Entertainment journalist Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo has expressed disappointment in the way musician Shatta Wale conducted himself in his recent interview on Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana programme.
“My general assessment of the interview will be brief on your show because I’d like to save some points for another show,” Arnold told Ola Michael on Accra-based Peace FM before he stated this: “I believe Wale should sit up.”
“I say this from a good place,” he clarified.
Bringing up Thursday’s ‘Good Evening Ghana’ interview, Arnold made the observation that the host of the television programme, Paul Adom Otchere, had “told [Shatta Wale] he’s an industry leader, frontrunner” and he protested it “but the fact is, he is.”
“He is one of our leading figures who when he speaks people stand still to listen. Maybe he is in denial or he’s not being truthful to himself but he’s one of our leading figures, one of our leading artistes, one of our leading entertainers,” the creative arts pundit stressed.
“This is why when he gets an opportunity on such platforms, for me, I’d like to tell him to take it seriously,” he advised.
Mr Asamoah-Baidoo is of the opinion the reggae/dancehall star “tends to engage in too much comedy” and as a result, it has been difficult to outline his views on issues regarding “Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO) and other stuff” from his Ghana Evening Ghana interview.
A media consultant, Arnold bemoaned that the ‘On God’ hitmaker missed an opportunity to “sell himself and the [creative] industry in a very good way” on a flagship political programme which seldom invites entertainers as guests.
“If we have issues, critical issues, address them in a way that if the President watches and hears, he will sit up,” he challenged.
Arnold highlighted Shatta Wale’s following and influence and emphasised, “because of this, when he gets such a platform, his communication and how he addresses issues is very critical.”
“But if you go and sit there and by the end of the show, it is GHS40, Okraku-Mantey and so on and so forth generating the trends, you have failed. It means you actually went to do comedy,” the entertainment journalist admonished.
“This is an advice to him, when you get platforms such as this, go with your A game so that by the end of the show, you feel that you’ve made an impact and inspired change,” Arnold encouraged.
Arnold, an award-winning entertainment pundit, also made an observation that conversations that have followed the ‘Good Evening Ghana’ interview have mostly been about the comic posture and prowess of the Shatta Movement (SM) boss.
For instance, “Shatta Wale is a comedian. Shatta Wale is funny. And aside everything else, the guy is a comedian. Shatta has to do standup comedy,” he cited.
“Come on. Come on, man!” Arnold concluded with a show of frustration.
Source: Classfmonline