I’ve lost interest in the music industry - Amakye Dede

One of Ghana’s prominent highlife musicians, Abrantie Amakye Dede, who is not happy about the way the government is interfering in the activities of stakeholders in the music industry has declared that he has lost interest in the industry because the stakeholders have been unfairly treated.

In an interview with Beatwaves, Amakye Dede said he was disappointed that the powers that be including some mafias in the industry were trying to enact bad laws, which the stakeholders had kicked against.

“I am finding it difficult to release my latest musical album because the powers that be and the mafias have destroyed the industry,” he indicated.

He called for the abandonment of “the so-called security device system” and appealed to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Joe Ghartey to expunge provisions in it from the Legislative Instrument (LI).

He noted that the security device system was outmoded and lacked the capacity to protect their works from piracy.

He found the assertion that the device enables them to pay taxes absurd, as he is a law-abiding citizen who pays his taxes.

He added that since he and his colleagues have invested so much in the music industry they are ready to use all available means to demonstrate against the imposition of the security device, which attracts a penalty of GH¢5,000 or a jail term if one fails to use it.

He appealed to lawmakers to respect the constitutional rights of stakeholders in the industry and allow them to develop their own mechanisms to protect their creative works from piracy and counterfeiting just like other Intellectual Property owners are free to do.