Bessa Simons
The Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), in collaboration with the family of the late Alfred Benjamin Crentsil (AB Crentsil), last Saturday held a music concert in remembrance of the highlife artiste with a call on the youth to venture into the genre.
The event, which was held in Tema, was attended by a number of highlife music fans, a section of music stakeholders which include highlife musicians such as Pat Thomas, Asabea Cropper, NaaAmanua, Smart Nkansah, Ben Brako, Uncle Ato, MOG, among others.
They all performed at the event with the Ahenefo Band, which was established by the late A.B. Crentsil in 1982.
In an interview with Ghana News Agency (GNA) during the concert, Mr. Bessa Simons, the President of MUSIGA, said it was important for the youth and up-and-coming artistes to follow the good steps of A.B. Crentsil to project highlife globally.
Mr. Simons said A.B. Crentsil used highlife to educate and inspire people, an attribute that up-and-coming musicians must emulate to reach greater heights in their careers.
Eulogising A.B. Crentsil, he said it was important to celebrate him for his contribution to the Ghanaian music industry, adding that he was one of the greatest musicians in Ghana whose songs are relevant, educative and inspirational.
He described him as an inspiration to the Ghana music industry and the members of MUSIGA, and recounted his dedication to the union as one of the vice presidents who worked hard to serve musicians.
The MUSIGA President advised artistes to join the union, as his outfit has planned good programmes both locally and internationally to help them achieve their career goals.
He noted that the union also provides its members with insurance, including the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and organises training sessions for members on modern trends in the industry to help them stay relevant, in addition to helping artistes upload their music to digital platforms for proper monetisation.
Mr. Ben Brako, a highlife musician, recounted how the late A.B. Crentsil was a brotherly figure for him and their activities, which were geared towards seeing the highlife genre flourish and be well grounded in the music industry.
GNA