Ghanaian artistes have never had more opportunities to make music, but the quality of what they are producing has declined over the past 10 years.
Crux Global Agency’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Ike Otoo Arhin, popularly known as Gomski, partly blames this on technology, which he believes makes artistes less hungry to learn and work hard.
Crux Global Agency is an African-owned digital music distribution platform built for global reach.
According to him, although technological advancement has made music production easier and more accessible, it has also contributed to a generation of artistes who are less willing to learn, experiment and develop their craft.
“Getting studio time back in the day wasn’t easy. Modern-day artistes can virtually record from their bedrooms, but they don’t grasp the opportunity to learn. Ghana music has declined over the last 10 years. Anybody who sits here in this room today and tells me Ghana music is doing better than 10 years ago knows that is a lie. Try Operations Software
“The artistes are not grinding hard enough; they are not taking advantage of opportunities. Technology has made the artiste very lazy rather than giving them more opportunities as it should be,” he said
Mr Arhin spoke at the launch of Crux Global Academy, held at the company’s offices in Adjiringano, Accra, on Friday, August 28.
He said the difficulty artistes faced in accessing studio facilities in the past often forced them to work harder and learn from others, unlike today when artistes could record music from virtually anywhere.
He cited music duo Ruff N Smooth as an example of how past limitations could encourage creativity and learning.Stream Afrobeats Hits
“Let me give you an example. Do you know how Ruff N Smooth used to record? Their hit song, Swagger, was inspired by R2Bees, and this is how it happened.
“They used to sleep at Kaywa’s studio because studio time was quite expensive then. They would wait until the day’s recordings were over. This was when R2Bees were starting, and they were given recording time from 6 p.m. to about 3 a.m.
“And anytime R2Bees finished recording and left the studio, Ruff N Smooth would ask the producer to open the particular file so they could listen to the song and get the Afrobeats vibe. And they were able to record Swagger through that”, he said.
He said the story demonstrated the importance of artistes being intentional about learning and making the most of opportunities around them.
Founded in 2019, Crux Global has expanded its operations beyond music distribution into artiste and talent development, entertainment, sports, media, education and cultural strategy.
The Crux Global Academy aims to provide free online courses that give creatives practical knowledge of the music business and help them make informed decisions about their careers.
The launch also featured a panel discussion led by Crux Global Agency CEO, Kofi Kyei, which focused on practical strategies for navigating and succeeding in the music industry.
