Na bad tin for musicians and oda entertainers to perform for political party platforms?

Musicians and oda ogbonge entertainers dey give many pipo joy around di world.

Dis entertainers bin dey use dia songs and talent to satisfy di audience – whether dem dey perform for stage or dem dey endorse product or oda tins.

But for sometime, for kontris like Ghana, Nigeria, and di rest, dis same fans dey bash di musicians wey don dey perform for politicians.

Some of di fans dey troll dem for social media, some fit dey curse dem say dia career go die sake of say dem dey perform for one political party platform or anoda.

For Ghana, fans dey bash celebrities and musicians wey dey perform for political party events.

Some of dis musicians in di last few years don dey produce campaign songs for dis parties, wia odas dey endorse di parties and dia candidates.

Ogbonge artistes like Samini, Guru, Shatta Wale, Sydney among odas in di past don perform on top political party rallies and campaign platforms.

But even dose wey just dey perform for dis campaign events and rallies, bin dey receive bashing for social media.

Na so some of di popular musicians decide say dem no go accept gigs from dis parties.

Two musicians don recently chop fire from some of di fans

One video of musician King Paluta inside one bus wit vice president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and oda goment pipo for dia campaign bin go viral for June dis year.

Inside dat video, di vice president and oda party members togeda wit King Paluta bin dey sing im hit song ‘Aseda’.

Afta di video don spread for social media, pipo begin dey bash di musician say im career go die sake of im dey associate imsef wit di vice president and im party.

Some fans wey don dey support di opposition party tok say dem no go patronise im music sake of im association wit di vice president and di goment party.

But King Paluta wey win new artiste of di year for di 2024 Ghana Music Awards, explain wetin happun.

“My song Aseda dey jam well well, wia plenti pipo dey vibe to di song, even pipo don send me video of di Vice President wey im dey dance wit my song, wey dey tok me say im want to meet me.”

King Paluta explain say “aside im party, im na vice president of di kontri, if im invite you, you no go fit tok say you no go go”.

To di pipo wey bin dey tok say King Paluta go collect moni from di vice president for im campaign, di ‘Makoma’ hitmaker tok say “even if I go take moni, dis na vice president of di kontri, wia I don fuel my car to meet am, so why I no go collect moni wey dem give me?”

“I don see all di negative comments wey pipo bin dey make about my meeting wit di VP, but I tink say all na hate,” e tok.

Paluta add say im don perform for di campaign launch of di presidential candidate for di ‘movement for change’, but nobodi tok anytin, but “why dem don dey bash me for dis VP one?”

“Dis na purely business. If di opposition NDC pipo call me to perform for dia programme, I go perform. I don perform dis song for some chiefs wey dey dash me plot of land. So na purely business.”

Anoda artiste wey don perform on 12 August for di opposition NDC dia youth manifesto launch na OliveTheboy.

Di ‘Goodsin’ hitmaker afta some fans and pipo for social media don bash am for performance at di event, e begin to explain say na “purely business”.

“Dem hire me to preform just like dem hire me for Afrochella or any oda event. My performance no dey tied to any political party endorsement,” OliveTheBoy tok.

Im add say “I neva dey endorse any party na so if NPP call me today, I go go perform. I get friends from all di parties wey if dem hire me, I go surely perform”.

Di young musician also tok say im see all di criticism and bashing for social media, but “I no dey bother mysef say I go respond. My fans go do dat give me. I also get fans wey sabi say dis na purely business sake of I say gatz make some moni.”

Critics don tok say na bad tin for musicians to perform on party platforms

One of dis critics na Blakk Rasta wey be veteran reggae artiste and media personality.

Im tok say musicians like OliveTheBoy get plenti power ova dia fans wey dem go fit misinterpret dia appearance on dis political party platforms as endorsement.

“Wen your fans don show up in dia numbers, which message you don dey send dem?”

Blakk Rasta no dey comfortable wit di explanation say dis artistes bin accept to perform for political events sake of na purely business.

“I neva dey like am if di musician tok say I go di political event but dem hire me professionally to perform and dat be all.”

Di media personality ask on top im radio show for 3FM say “if you be musician wey dem pay you to do somtin wey dey harmful, you go do am sake of e be professional? Na just di moni or you dey consider wetin go happun afta? We gatz dey careful,” im tok.

As di political season don dey heat up towards di kontri election for December, di parties go dey engage dis musicians and entertainment pipo to push dia message.

Blakk Rasta want make dis artistes consider many tins bifor dem go decide to accept invitation by dis political parties.

“If you want your music career to last long, you gatz remember say your fans na from all di political backgrounds. NDC, NPP, CPP and di odas. To appear on one platform go fit give pipo di perception say you don endorse dem,” Blakk Rasta add.

Deputy minister for tourism, culture and creative arts react

One ogbonge industry pesin wey be deputy minister for tourism, culture and creative arts, Mark Okraku Mantey bin explain say notin dey wrong wit entertainers wia don enta politics.

Oga Okraku Mantey tok for one radio network Joy FM say, “e dey important to use music for politics, instead say fans and sabi pipo go tok say di politicians don dey use dis entertainers wey dem go ignore dem later.”

Im add say wetin gatz happun be say make di entertainers enta di political arena plenty so if dem want appoint pipo from di industry, dem go fit get plenty pipo wey get “experience and knowledge”.

On di part wia fans don dey condemn dis entertainers wey do business wit dis political parties, oga Okraku Mantey disagree wit pipo wey tok say dis entertainers go lose revenue afta dem endorse or perform for dis parties.

“Dis perception say wen you enta politics pipo go dey see you in anoda light wey you go lose revenue, I neva see anytin like dat,” di deputy minister tok for di radio programme.

Pipo don dey tok say dem neva endorse di parties wey dem don perform for dia platforms, and add say na only business dem do.

Oga Mark tok say dis world “pesin no fit get dia cake and eat am.”

“Dis world na opportunity cost, you choose Christ or oda tins. For me I decide to support di govning party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo since 2008, until im win election for 2016. Im appoint me as deputy minister afta 2020.”

“So I neva dey see anytin wrong wit creative pipo wey dey enta politics to support any party.”

Oga Mark further add say “In fact, some musicians don become ogbonge artistes afta dem endorse di current President Nana Akufo-Addo, so if di musician or entertainer get im own wahala, make we no take put for di fact say im support di party dat be why im career no dey blow”.

Im tok say “if you manage yoursef well as musician wey you position yoursef well as a brand, you go still get your gigs and companies go do business wit you”.

Sabi pipo and oda industry pundits react

One ogbonge sabi pesin for di industry Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo tell BBC News Pidgin say, “If we still get pipo wey dey bash musicians wey mount political party platforms, den we get problem.”

Oga Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo tok say “di pesin na artiste, dem book am to mount whatever stage to excite dia audience, e get im moni, end of di mata”.

“We gatz dey more tolerant wey we for understand say political party na group wey get members – anybodi fit to join witout say sombodi go diss am.”

Im add say, “Same way any artiste fit to perform for any platform especially if dat state no dey against di artiste personal principles and beliefs.”

Anoda sabi pesin for di entertainment industry na Kwame Dadzie.

Im tell BBC News Pidgin say “part of di job of di entertainers na to perform on various platforms, na one of dia major sources of income be dat, so e dey unfair say pipo go dey vilify dem wen dem offer dia service to political parties”.

Oga Kwame Dadzie wey dey di industry for many years dey of di view say “time don reach say we go accept di fact say if pesin be creative pesin, dat no dey take away dia right to work wit any particular group provided im dey according to di laws of di kontri”.

Despite di backlash dis artistes don dey receive, im want make dem consider business as business.

“If any political party approach you to do any piece of work for democracy, make una no tink twice, charge dem big and go and deliver.

“Just do your job,” Oga Dadzie add.