An apostle of traditional/contemporary music, Dela Botri has challenged Ghana’s music industry to do more to export the country’s indigenous music, warning that excessive dependence on foreign musical trends could weaken Ghana’s cultural identity.
Speaking to Kafui Dey, Dela Botri said Ghana has a rich musical heritage capable of gaining international recognition, but the country must deliberately promote and package its music for audiences beyond its borders.
“A country without a culture is a dead country because you do not have anything to be identified with,” he said.
He questioned Ghana’s growing appetite for foreign musical genres while the country’s own musical traditions struggle to gain similar international visibility.
“We are importing Amapiano from abroad, so what are we as a country exporting?” he asked.
According to him, Ghana has numerous musical forms that could be promoted internationally, but a culture of copying foreign trends has made it difficult for indigenous music to receive the attention it deserves.
“We need to export our music so people will know what the country is about,” he stated.
Dela Botri said the solution does not lie in rejecting contemporary music but in developing Ghanaian sounds in ways that can compete internationally while retaining their indigenous identity.
He said musicians and other stakeholders must therefore invest in innovation and the modernisation of traditional music if Ghana is to turn its cultural heritage into an international asset.
