What most people thought was never the position especially on radio happened on Peace FM last Saturday on “Entertainment Review”, when Sidiku Buari, president of the Musicians’ Union of Ghana and Faisal Helwani executive music producer & C.E.O of Bibini Music were brought to the studio live to talk about the music industry and settle a long ranging grudge between them which lasted for so many years now.
The leadership of the musicians’ union, who registered it, the mafia and the general operation of the union, was on the agenda. Their differences have been attributed to several things including personality clash, ego and pursuance of personal interests among others.
As the countdown for a new president of the music body is still on, a gesture which seems to be an evidence of positive things for the industry is on the verge but diversity of opinions which is even supposed to be a natural strength for union, has become a hinderance to most of the musicians who seem to be at the helm of affairs.
Togetherness is far fetched so some factions of musicians who redrew their membership decided to come back and renew their involvement to building the wellbeing of their chosen field. Notably among them are Amandziba, Rex Omar, Kojo Akwai, Gedu Blay Ambuley, Charles Amoah, Faisal Helwani and others honored an invitation from Alhaji Sidiku Buari for a meeting of unity and plan ahead together for the betterment of the industry.
According to Alhaji, these musicians have called him a couple times talking about unity so he arranged for a meeting to that effect at the MUSIGA headquarters in Accra He calls it the “United Front”.
After the meeting they all agreed to forget about their differences and move forward with the exception of Faisal Helwani who walked out of the meeting before the end.
On the D-day of the meeting Alhaji and Faisal had a confrontation which lasted for over forty five minutes and according Sidiku Buari, Faisal told him not to allow Rex Omar and Amandziba back to the association but at the meeting he (Faisal) was playing a double game.
This amounted to exchange of words between them and the latter had to walk out to avoid trouble. When the host Kwasi Aboagye asked the out-going president why all this scuffle, he had this to say “Faisal came to him for a place at MUSIGA offices for his wife and an office to operate a radio station. I refused him and this to me signifies why he is just doing certain things to pay me back, Alhaji bemoaned.
On Faisal’s part, he said Alhaji has been calling him for a meeting since three months but because he had to visit his mother in Lebanon on his return two weeks ago, Sidiku Buari called him again for the meeting which he agreed to come.
According to the agenda which is for them to unite cannot happen if Alhaji and his current administration do not render proper accounts of how moneys collected have been disbursed. For the accusation of Alhaji, Faisal said they are all lies. This generated a hot argument and Faisal again threatened to leave the studio if he is not given fair hearing.
Faisal claimed he is the founder of the musicians’ union and he was the one who invited Alhaji into it. Whiles Alhaji replied: “the fact that he got the money to register it does not make him a founder because the union existed before he (Faisal) even started doing music”.
Both were accusing each other for blatant fraudulent acts which, in seriously terms, were not enhancing any head way until Rex Omar bumped into the studio to let them know how their exchange of words live on radio will affect them and the union in the long run.
“Seriously I don’t think what is going on now will in any way help the industry; we are all trying to restructure it Always washing our dirty linens outside will not solve our problems for us. I believe we are all matured people no matter what the problem we should be able to resolve it among ourselves than to go round on different radio stations battling each other”, the relatively controversial musical ace was quoted as saying.
‘There are no insurance policies for musicians, piracy is going on, royalties are not properly accessed and we sit here and fight one another on radio. I think we should rather get together as one and fight for our rights” Rex advised.
He also added that a lot of people think he went back to MUSIGA because he wants a position but he does not care who next becomes president after Alhaji but how they can all put the right structures in place.
In the presence of Carlos Sakyi, Captain Abraham, Prince Osei and other members of the union, they all agreed that the prime focus of each of them is to see the Ghanaian musician perform in happiness but as to whether they can make do off their little ego, jealousy, backbiting and pulling each other down is also another thing.
At least for all these industry gurus to meet and think of the way forward of future of the music industry would be better than it is now.
