Fate of Our Old, Ageing and Youthful Ghanaian Musicians

Our illiterate but very knowledgeable forefathers or ancestors, proverbially, had this to say, ‘’ The one who carries an orphan with a heavy load to walk through the muddy path does nothing but worsens his or her sorrow’’. The entertainment scene in Ghana, just as partisan politics, had tuned into something else as only the luckiest artiste or musician who makes hit songs are accorded the utmost recognition. This is not the situation elsewhere as with all due respect, ordinary music makers have their fairest share of the due with regards to royalties, once their livelihood is dependent on music as a career. 

This reminds me of the one-week observance of late Priscilla Opoku-Kwarteng, as in the perfection of peace may her soul and that of all departed musicians and artistes of Ghana rest, popularly known as ‘’Ebony’’, tuned into an equivalently  Ghanaian Grammy Awards on 19^th February, 2018 at the premises of  St. Martins De Pores at Dansoman in Accra. The aerial shot of the crowd and mourners, thousands in their numbers, from all walks of life, indescribably thronged the compound. In an Akan proverb, there is a saying that, ‘’ it is the one with name that is mentioned.’’ The occasion had turned into a picturesque of final political rally of either the National Democratic Congress (NDC) or New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ghana because of the unalloyed admiration of most especially Ghanaian youth for her songs, videos and stage antics. 

However, an indigenous Ghanaian proverb says that, ‘’ the forest which had once helped you is never belittled’’ as ‘’he who forgets of the drum sound of his hometown chief ends up getting missing at the durbar ground’’. Why these proverbs? The answer is not far from fetch as ‘’the one who has run away only knows his hiding place.’’ According to reports, the one-week observance premises suffered uncontrollable tears due the thickness of both human and vehicular traffic which forced the police to block the main road which led to the school compound. 

As Ghanaians, we should note that, music is a mission but not completion as one good turn, they say, deserves another. We ought not lose sight of the fact that our forebears, some of whose name we have heard but never seen them, mainly of  Palm wine  Music ( a term for various early twentieth century music styles that combined local West African instruments with the portable ones of the visiting seamen: the concertina, harmonica and particularly guitar ( Band On The Wall, Friday, 11^th February, 2022) such Bob Pinodo, Kaakaaku, Ramblers Band, Koo Nimo, also known as Agya Koo Nimo, KwaaMensah, T.O. Jazz (Thomas Osei) ‘’Jazz’’ Ampomah,Emmanuel Tettey  Mensah ( E.T. Mensah), founder of the ‘’The Tempos’’ and King of Highlife), E.K. Nyame, Kobina Okai, Appiah Agyekum, and Kwame Asare, known to have recorded the first highlife music in Ghana ‘’Yaa Amponsah’’,just to mention a few. They had indeed cleared the paths of good-listening music which had continued to date. 

Many are those who would be dumb-founded by the above-mentioned names as today’s Ghanaian child or young adultmay easily recall names like Kelvin Boy, Sister Afia, Guru, Kwame Eugene, Stone Boy, Sarkodee, Eno Barony, ShattaWale etc. of their times. What you should remember is that, he who praises a good meal must in likewise manner do same to the one who had prepared it. This current crop of artisteswould not have emerged if those had belonged to memory had not set the admirable beginning pace. 

Astoundingly on that same fateful day of the one-week observance of Ebony was the lying-in-state of  the mortal remains of  Madam Rose Amoanu Gyamfuah, a Canadian-based Ghanaian female singer, pseudonymously known as ‘’Awura Ama Badu’’ whose song entitled ‘’ Medofo Adaa daame’’, which means ‘’ My love had betrayed me’’ featured the late popular hiplife artiste Omanhene Pozo, formerly of Nananom ( Sydney, Djotsi, Omanhene Pozo) fame in the 90s at her hometown, Banko in the Ashanti Region. 

Although the funeral witnessed a number of  musical giants in the persons of Amakye Dede, Nana Tufour, Nana Kwame Ampadu, Bice Osei Kufuor (Obuor) who had been in attendance, it was not  logically comparable to that of Ebony.  Ironically, the only person and gospel singer who performed at the funeral was Madam Florence Obinim, who is said to have once lived with Awura Ama Badu in her childhood days. As an adage goes, ‘’ half a loaf is better than none,’’ as these current crop of artistes and musicians ought to know that they would also face public neglect at old age  at which time they would have been out of their prime, bed-ridden, or lack of popularity for their music. 

As I write, very once prominent contemporary musicians in times past but currently at the whims and caprices of old age in the likes of Aseibu Amamfi, Osafohene Gyeni, B.B. Collins, Obuoba J.A. Adofo, Ben Brako, Besa Simons, A.B. Crentsil some of whom are faced with indescribably financial challenges and various  ill-health conditions  have become objects of ridicule in their respective societies. They had never enjoyed pension, written biographies, proper record keeping of musical works, commensuration royalties, health benefits, and ordinary visitations from associations such as Musician Association of Ghana (MUSIGHA), Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO), and Ghana Copy Rights Act whose executives are satisfactorily renumerated far enviably more than those the musicians and artistes whose works had provided them employment opportunities.  

Currently, Chief Kofi Sammy, a very prolific musician who had in the seventies competed fiercely with late Nana Kwame Ampadu for the title of  ‘’Anwomtofoohene’’, King of Music, had devastatingly been bed-ridden with stroke excuse me to say, ‘’ on his death bed’’ with not  a modicum of  attention from fellow musicians, young and old, friends, both at home and abroad, and likewise these afore-mentioned  associations. 

We should remember that the dwindling buttocks of the elderly enter that of the youthful as undoubtedly the next crop of musical generation, nearing their old age in the next ten to twenty years some of whom could fall prey to the current predicament or situation of Abriekyieba Kofi Sammy as it happened to Jewel Ackah, include Amakye Dede (Nana Amakye Dede), Charles Kwadwo Ofosu (Daddy Lumba), Rex Omar, Amadzeba Nat Brew, Felix Owusu, Samuel Owusu, Kojo Antwi, Pat Thomas, Nana Acheampong, Reggie Rock Stone, George Jaraah, Slim Young, and Akosua Agyapomaanot to forget those whose name cannot be mentioned due to a gloss over.  

In conclusion as a saying goes, ‘’ whatever affects the eyes, obviously same applies  to the nose’’ as ‘’he who sees the beard of his friend on fire, fetches water by his’’ as this serves as a thought-provoking message to the currently youthful musicians and artistes to critically dialogue with these music-related associations the way forward regarding their better future life especially at old age.

Writer: Isaac Livingstone Asamoah

( A Talented Song Writer, Arranger, Composer and Rapper)