Ghanaian Afrobeats /Dancehall artiste, Stonebwoy has called on the government to support the creative arts industry by seeing to it that their works are properly monetized on digital platforms.
According to him, the system was not okay before the coronavirus pandemic but the current situations have made matters worse.
He noted that artistes including himself are hungry and if things are not put in place, they might also end up like their predecessors who are not looking good in their current state.
Speaking to the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah in a live Instagram chat, Stonebwoy pointed that “it’s not been easy at all. It’s not been easy before. It only looks gloomy but now with this global pandemic we’ve all been well exposed…we realized that most of us are hungry, I am hungry. A lot of us are hungry” adding that it is worse because people like himself are “the same ones who’ll have to do givebacks and try to also use the little income that we’ve been able to save from the music that we do or the creative material to give back to communities so as to still stay oh that’s the guy.”
“Meanwhile we’re suffering actually and when we look into the future of what our system is or what our creative industry is now there’s actually no hope because we see our predecessors swindling down every time when they grow old…and that is where we are headed to as well, maybe we’re young now but that is where we are headed to if we are not able to do anything about it,” he added.
He further added that although the government has tried fixing some of the problems not much has changed.
“And I think the corona situation has brought us an opportunity to at least grab the bull by the horn with everyone involved and I think that government have tried to support the industry one way or the other but it definitely doesn’t end up well so much so that you know that some things are moving because it only seeks to address one part of the problem and that is like massage a little bit. But the general problem which has been from time till now has always been,” he opined.
The ‘Nominate’ singer recounted meeting with some musician colleagues including Edem and Shatta Wale and the situation is no different in their cases.
The minister asked how Shatta Wale was doing.
Stonebwoy stated that they are doing well “but we’re all hungry so it’s like a hungry nation right now.”
Mr Oppong Nkrumah assured him that the Minister for the Creative Industry, Babara Oteng Gyasi is his good friend and that she would take it up and get it addressed.
Stonebwoy then made an additional request for the inclusion of the young creatives like himself, Samini, Shatta Wale, Edem, Sarkodie, Darko Vibes, Yaa Pono, Medikal and the rest so that their concerns will be clearly registered.
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By: Hajia Lamy Gates |ghanaweeked.com
