ACCRA — Legendary Ghanaian Highlife musician Amandzeba Nat Brew has sparked an intense industry-wide debate after publicly lamenting what he describes as the over-commercialization of Ghana’s music sector. Speaking on The UpSide Down Show, the iconic “Wogbe Jeke” hitmaker cautioned that music is increasingly being treated like a disposable consumer product rather than a lasting cultural legacy.
Amandzeba argued that the modern rush for quick corporate profits has severely starved the creative space required to craft high-quality, enduring compositions.
“Everybody’s quickly wanting to put something together and then get a profit from it,” the veteran artist observed. “This is what they are reducing music to. It’s like fast food. Popcorn music—I mean, it comes, and the fragrance is gone.”
The veteran performer, whose illustrious career spans over three decades, clarified that the trend is not necessarily the fault of the artists themselves. Instead, he pointed out that the presentation and promotional formats used by modern television and radio broadcasters tend to favor short-lived viral trends over artistic depth.
Amandzeba also voiced serious concerns regarding the heavy reliance on foreign music in local advertising and corporate media productions. He warned that treating intellectual property casually as “tissue paper” poses a long-term economic risk to the country, as international entities will eventually demand stiff royalty payments once financial monitoring systems catch up.
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