Obiba Sly Collins
Renowned Ghanaian highlife musician and songwriter Obiba Sly Collins, has advised young and upcoming artistes in the country to focus on building their craft rather than channeling efforts to secure recording deals.
According to him, it is important for upcoming artistes to focus on their talents rather than relying on a record label to promote their craft.
He suggested that they embrace technology in their daily musical endeavours and seek expert guidance from industry veterans.
He counseled aspiring musicians to follow their own rhythms and find strategies for remaining current in the field.
Sly Collins also urged young talents to create music that will inform listeners about societal challenges.
He clarified that funding is essential to the industry’s expansion, adding that it’s critical for aspiring musicians to understand the financial side of the music industry.
The Ghanaian music industry has a promising future, according to Sly Collins, stressing that the sector would advance if effectively promoted on the global music platform.
Obiba Sly Collins, who talked about his struggle to release his debut album, ‘Yen Boa Ghana’ in the 1990s, told BEATWAVES in an interview that he believed that the music industry had a bright future, and called for collaboration between music stakeholders to create a thriving Ghanaian music scene.
He asserts that Ghanaian musicians are sufficiently skilled to have their compositions performed on major international music stages to a global audience.
He, therefore, called on music industry players to preserve, develop, promote and protect highlife as a genre that represents the national identity, adding that highlife is a part of Ghanaian music and it is important to ensure it stays alive for long.
He pointed out that there is nothing wrong with trying to explore other genres, but would stay true to his originality as a highlife musician.
He, however, revealed that Nigeria has one of the biggest music markets in the world, so Ghanaian musicians trying to do something new to penetrate their market is a plus.
Sly Collins indicated that one of the reasons highlife’s appeal is dwindling is the lack of a concerted effort by Ghanaian music industry leaders to promote the genre.
By George Clifford Owusu & Florence Asamoah Adom