Not everyone in the music industry is a musician; the triers will always try – Ohene-Djan
Renowned Ghanaian filmmaker and producer, Abraham Ohene-Djan, has said that not every person within the music industry is a true musician.
He made these comments during a conversation with Prime Morning host, KMJ and music duo, Keche on Joy Prime on Friday.
According to the filmmaker, technology has given every individual the opportunity to create songs in the comfort of their homes, and some of these songs have become hits.
When the song becomes a hit for a period of time, such persons see themselves as musicians, which is not the case, according to him.
“Because of the way technology has interfered with the creative industry, these days somebody can buy a laptop, a camera, and have a production company in their bedroom. The same thing with the studio, and they say they’re musicians. So, we have some people who are involved in the music industry who are not musicians. They may get lucky and come up with something that will resonate with people one time, and that’s it; they can’t repeat it,” Ohene-Djan said.
He believes that true musicians are the exceptional ones who consistently produce hit songs, regardless of generation, adding that real musicians know how to create hit songs.
The producer added that some people mistake the music profession for a social media trend. He said, “People can trend on social media with a song and say they’re musicians, but in reality they’re not.”
He thinks the one-time hitmakers are not qualified to be the musicians they claim to be. He is also of the view that people jam to songs that resonate with them within the particular period in which the song is released.
The creative director further indicated that people will always appreciate well-produced songs, no matter the tune.
According to him, generations evolve with different people and mindsets. He expressed the thought that the marketing capacity of a song is a major factor in the current generation, not writing hit songs.
“The marketing space is very different now. It’s not really about hit songs per se, though songs will go viral if they resonate with people. We’re in a very different marketing space at the moment, and it’s not necessarily only about writing a hit song,” he asserted.
As a producer and filmmaker, he thinks no song is a hit until it resonates with people who may end up jamming to it. He urged musicians to look out and be sensitive about current happenings to enable them to bring out songs that relate to people.
Despite producing numerous songs for artistes, the director remains optimistic about Ghana’s music industry. He believes the music producers are innovative, revealing that the country is creating a unique sound of music through the “Asaka Boys” in Kumasi, which no other country has done.
