President of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Bessa Simons, has encouraged musicians to charge politicians who engage them to write songs for their campaigns.
During the national celebration of World Tourism Day at the Sekondi Youth Centre in the Western Region, Simons stressed that music production is a professional endeavor that deserves proper remuneration.
“If you are a musician and a political party engages you or contracts you to write a song for them, please charge them, it’s a job you are doing. We make music, we sell it, and they pay us.”
Simons acknowledged that some musicians may opt to create political songs driven by personal passion or affiliation without expecting compensation, a choice he also respects.
“If it’s from your heart, you want to compose a song for a political party because of your affiliation or passion or anything it’s up to you but remember, keep the lyrics clean,” he advised.
He emphasized the need for maintaining clean lyrics and fostering peace, particularly during election seasons.
“We encourage all musicians to keep their lyrics clean; it means the words they use in their music should inspire people, and make them tolerant, open-minded, and understanding. Don’t use words that will bring confusion. No calling of names, no, we want peace with this election and musicians, we play a big role, especially when it comes to tourism. You know December in Ghana is very big and so we want to have peace this December so that more people can come to move this country forward,” Simons noted.