Gospel musician Perpetual Didier recently opened up about the challenges gospel artistes face in Ghana, sharing a particularly memorable and humbling experience from her early career.
During an interview with Fiifi Praat on Kingdom FM, monitored by MyNewsGh.com, Perpetual recounted a time when she was paid with food instead of cash after performing at a church event.
Reflecting on the event, she shared: “It happened about ten years ago. I was invited to perform at a church program, and after my performance, they gave me yam and kontomire stew as payment.”
This unusual form of compensation followed what had been an exciting opportunity for the musician.
She recalled how a Ghanaian producer, present at the church for an album launch, had approached her with the offer to perform.
“I was pregnant at the time, but I knew this was important for my career, so I accepted the offer,” she added.
Perpetual shared that she was energized and eager to perform.
“On the day of the performance, I had a delightful meal and was excited to give my best on stage. After the event, the producer handed me tubers of yam that we had bought on the way home.
“I was expecting to receive an envelope with the yam, but that didn’t happen.”
The story provided insight into the sometimes overlooked hardships gospel artistes face, especially during the early stages of their careers.
For Perpetual, while the experience was a reality check, it also made her more resilient in navigating the gospel music industry.
When Fiifi Praat asked her about how artistes react when money is thrown at them during performances, Perpetual was candid in her response.
She said, “Everyone reacts differently. For me, I would collect the money for myself.” Her response was both lighthearted and practical, highlighting how artistes value their craft and expect some form of compensation.