The creative industry an oversight

Entertainment has always been an intrinsic part of every known form of civilization.Firstly,humans have always had issues to deal with and had to engineer multiple ways to escape their boredom,stress, find relief and solutions to their very many problems.Indeed,necessity is the mother of invention like they say.

Entertainers have always been the soft spot for the weak, powerful,elite and working class.Especially when they have mastered their crafts and are in full control of the power of making people happy and keeping them in the best moods.

They attract a lot of reverence for what they do,however they may keep their power as far as they can remain responsible.Self consciousness eludes many entertainers and they fail to realize the power they wield to even attempt maintaining it.

I believe entertainers like President Trump have always known this and it has aided his success as the leader of the most powerful country on earth.I would say the same for President George Weah. Ugandan musician and Afrobeats star Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, best known as Bobi Wine, who became an MP in Kenya is very much conscious of this.Entertainers have the power of controlling people's moods.

Additionally,research accentuates the contribution of entertainment to florishing economies of the world.Creative industries provide 29.5 million jobs,which absorb approximately 1% of the world economy(www.weforum.org)

In the U.S,a benchmark for most world economies,Entertainment and related industries contribute as much as 4% to G.D.P (www.statista.com).

I have read from a publication by Ghanaweb.com that finds our Musiga President Obour stating "music contributes less than 1% to Ghana’s economy but if you put a figure to it it’s about 190 million per year".Positive! that is if it is credible,I believe the entertainment industry here in Ghana has not been a lame horse although it could be far better.

And this got me wondering why the creative arts continue to receive lesser attention from decision makers.

However,let's be honest to ourselves.Is it not an open secret that entertainers in Ghana are stereotyped as "Riff Raffs" and "irresponsible " people? Is the decision to become an entertainer still not seen as a last resort for people who have less opportunities in life? I am sorry if I bruised your ego with these questions, however I believe answers from you would be affirmative,right?.

I acknowledge many entertainers have indeed led purposeful lives and have left legacies worth living for.Who can overlook the contributions and accomplishments of Philip Gbeho,Osibisa,Kojo Antwi,Akosua Gyapong,Bibie Brew,Ambulley,Rex Omar,Obrafou,Abedi Pele,Azumah Nelson...to mention but a few.I think entertainers are continually loosing their space and relevance not because of these stereotypes but their inability to refute it.

And I am talking to our present day entertainers especially because they are the future.Who would take us serious when you keep doing drugs? stay illiterates and semi illiterates and keep misleading the youth that they don't need education? When you dont live responsibly who would take you seriously?

We have refused to learn and a lot of us are just shallow, short sighted people with a big ego,odour of illicit drugs and hard liquor in our breathe.So why won't you be written off by decision makers?

Why would they make financial allocations to a collection of people perceived to be deviants when there is already a tight budget and more pressing needs.Again,I am sorry if I bruised your ego,moreover I am reflecting how an entertainer is mostly seen by the public.

It may be an oversight and we would all agree all the same that, first things always come first.We can't begrudge anyone for not capturing the creative arts in the budget.I believe the Ministry of Tourism Arts & Culture and the government harbour good intensions for the creative arts.

However,I don't think we were so impressive with money that was disbursed by the previous government and it still lingers.LETS SIT UP AS ENTERTAINERS.IT IS ALSO TIME FOR THE GHANAIAN ENTERTAINER TO BECOME DECISION MAKERS AS WELL & BECOME MORE RELEVANT TO DECISION MAKERS.IF PRESIDENT TRUMP & PRESIDENT WEAH CAN FILL SUCH VOIDS,WHAT IS THE GHANAIAN ENTERTAINER DOING?