“OUR MUSIC ROOTS ARE WEAKENED” – ABRAHAM OHENE DJAN

ABRAHAM OHENE DJAN - CEO OF OHENE MEDIA

CEO of Ohene Media and a veteran in the music business of Ghana revealed on celebrity XYZ an on air show on radio xyz93.1fm last Saturday that our music roots are weakened so badly.

The veteran was talking about the fall and rise of musicians on the show with the host Nana Yaa Agyare and he cited a brilliant example of our music industry.

Abraham said: ‘if you see a tree whose fruits are rotten where is the fault coming from, it’s the roots’ hence if our musicians who represents the fruits are dying out in the system them they should check the roots and who are the roots they   themselves’.

He maintained: ‘these musicians are not united, they have never been together as a union to challenge certain things that affect them, like piracy, royalties, distribution, and the likes so how do they get what is due them’.

Most of the time, our musicians forget that, if you present your case a strong unified group, you get a strong bargaining power hence certain decisions come your way just because you are a group with one focus’.

From that angle, the host of Celebrity XYZ Nana Yaa Agyare asked Abraham, the question about MUSICGA been the spirit union of all musicians in Ghana, shouldn’t they spear head these activities?

 CEO of Ohene Media responded as: ‘musicians have not given MUSICGA (their own union) the clouts or mandate or power to act on their behalf even though the union exist,  and until they do that, they (musicians) will always complain.

He cited an example: ‘look at the number of music reality shows going on in the country, MUSICGA has no hand in it, but the musicians songs are always performed or played there who takes the event houses on, Music awards for instance MUSICGA has little or no power in it just because if the union gives an order or speaks for the musicians, you will always find some of these same musicians acting the opposite way just because they think about themselves alone, so if you that attitude who will take you serious’.

The situation is that bad because when an artiste is comfortable and is enjoying all the airplays, shows and what have you,  he decides to do what he likes not thinking about the fact that one day he will also go down and someone else will rise, Abraham contended.

In his final words on celebrity XYZ which airs on Saturdays 1-3pm on radio xyz93.1fm was: ‘if the top 50 musicians in the country will come together and give mandate to MUSICGA, things will change within a matter of hours, they can try my words if they like or else it will be difficult for them every time’.

The words of the veteran are so true, a clear cut example is, 18newspaper.com spoke to Mrs Hannah Tetteh, Minister of trade about the government input to entertainment and she said: ‘if the musicians can state a business case, the minister of trade on behalf of the government will look at the sector as a good area for trade and hence invest there because don’t forget there are so many sectors why focus on yours’.

The words to the wise they always say is enough, if the music industry will be good, then we need to unite as a body, speak one language and make a business case.

For more of such interesting interviews join Nana Yaa Agyare on celebrity xyz on radio xyz93.1fm this and every Saturday between 1-3pm.

Story: Nana Yaw Wiredu/www.18newspaper.com