Ghanaian rapper Trigmatic, whose real name is Enoch Nana Yaw Oduro-Agyei, has challenged the notion that artists must record in English to reach a broader audience.
In a recent interview with Accra-based TV3, he emphasized that the success of an artist on the international stage largely depends on their publishers and distributors rather than the language of the music.
“I disagree with that. It doesn’t necessarily take the artiste to go far. It takes his publishers and distributors to do that job and so if you have a good publisher and they want to take you far, they can if they don’t want to or they are limited, that’s what is going to happen,” Trigmatic explained.
He urged fellow musicians to embrace their cultural heritage by creating more music in local languages, asserting that the Ghanaian music scene is missing out on the richness of its traditions and culture.
Trigmatic stressed the importance of national pride, encouraging artists to record in vernacular languages. “I think we need to start being proud of who we are as a people. We need to encourage a lot of people to record in vernacular (local languages). There is nothing wrong or bad about it. I think it is something we need to encourage,” he said.
He also shared insights from his collaborations with South African artists, noting their commitment to tradition and originality, which has contributed to their success with songs in their native languages.
“They are very traditional, they don’t take away their originality and it is something that I learnt,” he added.
Known for his works in the Ga language, Trigmatic made his debut in 2010 with the album Permanent Stains, featuring popular tracks such as “My Life,” “My Jolly,” and “Mefiri Ghana.” His contributions to music earned him the Best Rapper of the Year award in 2011.