Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie made history winning the freshly created category: Best International Flow on the BET Hip-Pop 2019 and on receiving the award, he sent a message to the world.
He said, “This year is the year of return and I’ll urge each and every one of you here to take a trip back home, come have fun. This Christmas, it’s going down in Ghana so if you’re coming to Africa, choose Ghana”
But it seems his message did not sound genuine enough to some people.
One of such people is gospel artiste, Chief Charles.
He said he thinks that Sarkodie’s invite to the world to visit Ghana this December is just to sell his concert to the world.
He said it is a good message to get investors and tourists to boost the economy but he feels that message was first of all to market his concert.
He added that although the rapper imitated Davido who also sold Africa and Nigerian last year at the BET, it is a step in the right direction that artistes sell Africa to the world.
In June last year, Nigerian act Davido won Best International Act and his message was, “I’m telling you guys, y’all come to Africa, eat the food, wear the clothes,” he mentioned from the stage. “My continent has been so blessed to influence other cultures. Let’s collaborate, everybody,”
Speaking as a panelist on Zylofon FM, Chief Charles said, “Sarkodie’s endorsement of Ghana can be measured by the number of people who viewed that occasion and as to whether it was televised to a good number of people so it meant that the number of people who were watching at the time that event was ongoing have all heard the message Ghana,”
“Now we’ll look at the content and the substance of what he says. He says ‘this December it is happening in Ghana, if you’re coming to Africa, come to Ghana. Obviously his concert will be in December, isn’t it? So, I suspect that he’s pointing first of all to his concert and obviously his concert is happening in Ghana so for me I think that it was what informed that message that he put out” he added
“It may not necessarily be a large or huge agenda for Ghana that ‘come to Ghana we have destination sites’ but again apart from his parochial interest of people coming to attend his concert which definitely is a very good one because then if the concert has an international appeal it definitely brings tourists, investors and all manner of people to Ghana and his concert stands to benefit butt again I also think that he took a cue from Davido. I think it was last year or so when Davido won his award at the BET as well and invited the world to Africa, not just Nigeria. In fact, I think he mentioned that people should come and eat Nigerian food but the fact that he also drew the attention and put the spotlight on Africa,” he concluded.
