Ghana Music awards, will DJs carry the day?

Once again preparations are underway for this year’s Ghana Music Awards which comes off in March and as usual, managers of some notable artists who also serve as Disk Jockeys at the various radio and television stations have began connecting their way in and lobbying for awards for their clients.

There is no doubt that this year’s awards will see the ‘usurpers’ carrying the day as their managers will do their best to lobby their ways through. It is therefore advisable for upcoming musicians to critically asses themselves before taking part in the awards since they could be disappointed in the end.

Artists like Kwaw Kese, Ofori Amponsah, Praye, Sidney among others are likely to survive through the active network of their managers, who are also the popular DJs in the country.

As one of the key criteria for the awards is the frequency of airplay by a particular music the DJs will ensure that their favorites get the most of air play, placing them far ahead of their counterparts who have equally good music but not privileged to have DJ managers.

Probably Kwaw Kese and his ‘Abodam’ lyrics could be considered, taking into consideration his special meeting with US President George Walker Bush in Accra, during the latter’s recent visit to the country.

George Kwabena Adu also known as Kwabena Kwabena since he became a musician has refused to pay ‘PAYOLA’ to the Ghanaian DJs and presenters. As a result, the loved artist is encountering the wrath of these professionals as they are reluctant to play his latest album Dabi.

In an interview with The Saturday Statesman, Kwabena Kwabena expressed dismay about the increasing rate of ‘payola’ demand for air play. He regarded the situation as strange. “I have never paid payola but my manager in one way or the order might have paid to any of the high class ‘payola’ receivers to help him sustain his music. I believe the situation if not checked could damage the music industry and also prevent young and up coming musicians from rising to fame”.