Mark Okraku Mantey
Deputy Minister-designate for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku Mantey, says one of the ways to make the music industry better is to instigate a national agenda to market Ghana’s music to the world.
He said this at the maiden edition of the 1st Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) National Music Summit celebrated as part of World Music Day.
It is also aimed at using education to empower industry players to enable them to explore the numerous opportunities in the music space.
In his address at the summit, Okraku Mantey said the government was poised in solving the issues of infrastructure deficit in the creative arts sector by setting up institutions to spearhead education.
“We at the Ministry have discovered some basic things which can help our music industry get better. The first thing is the need for training and education, so you are going to witness capacity building in the next three and half years. We are going to have masterclasses with internal and external experts to help undertake the education and training exercise.
“The creative school at Kwadaso in Kumasi is targeted at building capacity and also to support the young ones in realising their God-given talent,” he said, having highlighted the numerous infrastructure challenges associated with creative arts.
He stated the need to create a national agenda to network with agencies both local and foreign, so that musicians and other stakeholders could be identified to capitalise on the numerous potential for the growth of industry, as the digitisation of music takes a centre stage in the world.
Additionally, Mr. Okraku emphasised the need to amend laws to make Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) including Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO), Copy Ghana and the Audiovisual Society of Ghana (ASOG) very viable in their respective dealings.
Madam Theresa Ayoade, Chief Executive Officer of Charterhouse, in her speech at the summit, said the platform was meant to create room for a national dialogue on issues pertaining to the development of Ghana’s economy through a viable music ecosystem.
She revealed that the music summit would be held every year on June 21 so as to address the various challenges in the music industry to keep pace with the global music world.
The summit witnessed four music industry stalwarts including Professor John Collins, Alhaji Sidiku Buari, Big Ben and the late Kenneth Kafui honoured with the music titanic accolades for their massive contribution to Ghana’s music over the past years.
GNA