Renowned dancer and content creator Ernest Raja Nettey known popularly as Official Starter has unveiled his practice of compensating all market women who collaborate with him for his viral dance videos.
Speaking during a recent Pulse Chat Session at the African Music Business Dialogue, Official Starter stressed the importance of remunerating these women for their invaluable contributions, citing their sacrifices of business schedules to participate in his content creation.
Acknowledging the non-professional backgrounds of the market women, Official Starter emphasised the time and effort required to choreograph dances with them compared to professional dancers.
“Right now I am working with them so I have to pay them because they are not professional dancers, they are market women, and because they are not professional dancers, creating a choreography takes like 10 minutes with someone like Endurance, but with them, it might take like 2 to 3 hours.
“They have to leave whatever they are doing to join me, so I have to pay them; I’m wasting their time,” Official Starter said.
Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to collaborate with market women, Official Starter also highlighted the unique challenges encountered in working with non-professional dancers.
“Working with them, I feel like I have to do more,” he shared. “You have to be calm. Working with 20 market women, you have to arrange them. It’s not easy.”
Starter’s decision to compensate the market women reflects his appreciation for their sacrifices and dedication, which have significantly contributed to the success of his viral content.
“Working with them, I feel like I have to do more,” he said. “The people out there, some don’t even know me. My content is crossing borders. Getting to that part is crazy. Me working with mothers… You have to be calm. Working with 20 market women, you have to arrange them. It’s not easy,”
Under his birth name, Ernest Raja Nettey, Official Starter gained prominence through his engaging dance videos featuring market ladies from bustling city marketplaces.
Their performances have captivated audiences globally, receiving recognition even from Afrobeat superstar Burna Boy, who gave them a notable shout-out.
Watch video below: