Entertainment of 2026-11-07
‘You’re better off as a bank teller than a musician’ – Hammer on lack of pension scheme
Ghanaian sound engineer Hammer has argued that only a handful of musicians in Ghana can be considered successful, attributing the struggle of many artistes to the absence of a structured music industry.
Speaking on the Konnected Minds podcast, Hammer reacted to data suggesting that 85.4% of surveyed musicians were not contributing to any registered pension scheme, saying many artistes do not earn enough to plan for retirement.
‘Music didn’t get me there, bread did’ - Hammer
“They don’t have the money for the pension scheme. You’re better off as a teller at a bank. You will be more consistent with your pension scheme payments than a musician,” he said.
When asked about the financial security of musicians throughout their successful careers, Hammer questioned the number of artistes who actually achieve lasting success in Ghana.
“A successful musician, how many are there in Ghana? Successful musicians in Ghana are a handful,” he stated.
According to Hammer, the difference between the few successful musicians and the rest comes down to public support and their ability to survive despite the challenges within the sector.
“They are being patronized. And they are surviving in the absence of an industry. They are doing their own thing,” he added.
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