Entertainment of Monday, 2 February 2015

Source: yfmghana.com

If there is a Dancehall King, the person will come from Jamaica - Ambolley cautions

Gyedu Blay Ambolley in an exclusive interview with YFMGhana.com has revealed the musicians of yesteryears contributed more to global music than the current crop of recording artists.

The performer currently pursuing the Guinness Book of Records to credit him the father of rap instead of Sugarhill Gang argued;

“We did more for the music than this current generation because we made the world know there was Ghana that had highlife music. All the people that came from the other side of the world knew about Highlife but should they come now they will meet a different sound that is not highlife, that’s the snag between the older generation and the new generation.”

He mentioned Samini as an artiste who wasn’t tapping enough into the sound available to him as a Northerner saying;

“Samini is from the North; you listen to the sounds coming from the north, they are heavy sounds among the Frafras, Dagombas and more and to me I think that’s what he has to be exposing. He can put the Dancehall on these sounds so that when the Jamaican hears a Samini song, he will know this is a different Dancehall. This is what we should be tapping into instead of copying.”

He revealed acts including Bisa KDei and Obrafour were on track but cautioned titles including Dancehall King was unnecessary.

“Bisa KDei is doing well, Obrafour also started very well, but the younger ones get fascinated by what’s happening on TV and think that’s the best way to go. Now, artistes sit in Ghana and call themselves Dancehall Kings and things like that even though we know if there is a Dancehall King, the person will come from Jamaica. Are you a king more than the people who originated it? It can’t be. There’s more to be done than what we are seeing now.”