A well-known rapper from Ghana, Amerado Burner, has shared his perspective on the recent discussions revolving around the ability of Ghanaian artists to organise and successfully pack large venues for international concerts.
His comments were sparked by the recent performance of Nigerian music sensation Asake at the renowned O2 Arena in the United States.
Amerado firmly holds the belief that Ghanaian artists have the potential to attain similar accomplishments and draw crowds at such significant events, just like artists from other countries.
However, he notes that this potential often appears distant due to the absence of internal support that propels gifted artists to the forefront.
He contends that the Ghanaian music industry lacks the vital structures and necessary backing that empower artists to shine. Rather than providing meaningful encouragement, he observes that Ghanaians tend to engage in destructive comparisons and undermine those who are making progress.
He underscores that while Asake’s performance is commendable, it shouldn’t be misconstrued as evidence that Ghanaian artists are incapable of achieving the same level of success.
Amerado emphasises that the Ghanaian audience falls short in terms of supporting its own artists.
He highlights that engaging in comparisons is counterproductive and diminishes the hard work put in by local artists.
“Asake’s performance was great but that does not mean artists in Ghana can’t do it; the honest truth is the Ghanaian audience doesn’t support their own enough; they ride on baseless comparisons and rubbish the hard work of their very own arts.”
“King Promise has the number one song on Boomplay but no one is talking about it or hyping it; these are big strides that can be hyped to empower artists to do more and move forward.
“Stonebowy, Sarkodie, et al. can all fill up the O2 arena, but we need the structures, the right support, and investors willing to fund the artistry.”
He urges the audience to refrain from constant comparisons and instead offer strong support to Ghanaian artists. Amerado contends that such comparisons hinder growth and the overall development of artists and the industry as a whole.
He encourages a shift in focus towards building a supportive ecosystem that nurtures local talents and enables them to achieve remarkable success on the global stage.
“It is not far from Ghanaian artists replicating what the Nigerians are doing, the audience should stop the comparison and throw much support behind their people to push them. such comparisons are a killjoy and don’t help the growth of artists and the industry at large.”