Gospel Musicians Threaten To Boycott MUSIGA Activities

The few gospel musicians who were very active in the activities of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) have threatened to boycott anything that has to do with the union henceforth.

Flex newspaper�s investigations prove that, almost all the gospel musicians who attended the week long programme are very angry with MUSIGA and have decided to take actions against the union.

Grace Ashy, Bernice Ansah, Cecilia Marfo, Nicholas Omane Acheampong, Supt. Kofi Sarpong, OJ, Soul Winners, Tagoe Sisters, Gifty Osei, Elder Ernest, Abaawa Connie and the likes are all livid and feel disrespected by some treatment meted out to them by MUSIGA.

The gospel musicians took this decision during the first ever music week celebration organized by MUSIGA last week. The program which was full of information, education and entertainment enjoyed the patronage of most musicians from the various genres of music we have in the country. But according to the gospel musicians, the organizers of the program treated them badly.

Speaking to Gifty Osei who is the current Best Gospel Artiste of the year as far as Ghana Music Awards is concerned, she revealed to Flex newspaper that, after the program, the gospel musicians have come to the realization that, MUSIGA as a union does not respect or recognize Gospel musicians. From the start of the program to the end of it, they justified their ill intentions for the gospel musicians.

�Can you imagine, MUSIGA refusing to give recognition to the gospel music genre which is the largest music genre in the country? They never promoted or recognized gospel music in any of the brochures they printed not to talk of giving the gospel music genre a platform to also show what it had. All they did was to give all the attention to hip life music, high life and reggae music.

We even threatened to have boycott the 6th March performance but we were convinced by our chairman Rev. Thomas Yawson to show up but at the end, we were all disappointed for showing up. Come and see the way we were been maltreated like people who are hungry, as if we were children� Gifty Osei stated.

�A hip lifer comes and they allow him to perform with his or her choice of instrumentalists but gospel musicians were treated differently. The organizers dictated to us like we were kids. A big sum of money was paid to the secular musicians and they gave peanuts to gospel musicians. Now we have realized that, until we rise up and fight for our rights, we won�t be respected or recognized in the industry.

And they will continue to treat us bad anytime. We the gospel musicians who attended the week long program and those who were even allowed to perform on the 6th March have decided to boycott whatever that has to do with MUSIGA until they promise to show us respect. We have for all these years shown a lot of commitments to MUSIGA but we have realized that, they only want to use us when they need numbers for any business transactions and when it comes to where we can also benefit, then they ignore us� Gifty Osei lamented.

Source: Flex Newspaper