Ghanaian Music Doesn’t Cut Across- Dennis Tawiah

Dennis Tawiah, the Chief Executive Officer of Akwaaba UK, voiced his concerns about why Ghanaian musicians do not have recognition on a global scale.

Mr. Tawiah is known for promoting African music in the diaspora, making conscious efforts to pioneer the growth of Afrobeats, and also spearheading the course for more African songs to be played on mainstream radio in the United Kingdom.

He is recognized as one of the well-known African promoters in Europe and has promoted African culture through entertainment. In 2022, Dennis Tawiah received the Diasporan Award at the seventh edition of the EMY Africa Awards.

However, in an interview on Hitz 103.9 FM, the CEO of Akwaaba UK voiced his concern that some Ghanaian artists do not get involved in promoting their concerts in the diaspora. He went on to caution Ghanaian artists against being involved in promoting concerts.

“Promote the show on your platform and let your fans know that you are coming to their country. Your fans are following you. We now live in a global world, where fans are going through your social media space. Let them know, “Listen, I am coming to your city. It shouldn’t be only down to the promoter; the promoters have so much mileage and so many audiences they could reach. Sometimes some of these artists have more mileage than you, the promoter. They would rather have the layback, “Let me sit down [the artists]; you are going to pay me, so you do everything to get me there”. He said.

Speaking further, he disclosed that Ghanaian music does not cut across, and for that matter, we are left behind relative to Nigerian artists. 

“Ghanaian music is beautiful; however, we need to do a little bit more to get others to listen to our music. Let’s cut across to other people. Let other people also like our music, not only Ghanaians. Right now, the music we are doing is just catering within our shores and not cutting across”. He stated.

The CEO of Akwaaba UK made some comparisons between concerts by Nigerian artists such as Burna Boy and Wizkid and Ghanaian concerts in the diaspora.

“But at present, you can not tell me, you have seen Burna Boy filling Millennium Stadium 80,000, and you have seen Wizkid doing the same. Have you seen any Ghanaian artists doing that? No, we are not, where we are right now, we are behind”.