‘Don’t ignore local talent’
In a statement, the regional MUSIGA chairman, Komla Dagbey, also known as Tony D, said the assumption was that the organisers would showcase several local artistes on the shows and add only a few guest performers, especially when attendance to the shows were free of charge.
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Instead, Tony D pointed out, the festival planners ignored local artistes and decided to ‘import’ some so-called popular ones at higher cost.
“From the perspective of the Volta region MUSIGA, the exclusion of our local artistes in all the yam festival musical performances portrayed a sense of negativity towards the Volta musicians and a move to kill the music industry in the region instead of using the festival to develop it,” the statement said.
The durbar to climax the festival was held at the Ho Jubilee Park and it attracted a big crowd of indigenes and visitors to witness the beautiful display of rich Ewe and Ghanaian culture.
Among the activities which preceded the grand durbar were a yam weighing contest, debate and quiz competition for students, cooking competitions, street jams and hailing of new yam produce.
The theme for the festival was ‘Let’s Unite for Peace, Stability and Development’.
“Granted that we are in an election year with various political parties virtually at the throats of each other, the choice of theme was definitely appropriate.
“Again, granted that community development is the main agenda for present day festivals, it was in place that the organisers of the Asogli Yam Festival included ‘Development’ in the theme for this year’s festival,” the MUSIGA statement continued.
It also pointed out that though the street jams and other musical shows were for entertainment purposes, they could also serve a developmental purpose if the planners had not totally left out the local music artistes.