Ghanaian Gospel Musician, Grace Ashy, has urged Ghanaians to celebrate people when they are still alive and not wait till they are dead.
She said this in relation to the death of the Ghanaian footballer, Christian Atsu.
Christian Atsu, 31, was a victim of the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.
He played for Hatayspor, the day before the 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck. The devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria about two weeks ago claimed the lives of over 46,000 people.
12 days after the incident, Christian Atsu was found dead.
On Sunday night, February 19, 2023, Christian Atsu’s body arrived in Ghana via Turkish Airlines.
After his death, Grace Ashy composed a tribute song for the late footballer which she released when she visited Christian Atsu’s family house.
Speaking in an interview, Grace Ashy said:
“I know it does not really happen, but let us learn to celebrate people while they are alive, let us appreciate them because the dead will not hear whatever you’re doing”.
Grace Ashy
She further said:
“Our brothers have played football and sacrificed a lot for the country, if we have anything to say to them like thank you or something, it should be now, not after when they are dead”.
Grace Ashy
Grace Ashy who said she had spoken with Christian Atsu a few times said the late footballer was a very humble person.
According to her, it was difficult for her to believe Christian Atsu was really dead because she wished it were not true.
Meanwhile, she said the tribute song is something to appreciate him.
She said:
“There are a lot of players but there are a few I have a relationship with. I really appreciate Christian Atsu, and the fact that he helped orphans and gave hope to those without hope. So, if he has left us, we have to do something for him, and this is what I can do”.
Grace Ashy
‘Gospel musicians are not angels, we are also humans’
Madam Grace Ashy urged Ghanaians to exercise patience or reduce how they talk about Gospel musicians when their issues come up in the public domain.
According to her, Gospel musicians are not angels and so they also live just like normal people.
She said:
“I will plead with Ghanaians to tone down the way they speak about Gospel musicians because you have no idea the pains they go through. We are not angels, we are human beings”.
Grace Ashy
She was speaking about what gospel musicians go through to get to the top in the hands of those who have the power to support them build their brands.
She said when issues come out, the way people speak about them or those involved discourages them from pushing forward.
She also observed that people dictate to popular people what to do and how to live their lives, saying that people have to live their normal lives and not please humans.
She also said:
“Let us live our normal lives and not do what will be more than our financial strength”.
Grace Ashy
Grace Ashy also said secular musicians in Ghana get more support than gospel musicians in the country.
According to her, not even the church supports the work of gospel musicians as expected.
She observed that hypocrisy in the country was too much, adding that those in the church are those who sing and support secular music.
Madam Grace Ashy believed that if the church supported the gospel musicians, they would automatically grow with the church.
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