Opinions of Thursday, 10 December 2015
Columnist: Adofo, Rockson
Musicians by their songs and lyrics do not only entertain the public but also, educate and shape the minds of the people either for good or for bad, depending on the motive of the musician behind the composing of the song. Doing music is a trade and musicians like all other traders are profit maximizers.
Most musicians do lack morality in the pursuit of their profession but a few of them do stick to moral principles and objectives.
From the pronouncements of three Ghanaian musicians as heard and read, they are ready to identify themselves with any of the political parties that is ready to engage their services. Being profit seeking individuals, are they not going to sell their services to the highest bidder regardless of where the money to pay them will come from?
Are these musicians prepared to consider the lives of the suffering Ghanaian masses before deciding who to, and how to, throw their support? Will they consider the deplorable living conditions faced by the majority of Ghanaians and the problems confronting Ghana as a whole before selling their services to a particular political party? From the way I understand their messages, the answer is a BIG NO!
Some months ago, I heard Lucky Mensah announce that he was ready to make political song(s) for any political party that contacts him as he normally does for the NDC, citing some of the songs he did make to egg the electorates on to vote NDC.
Despite the economic hardships in the country, he still believes in helping the most corrupt government in the annals of Ghana's politics to win the election provided he gets paid handsomely for making them a song that will deceive the public to vote for them. He does not care about the collective welfare of Ghanaians but himself, being a musician with the aim of making more money and seeking fame.
One Barima Sydney, a very popular Ghanaian music artist did grant an interview recently to Ghana radio - HOT DIGITAL 90.0FM based in London. He claimed to have regretted making a political statement in support of the NPP during election year 2012. He has suffered irreparable consequences, probably a dip in his musical career and intimidations by the NDC rogues, who knows.
Subsequently, he has vowed never to do that again but he is ready to mount any political platform of any political party that pays him to entertain their crowds during election 2016 campaign. Will he not go for the highest bidder? Will the highest bidder not likely be the NDC that have stolen Ghana's money to enrich themselves and to bribe people in order to continue to win elections to continue to steal from the public coffers? Is he not ready to make the NDC a song to boost their support to win election 2016 even though they are mismanaging the country very terribly?
To Barima Sydney, I will advise him to keep to the good faith he had in NPP in the hope that they would come to liberate Ghanaians from their economic and financial predicaments being suffered under the hands of the NDC. He should not change course. Let him stay on course, in spite of his temporary loss of earnings, to save his fellow Ghanaians from total destruction by the President Mahama NDC-led government. All shall be well soon, with his support.
I do not want to tell Sydney what Jesus said to his disciples – Matthew 26:39-41 - Jesus Prays at Gethsemane
...39And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." 40And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41"Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."...
Sydney, please don't deny NPP and Nana Akufo Addo and the suffering Ghanaian masses even before election 2016 begins. Don't let it be as in John 13:38 - Then Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times. ..."
I know in the survival of the fittest philosophy, the animal that survives is not the fittest as many of us have erroneously believed for years but the one that adapts to changing situations. In this sense Sydney is right to change to survive under the President Mahama's difficult Ghana but then again, he has to consider his teeming suffering compatriots.
Finally, one Bisa Kdei has decided to mount any political platform to perform for any political party provided they pay him to do so. By mounting any political party is indirectly endorsing that party whether you declare it by word of mouth or not. Does action not speak louder than words? Does mounting that platform not constitute an action? Check the following web link to see what Bisa had to say.
https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/entertainment/I-don-t-mind-performing-at-NDC-NPP-campaigns-398980
I know musicians do seek money but please, help to remove the cancer from the society and then you can pursue your aim of making money in a peaceful atmosphere. Help us get a government that will not be as corrupt and incompetent as President Mahama and his NDC government. Are the mentioned musicians not victims of "dumsor" same as the many other suffering compatriots?
I shall be back on the musicians. I do not mean to court public hatred for you but to plead with you to do the right thing even at the cost of incurring temporary financial losses to you.
Rockson Adofo