Ghanaian High Life musician, Kumi Guitar has disclosed that he is uncertain about what the future holds for him when it comes to his music career as he fears what may happen to him if he retires from music.
According to the ‘Betweener’ crooner, the systems to ensure musicians benefit from their craft are not working, and as such, he worries he might suffer financial hardships in his old age if he keeps his faith in music.
“I fear for myself when I see the lives and living conditions of our old musicians. Some people say they didn’t live good and meaningful lives or refused to invest their monies but that is not right. If the systems are working, they can’t fall so low and be broke in their old age. If they were at least receiving some sort of royalties, I don’t think they would have been in such horrible condition”.
Kumi Guitar
Using the news surrounding the death of the late Nana Ampadu as an example, Kumi Guitar averred that the music legend would not have suffered such a painful ending if the systems were working.
“Nana Ampadu was still working but let’s look at how things were for him. This makes me fear for myself. The system is just not working and it is very bad”.
Kumi Guitar
Kumi Guitar contemplates giving music up
The musician who recently contemplated retiring from music said, “sometimes it gets hard and I ask myself if I should stop music or not. It gets hard sometimes. We have families and children we need to take care of”.
Per Kumi Guitar’s calculation, over 98 percent of musicians;are depressed and although “we are smiling, we are dying on the inside”.
He also disclosed that musicians “are not making it through music like a lot of people think we are. We are not making our money through music. People in the music industry are suffering, both producers and musicians alike”.
Speaking further, Kumi Guitar lamented how veteran musicians;are treated poorly in the country with regards to receiving royalties from their creativity. He said, “our legends are not being rewarded for their work done”.
He bemoaned the poor living conditions of most of Ghana’s celebrated entertainment;industry players and charged the government and music bodies to put structures in place to reward industry veterans.
Well, Kumi Guitar isn’t the only artist who fears for the future of Ghanaian artists,;as several artists have come out to express concerns about what will become;of them when they become old and retire from making music.
It can be recalled that Ghanaian ace dancehall artiste, Stonebwoy, shared his views concerning the deplorable situations some veterans in the entertainment industry are going through.
Stonebwoy looking at how most veterans turn into beggars and depend on charity support cried out for his future and that of his colleagues asking if they are all headed to “damnation” after spending almost half of their lives entertaining the country.
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