Internationally renowned Ghanaian Reggae and Highlife musician Rocky Dawuni, has challenged the notion that an African artist’s success is measured by filling the O2 Arena.
He emphasized that Ghanaian musicians should prioritize their music careers and industry progress rather than fixating on filling the O2 Arena to compete with Nigerian artists.
Rocky Dawuni criticized the practice of comparing Ghanaian and Nigerian artists, viewing it as counterproductive, as it fosters unhealthy competition between the two nations. He encouraged both countries to focus on delivering their best performances to represent Africa proudly on the global stage.
In an interview with Graphic Showbiz, Rocky Dawuni advised Ghanaian artists to recognize their uniqueness and not become overly fixated on filling the O2 Arena as a marker of success
“We are doing so well as musicians in other areas and I don’t think it is right to use O2 Arena which is in just one country to judge how good our musicians are.
“It is not even proper to compare our musicians to our Nigerian brothers because we are unique in our own way. Nigerians have the support and the investment. If we get the same, filling that place [O2 arena] will not be a big deal”, he said, according to graphiconline.com.
Rocky Dawuni emphasized that Ghanaian music is the best among the rest of the countries hence artists should build on their strengths and project the nation on the international stage.
“I can tell you for a fact that our music is the best. It is rich. We should build on our strengths. We should focus on building our music industry and make sure the artists who play on such big platforms project a positive image of our country. I don’t think filling the O2 is something we should worry our head about”, he is quoted to have said.
Nigerian artists, including Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, and Asake, have successfully hosted and sold out concerts at the O2 Arena.
Ghanaian Dancehall artist Shatta Wale recently praised Nigerian musician Asake for his achievement in late August 2023 and expressed curiosity about how Nigerians managed to accomplish such feats.
Shatta Wale’s remarks triggered strong reactions from fellow artists within the Ghanaian music industry, who criticized him for his comments and continuous criticism of Ghanaian artists.