Entertainment
When Visibility Replaces Value, The Cost to Ghana’s Creative Industry
“I TRIED TO MAKE THEM UNDERSTAND”: A Song, a Warning, and the Future of Ghana’s Creative Industry
By Socrate Safo
There is a line in Culture’s song that refuses to let me rest:
“The more victimisation is on their back, the more foolish they become.”
It is a hard line. Uncomfortable. But painfully accurate for where Ghana’s creative industry is heading today.
For a long time now, some of us have tried, and tried, and tried to call attention to a dangerous pattern forming across the industry. We are not speaking from a place of bitterness or fear of change. We are speaking from memory. We watched the film industry walk this same road. We know where it ends.
Yet, as the song says, they just can’t understand.
Repeating a Familiar Tragedy
The film industry once beat its drums by night and by day. The movies were everywhere. The audience was loud. But the money was thin. Free access became normal. Piracy became tolerated. Value disappeared. Eventually, the noise faded, the investors vanished, and the industry collapsed quietly.
Today, music and other creative sectors are repeating that mistake, only this time, on a far larger and more dangerous scale.
Artists now spend huge sums to organise stadium shows, throw the gates open for free, and fill the stands. Drone shots fly. Photos circulate. Social media cheers. The artist boasts.
But after the applause fades, the truth appears: losses, debts, regret.
Still, instead of asking hard questions, many satisfy themselves with less.
Victimhood as a Disguise for Foolishness.
Whenever this issue is raised, the response is often framed as victimhood. “The industry is hard.” “Streaming platforms are cheating us.” “Sponsors don’t pay enough.” “People don’t support creatives.”
All of that may be true. But as Culture warned, the more victimisation is upon their back, the more foolish they become.
Under the cover of victimhood, destructive decisions are justified. Free concerts become “promotion.” Free songs become “strategy.” Empty profits are celebrated as success. Numbers replace income. Visibility replaces value.
Artists now pay studios, producers, and engineers to create music, only to release it for free. All that matters is how many streams they get. That is what they brag about. But streams do not pay studio bills. Streams do not build pensions. Streams do not sustain an industry on their own.
Meanwhile, the fee-paying audience, the very foundation of any creative economy. Is disappearing. Just like the people who used to buy films, those who once bought music are being trained out of the habit.
Teaching the Audience to Expect Nothing to Cost Anything
The same thing is happening with live events. Some shows are funded by artists themselves. Others rely on sponsors. Either way, the audience is learning one thing: wait long enough and the gate will be opened.
They come early. They wait outside. They know that eventually, someone will shout “free entry.” Over time, paying for tickets begins to feel foolish. Why pay when patience works?
Again, they satisfy the Lord for less.
Investors Will Learn Faster Than Artists
While creatives argue and boast, investors are watching. They put in money and see no returns. Sponsors fund concerts and realize there are cheaper ways to get visibility. When they finally get wise, they will not argue on social media. They will simply invest elsewhere.
And when that happens, the industry will not just be on its knees. It will be crawling, on its belly.
A Simpler, Harder, Wiser Path
There is another way, though it is less glamorous. Organise shows in venues that attract fee-paying audiences, even if they are small. Build slowly. Respect value. Let people pay, no matter how few they are.
This approach is often dismissed as “old school.” But old school is not the enemy. Forgetting lessons is.
Culture’s song keeps asking: “When will they ever learn?”
That question hangs heavily over Ghana’s creative industry today.
Some of us have beaten the drum by day and by night. We have tried to make them notice. We have tried to make them know. But still, they just can’t understand. And yet, the future is waiting.
Fix yourself up, the song says. Prepare. Aim for more, not less.
Because if we continue down this road, mistaking noise for progress and victimhood for wisdom, we will soon look back, just like we did with film, and realize that we were not cursed.
We were warned.
NB:I AM HUMAN, I AM GETTING TIRED OF THESE WARNINGS.
Ghanaian dancehall star Shatta Wale has opened up about the possibility of venturing into politics, revealing that he may consider running for office as an independent parliamentary candidate if there is significant public demand ahead of the 2028 elections.
He said this during an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen talk show with OB. Government name, Charles Nii Armah Jnr., said he does not intend to affiliate with any political party should he decide to enter the political arena.
According to him, his interest in politics would be driven by a desire to serve the people rather than by personal wealth. He disclosed that if the opportunity arises, he would consider contesting the parliamentary seat for Ablekuma South as an independent candidate.
“If the people push me to go into politics, I will consider it. I won’t do it because I’m rich, but because I want to serve the people. I would contest the Ablekuma South seat, but I won’t join any political party. I would prefer to run as an independent candidate if the calls become stronger by 2028,” he said.
Shatta Wale also spoke about his strong attachment to Ghana, explaining that his love for the country is one of the reasons he continues to live here despite opportunities to travel or relocate abroad.
He noted that traveling outside the country can be quite costly for him, which makes him more comfortable staying in Ghana.
“I love Ghana so much. Anytime someone asks me to travel abroad, I feel a bit uneasy because I end up spending more money there. Life outside is expensive,” he explained.
The musician added that living in Ghana allows him to enjoy a level of freedom that he values.
“In Ghana, I feel free. Sometimes I go to certain places and I’m able to walk around without any problem,” he said.
He also urged Ghanaians to cultivate a positive mindset, emphasizing that a constructive outlook can drive meaningful change in society.
“If you keep a positive mindset, you can influence change in many ways,” he added.
Legendary Highlife musician Sloppy Mike Gyamfi has accused fellow Highlife artiste Kuami Eugene of using his song without authorization.
According to the veteran musician, Kuami Eugene performed his song word for word and uploaded it on YouTube without seeking permission from him. He explained that although the younger artiste sang the song well and added some flavour to it, he did not contact him beforehand to seek clearance.
Speaking on the flagship Ekwanso Dwoodwoo drive time show on Okay FM with host Nana Romeo, Sloppy Mike Gyamfi said he was surprised when he heard the rendition of his song Asem Kakra Bi online.
“Kuami Eugene has taken my song. Visit his YouTube platform; he did it very well.
He sang the song so nicely, and I was awed when I heard it. Just Google Asem Kakra Bi and you’ll find it. He did a very good job on the song though. But Kuami never spoke to me about the song. It’s not like he sampled it or took some parts of it; he sang it word for word,” he said.
When asked by Nana Romeo whether Kuami Eugene was supposed to seek permission before using the song, the veteran musician responded that the right procedure would have been to request clearance.
However, Sloppy Mike Gyamfi indicated that he does not hold any personal grudge against the Angela hitmaker, describing him as someone he sees as a son.
“I won’t fault him that much. He’s like my son, so if he admires my work and uses it, I have no problem with it,” he noted.
Despite his forgiving stance, the veteran musician maintained that proper respect and due process should have been followed.
He added that although Kuami Eugene may know his work, the artiste has never personally introduced himself to him.
“I have forgiven him, but if someday he introduces himself to me, I will be happy. He should bring me my portion of the earnings. Not giving me even a penny is not right,” he added.
Entertainment
Police Arrest Counsellor Lutterodt Over Alleged Incitement in Viral Video About Late Highlife Star Daddy Lumba
Marriage counsellor and public commentator Cyril George Carstensen Lutterodt, popularly known as Counsellor Lutterodt, has been arrested by the Ghana Police Service over remarks made in a viral video that allegedly incited youth to storm the residence of late highlife legend Daddy Lumba.
The arrest was carried out by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) following investigations into comments authorities say were offensive and capable of disturbing public peace.
In a press release issued on March 10, 2026, and signed by Chief Inspector Brigitte Babanawoo, Public Relations Officer of the CID, police indicated that Lutterodt’s remarks were linked to issues surrounding the late musician.
“Police investigations indicate that the suspect made some comments in relation to issues surrounding the late musician which are considered offensive and capable of causing a breach of the peace,” the statement said.
Although the police did not disclose the exact content of the viral video, reports suggest the remarks targeted the memory of Daddy Lumba and circulated widely on social media, sparking public outrage. Lutterodt is alleged to have encouraged some youth to exhume the musician’s body from his residence in East Legon.
Counsellor Lutterodt is a well-known figure in Ghana’s media landscape, frequently appearing on radio and television programmes to provide relationship advice and commentary on social issues. His outspoken style has often generated both support and controversy.
Police confirmed that he has since been granted bail but will be arraigned before court on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
According to the CID, Lutterodt will face charges of offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace under Section 207 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), as well as inciting violence under provisions of the Public Order Act, 1994 (Act 491).
The offences relate to behaviour or speech that could provoke violence, public disorder, or actions likely to disturb societal peace.
Daddy Lumba, widely regarded as one of Ghana’s most influential highlife musicians, died on July 26, 2025, leaving behind a celebrated musical legacy and a large fan base across the country and beyond.
Lutterodt is expected to appear before an Accra court on Wednesday, where the charges will be formally read and his legal team will respond.
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