Don’t clamour for titles — Paapa Wastik

It seems to be the craze now, especially among reggae and dancehall artistes, to confer titles on themselves and then rain insinuations or insults on colleagues who also claim similar accolades.

To Paapa Wastik, a United States-based Ghanaian artiste, however, titles don’t create music and musicians should rather bother themselves with improving on their acts instead of heaping titles on themselves. 

The Cape-Coast-born and Mfantsipim School old student who lives in California, is in town to promote five new singles. He has also been available for live shows and was on the bill at the Luciano concert on April 18 at the Liberty Park in Dansoman, Accra.

“This music business is not about being the king or queen of anything. It is about producing music with a universal appeal that people everywhere can relate to. That’s what can make us world-class, not titles,” says Paapa Wastik 

“Music is a mission and it is only through humility that we can carry out the mission. We don’t need to use music to create animosity among ourselves.  We have to work hard and learn everyday. After all, most of us are not yet where our talents can take us.” 

Paapa Wastik has been in the music business for 15 years and shared stage over the years with big-time acts like Lucky Dube, Alpha Blondy, Third World, Luciano, Ky-Mani Marley and Mutabaruka. Four songs on Thanks and Praise, his 13-track second album, were recorded at the famous Tuff Gong studio in Jamaica.

“For the years that I have been in music, I have seen lots of guys shoot up and then fade out. They come and get the hype and they burn out. What they don’t realise is that the music race is not necessarily for the swift but for those that have the stamina to endure the distance.”

One of Paapa Wastik’s treasured tools for enduring the distance is his ability with live band. He doesn’t mime and hates singing to a playback. 

  “You can go to the studio and create hits to be played on the radio but if you cannot deliver live on stage, then you are definitely lacking something essential.” 

The man loves to have a live feel even to his studio recordings and the place he seems to be getting that is the 420 Studio at Cape Coast in the Central Region. That was where he recorded his five new singles: Rasta Party, My Story, We Bless, This Feeling and Obra.

The songs deliberate on everyday experiences and how people are generally going through life.

“I don’t do music that will lead people astray. I love to do stuff that awaken people and lead them on an enlightening path,” states Paapa Wastik who has played at numerous festivals across the United States and Europe and whose other song collections include Mama Africa and Unity for Africa.