Lady Dentaa Amoateng MBE, Chief Executive Officer of GUBA Enterprise, has ruled out the possibility of assuming a political office.
Dentaa, who was recently named by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as a recipient of a diplomatic passport, said that although her work has had a positive impact on the Ghanaian community, she does not intend to take a political appointment.
Speaking in an interview, she revealed that she is happy with where she is.
“Not now. I feel like I still have a lot of work to do. The work is huge. So I prefer to keep doing what I am doing. Because what I do affects the government anyway. It benefits the government. I want to be where I am. I am happy with where I am.”
Lady Dentaa Amoateng
Beyond her GUBA initiative, Dentaa has been instrumental in shaping Ghana’s creative landscape. Through projects such as The Dentaa Show, she has given Ghanaian arts and culture international visibility, while her networking platforms have connected Ghanaian creatives to global business opportunities.
She has also worked closely with industry stakeholders to promote Ghana’s tourism potential, and her influence has inspired collaborations between Ghanaian and international acts.
In the previous government, she served as a member of the Governing Board of the Ghana Tourism Authority.
Dentaa Amoateng Announces Grammy Africa Debut 2030
The Grammy Africa Awards could be launched around 2029 or 2030, according to Lady Dentaa Amoateng MBE, Chief Executive Officer of GUBA Enterprise.
Dentaa, also a consultant to the Chief Executive Officer of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr., revealed that while the initiative was announced in 2024, it will take years to establish the necessary structures.
“It’s going to be a long process because it needs to establish that membership. So it’s something that is going to happen maybe 2029, 2030. It’s going to take a while. Africa is big and there are a lot of different genres of music.”
Lady Dentaa Amoateng
Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Rwanda have so far been earmarked to host the awards once the scheme begins.
Addressing why Ghana was not listed, Dentaa Amoateng said: “There is a financial commitment that is involved which is quite heavy for government, so that is why some of the countries have not been able to be part of it.”
In 2024, the Recording Academy, organisers of the Grammy Awards, announced plans to create an African version of the scheme to serve the continent’s music industry and expand its global footprint, similar to the Latin Grammys introduced in 1997.
As part of the initiative, the Academy has signed agreements with Ministries of Culture and cultural stakeholders in Africa and the Middle East. Partner institutions include the Ministries of Culture in Kenya, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, the Rwanda Development Board, and South Africa’s Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture. Memorandum of Understanding have also been signed with Ghana and Ivory Coast.
“This is exciting because music is one of humanity’s greatest natural resources,” said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “It is critical that the people who dedicate themselves to creating music have support, resources and opportunities, no matter where they are from.”
The Academy’s leadership spent two years touring these regions, holding listening sessions, meeting governments and engaging music creators to understand the industry’s needs.
In 2023, the Recording Academy introduced a new category, Best African Music Performance, which includes genres such as highlife and Ghanaian drill. It was created alongside Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording.
The category followed earlier discussions about introducing an Afrobeats award category. During his visit to Ghana in 2022, Harvey Mason Jr., the Chief Executive Officer of the Grammy Awards, confirmed that the Academy was carefully considering the best ways to represent African music at the Grammys.
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