Unemployment forcing people into music - Ackah Blay

Seasoned Ghanaian guitarist, Ackah Blay may be stoking controversy insisting that most musicians in Ghana do music out of frustration and not passion.

According to him, some of the musicians pursue music because they are unemployed and they see music as the easy way out.

He said this in an interview with Adom Entertainment News and explained that people get frustrated when they find it difficult to get jobs after school and some of them choose music as the next alternative.

The ‘Take Away’ singer said that these musicians end up producing bad songs because they have little or no knowledge about music.

“When they complete school and they do not get work to do, then they tell themselves 'let's venture into music' so they just enter the studio and end up coming out with substandard songs,” he emphasised.

Ackah Blay, a former member of the Western Diamonds band, said that the situation can be corrected if music is included in school curriculum.

When implemented, it will help inculcate the art of music into the children and they will grow with it and do music professionally if they choose to pursue a music career.

He pointed out that it is the responsibly of government to ensure that music is included in our education system as it is done in some parts of the world.

Mr. Blay also bemoaned the scrapping of subjects that relate to the rich Ghanaian culture in educational activities.

“Music is under culture. The songs we sing, games like ‘Ampe’ (an old popular Ghanaians game mostly played by females), and other games are all under culture. It is up to the government to ensure that the children know how to sing our local songs and folktales. Children of today do not even know our folk tales,” he lamented.

The composer of the ‘Oshogbo’ said that he benefited from such a system and explained he developed the love for music when he joined a school band.