D.J.’s killing highlife in Ghana – Oheneba Kissi

Oheneba Kissi, one of Ghana’s legendary musicians when it comes hi-life music has in an interview with Sammy Flex on AM Pluzz on Pluzz FM, said the current trend of music is frustrating and making the system very difficult for the old musicians.

“We used to compile albums for the music market those days but it’s different now, these young guys go to the studio to cook single tunes in a twinkle of an eye and will flood it on social media which was not done in our days”, he said.

According to Oheneba Kissi, he was influenced by the current generation to release a single tune but gave up on the second thought.

“I wanted to do quality songs to suit all generations both old and new. It’s very difficult to do production worth over thirty thousand Ghana cedi’s and just place it on social media which one is not sure to regain his investment or not. Yes, we can go by the digital age but putting our songs on social media for free downloads, I don’t think it is going to help us,” he expressed.

“I have been in the game for many generations and have seen it all, but have encountered a problem with some of the young DJ’s who are trying to kill the career of High life musicians especially the older ones. I have personally given a C.D to one of the young D.J’s but he refused to play it because I did not pay Payola,” Oheneba Kissi added.

He said he later went on to give the DJ some money but he did not play it, so he went to enquire and to his disappointment he told a friend that the song was not his type of tune but he was being forced to play.

“While some of our colleagues are giving my C.D’S to some fake pastor’s to demote and decline me a hit, the young D.J’s are killing our career by refusing to play our songs. So the notion that we the older musicians are being lazy when it comes to music promotion is totally wrong and unfair” he said.