Kwaw Kese
Popular rapper, Kwaw Kese, says the Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO) has been unhelpful when it comes to royalties.
According to him, GHAMRO has never paid him any royalties since his breakthrough in the music industry and, therefore, believes that dissolving GHAMRO could be the solution to the disputes over royalties.
The Abodam hitmaker disclosed that his last visit to the offices to enquire about his royalties nearly resulted in a fight.
“I want the world to know that GHAMRO is not doing anything for musicians…the last time I went there they met me with insults,” he said on Showbiz A-Z on Joy FM.
But GHAMRO has denied the allegation, saying the hiplife artiste is ignorant about the operations of GHAMRO, adding that “GHAMRO has never insulted or attacked any musician in the country.”
GHAMRO described Kese’s allegation as childish and unnecessary.
It, however, challenged him and other critics to produce any evidence of wrongdoing by GHAMRO against any musician.
GHAMRO cautioned musicians as well as the media to cross check facts before making statements against the collective society, and not allow themselves to be used by certain persons to fan their selfish interests.
Kese in an interview with George Quaye, the host of A-Z show alleged that GHAMRO, a few years ago, gave Obrafour GH¢300 as royalties but failed to prove it with documented evidence.
According to him, with such ‘peanuts’ being thrown at musicians in the name of royalties, he was not interested in visiting GHAMRO offices for anything.
Meanwhile, a section of Ghanaian musicians have commended GHAMRO as well as the board members for putting in place measures to streamline the operations of the collective society.
They said the administrative system of the organization had been restructured to allow for efficient management, proper checks and balances.
They added that they were happy that the right calibre of people had been recruited and given the free hand to run affairs of the collective society.
By George Clifford Owusu