MUSIGA “Peace Song Contest” to Promote Peace with Music

Owning to the upcoming December general elections and as a tool for communicating peace before, during and after the elections, the Musicians Union of Ghana, MUSIGA, announced the opening for the collection of peace-themed songs which have been produced already by musicians.

The contest is aimed at gathering as many peace songs as possible, twelve of which will be compiled into an album and made available to the general public.

The time frame for the collection of the songs has elapsed and thus closed for entries. A panel of judges will be set up by the Union to go through the many songs that have been submitted. They will select the final twelve which will be on the album. This album will be available to the public by the ending of September 2012.

Over the period, many musicians, both widely known and not so widely known heeded the call of the Union and brought in their songs. They were submitted to the various offices of MUSIGA across the country. All the copies have been brought to the National Head Office in Accra. It is now left to the Judges to go through and make their final pick.

Music has always been a tool for communication. In some spheres, music has been used to change attitudes of people, sensitize them on some aspects of life, used to encourage them and also to promote unity. Many countries in Africa have faced some dire hard situations as a result of election uncertainties. Ghana has successfully gone through a number of relatively peaceful elections since the country adopted democracy in 1992.

With the demise of former president Mills and the swearing in of President Mahama on the same day, it can be said that Ghanaians understand democratic dispensation and as such a peaceful election is what we all anticipate.

By this compilation album of twelve tracks all talking about peace, tolerance and putting Ghana first and making all other differences second, the Union, through this means is hopeful that it will help to reinforce the need for Ghanaians to remain peaceful and to choose peace as Ghana is all we have.