Akesse Brempong
Multiple award-winning gospel artiste, songwriter and worship leader, Akesse Brempong, has revealed that although he is a registered member of the Ghana Music Right Organization (GHAMRO), the organization has failed to pay him his royalties.
The issue of music royalties has been a big topic for Ghanaian musicians as regards to how effective systems and structures governing their intellectual property have been.
Recently, hiplife artiste, Kwaw Kese, told George Quaye in an interview on Showbiz A-Z on Joy FM that he had not received a penny from GHAMRO as royalties since he started music.
Another hiplife act, Edem, also revealed that GHAMRO paid him royalties once in a blue moon, which according to him, was not fair.
Mr. Brempong, who thinks the collective society has not treated him fairly, stated that ever since he became a member of the collective society five year ago, the society had refused to pay him his royalties.
He told Godfrey Ainoo, host of Starr Drive on Starr FM, in an interview “I have not received royalties from GHAMRO for the past five years since I joined the agency and have since not received a dime.”
He, however, urged the collective society to embrace digital marketing to promote local musical works on the international music platform and to also stop other music platforms from illegally using Ghanaian musical works.
By going digital, the collective society will be able to monitor the various activities of music users in and outside the country.
He believes that digital avenues including caller-ring back tunes were one of the many ways Ghanaian artistes could make money for themselves.
He indicated that afro beat was the new trend, “young people determine where the trend of music is going to and now afro beat is on the rise.” Even on the international market big record labels are trying to break through with afro beat into mainstream.”
Meanwhile a number of music stakeholders have called on GHAMRO to develop an online music distribution platform to enable the 200 million music users outside the country subscribe to have access to locally produced songs.
They urged the collective society to create the GHAMRO Digital Conference to bring all industry stakeholders together, so as to create an atmosphere where issues affecting the sector could be discussed.
By George Clifford Owusu