No serious record label in GH — Kofi Kinaata

IN our part of the world, record labels play a major role in a musician’s career and although the likes of Lynx Entertainment have shown they mean business, Highlife artiste Kofi Kinaata says there are no serious record labels in Ghana.

According to the Confession hitmaker, apart from Lynx Entertainment, Ghana cannot boast of any serious record label and it is sad for our music industry.

“Zylofon Media was doing so well until things started going bad and we have not had any serious record label to help propel our musicians to the next level,” he told Showbiz in an interview last Monday.

To Kofi Kinaata, a serious record label helps a musician move to the next level, adding that if there were 10 more Lynx Entertainment and Zylofon Media, Ghanaian artistes would be better off.

“A good music video, promotion for a song and getting all the deals to perform at an event all depend on a serious record label, but record labels are virtually non-existent in Ghana,” he said.

Talking about artistes signing on other artistes, Kofi Kinaata said he did not see anything wrong with that provided there was a plan for the signee.

“I moved to High Grade Family because the contract was not bad and I benefited a lot from there. The influence of Samini alone was enough. At High Grade, we had different people handling different things, but there is no way I will sign on with an artiste who does not have any plan,” he said.

Kofi Kinaata said he was his biggest critic because he wanted to give of his best. “What Ghanaians don’t know is that I am building a legacy for myself with the kind of music I do, I want both the young and the elderly to appreciate my music.

“If I were a listener, I would probably have been tired of listening to songs sounding the same, and this is because most musicians are not creative.

“Now it’s about having money to promote your songs and hyping it on social media while the real talents get nowhere because of lack of funds to push their songs,” he said.

Asked whether music paid as a full-time job, Kofi Kinaata, who is known for songs such as Susuka, Time No Dey, Confession, Last Show, Single and Free, Made In Taadi, Never Again and recently Adam and Eve, said he had benefitted a lot from music.

“I came to Accra with nothing but I now drive a nice car and live very comfortably all because of music. There is good money in this business if you do it the right way. I am making it and I have never regretted being a musician,” he said.

Sharing his view on the matter, sound engineer Fred Kyei- Mensah, popularly known as Fredyma said he agreed with Kofi Kinaata explaining that we only have artiste managers and not record labels in Ghana.

“Having a record label is serious business where all the infrastructure works. The artiste on a record label should have his accommodation, money to shoot music videos and promote his songs as well as someone who writes songs him. It was only Zylofon Media that was close to it but currently we don’t have any serious record label in Ghana,” he said.

President of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Bice Osei Kuffour (Obour), however, held a different view. According to Obour, the likes of One Mic Entertainment, BBNZ and others are doing well as record labels even though it could be better.

“It actually depends on what the artiste wants from the record label. If the artiste is satisfied with what the record label provides then it settles it but in most cases that is not what happens. The few record labels are trying their best to provide for their artistes but it could be better,” he said.

 

Source: Graphic Showbiz