Veteran Highlife musician, Rex Omar
Veteran Highlife artiste Rex Omar has stated that he would never advise his children to pursue music in Ghana.
According to him, engaging in music in Ghana would only lead to disappointment.
Speaking in an interview on Accra-based 3FM, Rex Omar shared his personal experiences and the systemic challenges that Ghanaian musicians face, especially on the international stage.
When asked whether he would advise his children to pursue music, he replied with a definitive “no”.
He added that despite their talent, he had been able to steer them away from a music career.
“None of my children are into music. I didn't impose it on them. I told them the truth. They understand that if you play around with music as a Ghanaian, music will disappoint you,” he said.
He narrated how, during his tour across South Africa and several other countries, he was struck by the lack of support from the Ghanaian government.
While other artists received grand welcomes from their respective embassies, complete with branded vehicles, Omar found himself without any such backing.
“I realized how exposed I am as an artist. It brought my spirit down,” he said.
Rex Omar mentioned how the situation led him to approach the Minister of Tourism at the time to seek support for another tour, only to receive minimal support.
“Today, tomorrow, today, tomorrow, today, tomorrow. He said they could sponsor one person, but even with that, I went on the tour for five months. I came back two months later before I was given something small. And even that something small, with the ups and downs, I nearly left it,” he said.
Rex Omar mentioned that his experiences have led him to believe that the industry has neglected its creatives.
Thus, without any support system, achieving mainstream international success would be difficult for Ghanaian artistes.
ID/OGB
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