Some of the members in a group photograph after the meeting
The Ghana Association of Phonographic Industry (GAPI), an association of music producers, has appointed a four-member interim board to run the affairs of the association pending the election of a new board.
The members of the interim board made up of Nana Kwame Asa Mensah (Agiecoat) as Chairman, Enock Agyepong as General Secretary, Rebecca Bedu as Financial Secretary, and Mensah Twum as the Technical Adviser were appointed at a meeting held in Accra.
The meeting was attended by members of the association, including some of the founding members of the association such as Kwame Micky, Nana Yaw Amoako (Nayas) and John Agbenu among others.
The board, as part of its mandate, was tasked to hold a similar meeting for the northern sector in Kumasi, to appoint interim executives for the sector to assist in running the association.
The association since its establishment over two decades in the music industry had been proactive in the passage of the Copyright Act 690, revision of the Ghana Cultural Policy, and several engagements with the National Development Planning Commission in the development of policy direction for the creative industry.
Members were equally proactive in the formation of the Ghana Music Right Organisation (GHAMRO) and pushed for the successful transition from the Copyright Society of Ghana (COSGA) to GHAMRO.
It has not been rosy for the smooth running of the association for some time now but with the hard working members and support from its former General Secretary, Francis Mensah Twum, Dr. Osei Kwame Despite, its first Chairman, alongside music producer Kwasi Agyapong, known in the industry as Papcad among others came together to revive and rebuild the association.
Mr. Twum, who is a copyright advocate and music publisher, has successfully run GAPI from its formative years and nurtured it to be the powerhouse of the music business during his tenure as the general secretary.
At the meeting, the members discussed several issues including the old board term of office which had expired over two years now, which led to the formation of an interim board to run the association before an election to elect a substantive board.
By George Clifford Owusu