Breaking into new music markets: Grammy Nominee, Rocky Dawuni & KKD offer key tips

For those in the music business, taking steps to capture or break into new markets is an excellent way to grow.

Unfortunately, such goals are very tough to achieve; A big challenge is that most musicians are clueless about where to start from, what to do and the steps to take to bring about such a breakthrough.

Speaking on Tv3’s Weekend Entertainment show ‘Simply Showbiz’ with Chrystal Kwame-Aryee, Internationally acclaimed Ghanaian musician, Rocky Dawuni and Ace broadcaster, Kwasi Kyei Darkwah (KKD) shared some key points to help musicians break into new markets.

Grammy Nominee, Rocky Dawuni entreated local Musicians who aim to be recognized by peer-based platforms like the Grammys to focus on the quality and uniqueness of their work.

“Awards are great, they are a validation of what you do but it’s based upon the productivity of what you do. But once you want to do your works to be recognized on a platform like the Grammys, the Grammys is peer-based (Decided by music professionals) so I will say that Artistes should focus first of all on the quality of their work; the uniqueness of their music and try to always push the boundaries” he noted

“You have where you come from, you have what you are influenced by but as an Artiste, you don’t exist in isolation unless your idea is to only play in a certain area then you do music to satisfy that but artiste are visionaries, Artistes want to lead their countries culturally into new areas, we are conduits of experience” The ‘Beautiful People’ composer pointed out.

he stressed one other crucial point; the need to create strong institutions and empower them to ensure that there is a thriving scene to shore up local Musicians.

“To get there, first of all, I mentioned institutions, if you have the right and strong institutions those institutions will ensure that you have a thriving scene, and a thriving scene is a key part of it, otherwise you will have individuals like myself who will be breakouts, but when there are breakouts and they establish paths, that paths cannot be followed because you don’t have a scene that is supporting it. So you need a very resilient and strong foundation that will shore up the talent. Once you create a pathway that pathway opens up for more people to follow,” the renowned musician pointed out.

Media/Brands and Culture specialist, KKD on his part shared the under-listed key points.

1. Start with your family, your friends and the people around you in your community

2. Expand from concentric circles

3. Once you have expanded from the concentric circles, move from the comfort of your region to the nation.

4. Once you are recognized in your nation, you have achieved national status; Now look at Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo and other nearby countries.

“I see too many musicians want to break America, you are not even known in Dahome “ The revered broadcaster noted while emphasizing the need to take smaller steps to achieve greatness.

Simply Showbiz airs Saturdays at 11 am on Tv3.