Music of Friday, 13 April 2012

Source: Flex Newspaper

Ghana Music Awards Has Been Commercialized- Ambulley

Ace highlife mogul, Gyedu Blay Ambulley has asked all stakeholders in the music industry to support MUSIGA President Obour in the discharge of his duties for the betterment of the music industry.

Asked what his thoughts were on the so-called non performance of Obour since he acceded the union's throne, he said, ''it is too early to be judging his performance. I think we have to give him sometime''.

Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, who together with some other musicians lost to Obour in their elections last year also took the opportunity to advise the youth on the health importance of being a vegetarian. He told Flex newspaper that the body is a temple of the Lord, and if anyone takes care of the body He will take care of the person. ''Meat is not good for the body and being a vegetarian prevents me from eating all these kinds of meat”, he said.

He also added that he eats more vegetables and sometimes fish and that is what is keeping him healthy. He also stated that he became vegetarian after he visited America in 1988 and the experience he gained from some of the things he studied there made him to take that positive direction. He added that the most painful thing is that we in Africa are not taught all these things about ''vegetarianism'' and that is making us die young”.

Talking about the current situation of HIplife, the Simigwa singer say`s he started Hiplife before it was named hiplife but the way the young and upcoming musicians are doing it, he can say with confidence that there is no future since they are copying the western world in their dress, rap, identity etc.

“When I started mine, you could see and hear the African tunes in it, and along the like I realized most of them were doing it that way except recently that they have all started copying the Hiphop musicians” he reiterated.

“When you go to America most of their music fans are happy when they hear the African tunes but with what Sakordie and the other musicians are doing, I will say they will not be able to cross boarders or go international but will only perform among the African communities” he added.

The “Radomzo” hit maker stated that he has heard many people debating about the issue of the local language that the hiplife musicians use, but the only thing he can say about it is that the tune is what the identity is, but with the language is only a factor. So if the Ghanaian musicians are really playing the African tunes, people will not complain about the language they use”.

On the GMA`s,:“I think it has been too commercialized, because when I look at the categories there are lot of songs nominated that don’t deserve to be nominated. All the same, I will say since Charterhouse has been doing the music awards for some years now, we should congratulate them but they should do it properly”.

Switching attention to Glo, he said that he doesn’t have any problem with Glo as an ambassador and that all his money has been paid in full. Gyedu Blay was clear that he will not use any of his songs to promote any political party but will sing for peace to prevail in this year`s electioneering process.