Araz Goes To Farm

Hiplife artiste Araz, aka Peter Aryee, has switched from his music career to farming, after 10 years of what he termed as fruitless toil and unprofitable investment in the music industry.

Araz of 'Laimomo' fame can now be located on his two-acre farm on which he has planted cassava and maize at Joma, Kokrobite, a suburb of Accra.

"The maize is a month old, while the cassava is three months old. I have always dreamt of becoming a farmer because my grandparents have a big land. I would have been well off by now if I had planned well,? he told this reporter.

According to Araz, there was nothing like payola or a manager in the farming business, arguing that payola was like the ?devil? for most musicians.

"It drains our money and energy to perform in a condusive environment, making it extremely difficult for young musicians like me to survive, especially when I have not been able to contract for myself a producer or a manager to manage what I toil to bring out," he explained.

The young artiste said during the planting of the cassava and the maize, he contracted some of the village folks who helped him to weed the farm. That cost less than the payola he would have paid if he had released an album.

Araz also said the most important thing for a farmer to do on his farm was to water his crops, adding that he was happy that it had been raining of late.

"I will be in this business for some time to see if it will improve my financial standing. If it doesn?t, then I don?t know what to do again," he said.

Araz, who has a studio, has decided to train young people who have the talent and interest in entering the music industry in Ghana.

?I will also be rehearsing there as and when I want to, as well as sing or compose any piece of music,? he said.

When asked why he wouldn?t give himself a little time to see whether there would be any improvement in his music career, he said, ?You don?t understand.

I started music some 10 years ago and if it held anything for my future, I would have gained it by now and most Ghanaians would have known me.?