Steer clear of politics - David Bolton advises musicians

Legendary Ghanaian music producer David Bolton has advised musicians to avoid composing songs for political parties. In an interview with Hitz FM on July 29, 2024, David Bolton shared his thoughts on the risks musicians face when getting involved in politics.

Reflecting on his past experience, Bolton recounted how, during the 2000 elections, his group, VIP, was approached by a political party to create a victory song.

He narrated how, confident of their win, the party paid handsomely for the song.

“We did it in the past and it didn't go well. What happened is, this was 2000, the elections. And the NDC approached us and they wanted VIP to make a victory song because they were so confident that they were winning the elections. So, they actually paid handsomely.

“We made the song. We even had Nana Konadu and her children coming to the studio whilst it was being recorded and all that. It was a party/victory song,” he said.

However, when the party lost the election, VIP faced significant backlash, and Bolton himself received criticism for the association with the party.

“We all know what happened. NDC lost. And then VIP started getting bashed and I got some flak from that as well,” he said.

Bolton advised musicians to avoid political affiliations if they want to maintain a long-term career.

He warned that aligning with a political party could alienate a portion of their fan base.

“I don't think it's worth it as a musician. If you want to have a career in a long-term career, try and stay out of politics because of the way politics is… you should be careful because don’t forget, your fan base cuts across all the political views.

"So, you stand at risk of alienating a portion of your fan base and it's your fan base that keeps you who you are. So, I would advise any musician just to stay away from politics. You could get some decent cash for that time, but then you may end up losing a lot more than the value of that money you're getting,” he said.

David Kwamena Bolton aka DKB is behind hit songs such as Abrewa Nana’s Odo Filla, Prickie’s Obaa Fɛfɛɛfɛ, Gogo Wo Ho by Ex Doe and Nkasie’s Sugar Daddy, among others, back in the 90s.

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