'They think within the box' - Amandzeba blasts creative arts associations

Renowned Highlife musician Amandzeba Nat Brew has revealed he made a deliberate decision roughly a decade ago to distance himself from creative arts associations, societies, and agencies, citing a culture of small thinking that he says continues to stifle progress within the industry.

Speaking on The Upside Down Show on Channel One TV on May 31, 2026, Amandzeba opened up about his frustrations with how institutional bodies within the creative sector handle ideas — or, more precisely, how they don't.

"I decided about 10 years ago never to be interested in all these associations, societies, and agencies," he said.

His comments came in response to a question from the host about what creative arts institutions had actually done to preserve and promote Ghana's cultural heritage, given the number of agencies set up to support the sector.

Let's promote Highlife music, that's what we have - Amandzeba Nat Brew

He argued that visionary proposals are routinely shot down within such groups by members who focus on obstacles rather than possibilities.

"If you say we should put up a museum, somebody will say, 'Do you know how much it will cost? We don't even have money to pay this and that, and you want us to build a museum,'" he recounted.

According to him, such reactions represent a collective mindset trapped by limitations rather than driven by ambition.

"That is when a whole society is thinking within the box and not outside the box," he said.

ID/BAI

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