‘Hi-Life song of the year’ should be the ultimate award at the VGMAs - Lucky Mensah

Celebrated Ghanaian Hi-Life artist, Lucky Mensah has recommended to Charterhouse, organisers of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) to reform the awarding scheme to suit the Ghanaian culture in order to give our indigenous music genre global recognition and the country, a music identity. The ‘Aduu Sumo Akwadu’ hitmaker in an interview on Kumasi-based Pure FM’s ‘Hammer Time’ entertainment programme lamented what he described as the ‘sorry state’ of the Ghanaian music industry and its failure to attract international attention and recognition. Lucky Mensah told the host, Hammer Nti, that the music industry has seen less growth, especially on the international market because we have no music identity which Creative Arts actors can associate Ghana with. He said the influx of alien music genre which has been given form by the various awarding schemes in the country has particularly contributed to our lack of recognition on the global music platforms. He mentioned to Charterhouse, organizers of Ghana’s premium Vodafone Ghana Music Awards to consider making the ultimate award ‘Hi-Life Song and Hi-Life Artist of the Year’ so as to encourage the growth of the Hi-Life genre which Ghana had been noted for and also to give us a global niche and place on the international music space. “We had been noted for the Hi-Life music genre globally but what do we see now? We have lost our Hi-Life identity because the organizers of the various awards scheme like the VGMA do not give recognition to our identity. The Organizers themselves are foreigners and have given little space to a few Ghanaians who for whatever reason have bought into the ideologies of these foreigners without making the Ghanaian interest paramount.” “Hi-Life is dying because of these organisers like Charterhouse. Tell me, which show have you seen in Ghana that has a Hi-Life artist headlining it? "There are very good musicians in Ghana who can do quality Hi-Life songs to compete globally and earn us several recognitions but the acceptance of foreign genres which our awarding schemes are based on to recognize our artists are the reasons why our musicians have turned only local champions. "As for me, I blame the organizers of the VGMA for our lack of impact on the global stage and the sorry state of our music industry. "They should consider making some significant reforms to promote our culture and give us an identity. 'Hi-Life Song and Hi-Life Artist of the Year’ should be the ultimate award in our various awards schemes. "This will encourage the production of more Hi-Life songs and give Ghana a known music global recognition and attention,” Lucky Mensah stated on Pure FM. Watch an excerpt of the interview with Hammer Nti, on ‘Hammer Time’ below: