Music industry needs proper archival facilities to preserve our music culture —Trigmatic

Ghanaian rapper Trigmatic has called for the establishment of proper archival storage facilities to safeguard the country’s rich music heritage.

Until it is done, the lack of adequate storage and preservation facilities is likely to erase a significant part of Ghana’s cultural heritage and identity over time.

Although he admits one or two of such facilities exist in the nation’s capital, they are under-resourced and in poor conditions, hence the need for stakeholders to put them in good shape.

In a recent chat with Graphic Showbiz, Trigmatic said without these facilities, the likelihood that contributions of those who have toiled to shape Ghana’s music scene all these years might be lost forever.

“If care is not taken, we risk losing all the works of people who have toiled and done so much for our culture, vanishing into oblivion maybe in the next 10 or 20 years.

“In addition to that, it is very worrying that people interested in exploring the country’s music heritage receive very little or no information because there are no well-resourced facilities to cater for such needs,” he lamented.

Comparing Ghana to other countries with well-preserved music histories, Trigmatic painted a stark contrast, saying records from as far back as the 1950s and 60s and even beyond are readily accessible in dedicated stores and libraries while it is difficult to access such information in Ghana.

“When you go to other places, you have streets where you know you can get all the records. In a place such as Cape Town in South Africa, there’s a whole street housing record stores where you can walk in and get whatever you want from the 1950s, 60s, etc.

“It is happening here in Ghana, but it’s in Accra Central. Sometimes, you have to go to the Arts Centre to find some of these records. However, it shouldn’t be a culture where you have to belong to a certain community to get access. We should open it up for people to begin to tap into some of this information,” Trigmatic stated.

He, however, expressed optimism that if policymakers and stakeholders heed his call and invest in facilities such as music museums and libraries, it would allow people to explore the rich music history of Ghana.

According to him, access to adequate archival facilities would also shape the future by serving as a valuable resource for researchers, artistes and students, noting that it will inspire new generations of creatives, as well as solidify Ghana’s position as a hub for African music and culture.