Let’s face it: We are far behind - Shasha Marley

In 2001, Libya was privileged not only to host the African Union Summit for African political leaders but also to enjoy the warmth of African music by great stars whose performance helped to grace the occasion and also give an opportunity of great exposure to some of the rising stars.

Amongst the African stars was Julius Amua-Sekyi aka Shasha Marley a Ghanaian roots reggae star.

The reggae monk, displaying a charismatic style with unique skills mounted and shared the stage with other high profile African artistes like female music legends, Mariam Makeba of South Africa, Koffi Awilor of Congo Brazzaville, King Mensah of Togo, Manu Dibango and many others.

To Shasha Marley the tremendously hyped musical show was a unique blessing and an opportunity to meet great African statesmen and leaders like Nelson Mandela South African ex-President, Olusegun Obasanjo, immediate past Nigerian President and outgoing Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and John Agyekum Kufuor of Ghana.

“That was a real and unforgettable night of sweet memories which has ever since kept motivating me in the hope that I could make it international and big,” Shasha said.

On his return to Ghana from Libya that same year, Shasha noted with mixed feelings, although Ghanaian music was hailed in that country and though he himself enjoyed a standing ovation when it was his turn to perform, he has come to observe that majority of Ghanaian musicians were far behind their contemporaries and lacked enlightenment and professionalism.

He said issues like management of musicians and their entourage should be addressed comprehensively with professionalism, adding that our stage performance and the costume worn by our musicians do not reflect a tint of showbiz professionalism.

However he thinks on the current scene, things have improved as compared with what he regrettably described as “the unprofessional past,” specifically in the late 1990’s and early 2000 notwithstanding efforts made by few stars and with the support of MUSIGA.

Also it was to enhance originality and ingenuity especially our highlife music which he said was losing lustre and putting our aesthetic heritage which is our pride at stake.

In a chat with The Spectator, he regretted that the original highlife rhythm and melody which made our music classic by all standards was getting lost.

Shasha suggested that a MUSIGA led crusade should make effort to salvage the image of our music especially highlife.

MUSIGA, he said, should then boldly issue an edict to all registered members to follow a code of rules and regulation to debar members from doing or engaging in any activity that might militate against the objective or aims of such a crusade.

This he said is the only surest way by which our musical heritage could be saved from the eclipse of foreign domination and also making 75 per cent of our cultural music to prevail and dominate the Ghanaian airwaves.

Shasha Marley born to a family with the aura of music was influenced by his father, retired educationist and a choir master in a local Catholic Church in Komenda in the Central Region.

Shasha, a staunch Catholic said robbing himself in a cassock and hood, an outfit of a monk for stage performance was to fulfill the desire of making St. Francis Assisi his moral role model.

Between 1978 and 1983, after his schooling at St John’s Secondary in Sekondi where he played in the schools band, Mathew Chapter 5, he went straight into professional music, making his debut appearance in C.K. Mann and his Carouzel 7 which band he did the reggae tunes in English.

Next he gigged with Gyedu Ambolley’s band and backed in vocals to cut the hit album Me Ye Abrantie Cigarette Si Maano”.

In 1990, when the Gold Nuggets Band was formed, he played an integral role in its formative years as a singer.

Shasha with an insatiable desire to advance his education, tutored himself in information technology an acquirement that helped to facilitate the management of his musical material on the computer.

Not long after this, lady luck smiled on him and there was a chance for a good recording. An agent of world renowned EMI Records showed interest in him and persuaded Shasha to do recording business with him and eventually signed a three-year contract with EMI Tat music which led to working on a master copy of his debut Cry Freedom’ which he said EMI had the distribution right for francophone countries in West Africa.

His album Wasted years’ was done at the late Bob Nesta Marley’s Tuff Gong Recording outfit in Jamaica. In a brief tribute to Bob Marley, he said Marley had left an indelible mark and footprint of musical excellence which is not only timeless but a constant message which has been the blue print of many successful musical efforts of artistes the world over.

Shasha Marley is currently out with his latest album lost and found.