SP Kofi Sarpong
Popular gospel artiste and songwriter, SP Kofi Sarpong, has declared that he sees nothing wrong with gospel artistes collaborating with secular artistes.
He expressed disappointment in those with the view that it was not appropriate for gospel artistes to record songs with secular acts.
SP Kofi Sarpong indicated that it was unnecessary to raise such arguments because even Jesus Christ never separated people like the way some Ghanaians are doing but rather brought together both the righteous and sinners in his ministry.
In an interview with Roman Fada on Atinka FM, SP Kofi Sarpong revealed that celebrated dancehall artiste Shatta Wale has approached him for collaboration, adding that he will surely do it. “Ghanaian music lovers should expect a beautiful song from us,” he said.
A few weeks ago, Ghanaian artiste Celestine Donkor released a song titled ‘Thank You’, which featured female vocalist Efya and prolific songwriter and singer Akwaboah Jnr.
The very day the song was released, Celestine received serious backlash from her colleagues and some radio and television presenters for featuring the two secular artistes on her song.
They claimed Efya and Akwaboah were not associated with the gospel music and thus should not have been featured.
They argued that secular artistes were not cut out to do gospel music because of the content of their songs, as well as their lifestyle.
In the past, several gospel artistes have done collaborations with secular artistes which attracted criticism from the gospel music fraternity.
The likes of Herty Borngreat, Yaw Sarpong, Gifty Adorye, Joyce Blessing and MOG have all featured secular artistes in their various songs.
Filmmaker and former Director for Creative Arts at the National Commission on Culture (NCC), Socrate Safo, recently slammed radio personality OB Nartey and others for criticizing Celestine Donkor for featuring secular artistes, Efya and Akwaboah Jnr on her song ‘Thank You’.
To him, the approach by the gospel music lovers to ridicule singers Efya and Akwaboah on who qualifies to do gospel music is needless and should not be entertained.
Socrate Safo, who was speaking on the ‘Best Entertainment Show’ on Okay FM, emphasized that he expected the gospel music lovers rather to embrace the Celestine Donkor strategy aiming to win more souls for Christ.
According to Socrate Safo, the gospel message will not reach the ears of the numerous worldly fans if Celestine Donkor does not harness the talents of the two for the propagation of the gospel.