Nigerian media personality Adesope Olajide has urged artistes across the world to give DJs the recognition they duly deserve.
According to him, he has observed a stale relationship between musicians and disc jockeys, and this will, in the long run, affect the entertainment industry.
He noted that Niergian artiste Davido goes out of his way to have a cordial relationship with DJs whenever he attends an event where his music is being played.
“We will see Davido walk across the room to go and say hi toy he DJ there. What do you think the DJ is going to do for the next hour. If you don’t like Davido, just go somewhere else because the DJ is going to focus on that person, acknowledgement,” he said.
Adesope noted that DJs and artistes stand a chance to enhance their social capital should the needed recognition be given.
“It is not about money. Forget that. That is what the artiste has to start learning. It is not a fight with the DJs. It is time to recognize them.”
He recounted an experience where an artiste failed to acknowledge a DJ in London who had played his music for close to 45 minutes at an event.
I know a DJ in London who personally told me that he stopped playing the music of a popular musician because the guy walked into the room, they played his music for a couple of times, he stayed on his phone throughout and after about 45 minutes, walked out without saying hello.
In a related event, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku Mantey, has entreated Ghanaian musicians to build a good relationship with DJs, since they play a crucial role in their journey to stardom by making their songs popular by playing it always.
The minister warned that a lack of respect or strained relations with DJs could jeopardise artistes chances of making it big in the competitive music industry.
“To the DJs, I know some of your challenges…you say the artistes don’t respect you. .you make them stars and they ignore you afterwards. For the sake of Ghana, please let sleeping dogs lie”
Mr Okraku Mantey also called on all stakeholders in the music industry to unite in promoting the #playghana initiative.