“Ghanaian Artistes Are Failing To Promote Our Culture” – Shatta Wale

Multiple award winning dancehall artiste Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr known worldwide as Shatta Wale has disclosed that Ghanaian musicians are failing in promoting Ghana’s culture to the world.

Speaking on Showbiz Agenda on Zylofon 102.1 FM on Wednesday with Sammy Flex, he said most new crop of artistes in the country are all forcing to sound like Nigerians and he sees that as a problem. According to Shatta, we are gradually forgetting our culture and must stick to our plans to make the world know of us. He said that is the only way we can sell our products to them.

Touching on why musicians are getting much recognition now from government than our sports fraternity, Wale added: “Well I think we are just feeding the people with the right music they need. But it is time for us to also spread our culture out there because I can boldly say that we are not putting our culture out there. When you listen to most of our boys, most of them want to sound like Nigerians and that is becoming our problem. We are forgetting our culture and I believe if we stick to the plan, we can spread our culture out there” Shatta Wale noted.

He further explained: “When you listen to my songs ‘Kakai’, ‘Kpuukpaa’, those are all cultural things. You hear What’a Guan in Jamaica and you want to say it here but why don’t you promote things that we are used to here and tell others that this is our culture. We eat waakye, we eat this things but we hear Ghana artistes and you want to sing like a Nigerian. That is our problem. We are failing to push our culture out there. That is why when Exim Bank gave me this project, I had to actually beg to let them know that this is on my heart” he revealed..

“I want to create something for the creative arts. And it`s in the pipeline. It is going to be a great project. It is my dream and I am happy the government has paid little attention to me and is trying to help me. So I think it`s the culture that we are failing to promote. Culture doesn’t necessarily mean you should wear kente. Culture is a way of life and everything around us has to be promoted but we are failing to get that understanding and I believe when we get it right, other countries will start buying our products. And we will also start making those million streams that people have been making”.

Story by: Reagan O.O.Osarfo (Nana Reagan)