GH music industry needs skillful artiste managers —Bessa Simon

ACTING president of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Bessa Simons, has indicated that the Ghanaian music industry needs more proficient talent managers to turn its fortunes around.

He urged creatives to take a great interest in artiste management, emphasising that it was a crucial step that could address difficulties with the Ghanaian music industry's lack of international recognition.

Comparing the scenario to the Nigerian music industry, he was of the strong belief that the area, when properly explored by creatives, might be the game changer and influence the direction of the industry, just as it has done for Nigeria.

The seasoned musician told Graphic Showbiz in an interview that artiste managers, who can foster artistes' creativity and assist build their public image with an eye toward current trends in the industry, were crucial to the success of the sector.

“The artiste management sector has not been fully explored, and we need to make conscious efforts to change that direction in order to enjoy its full benefits for both the industry and ourselves as individuals. Artiste managers support an artiste's creative development and are able to assist them in making a number of musical and professional decisions.

“We are aware branding and marketing play a significant role in an artiste's success. A skillful manager can assist in shaping a musician's public persona while keeping an eye on current musical trends. Artiste managers create teams to assist them in managing funds and keeping tours and productions under budget.

“Artiste managers are ideal for this because musicians rarely have the business sense or desire to manage every aspect of their finances. While this aims to aid the artistes, it also directly impacts our industry because it is beneficial when the artistes are well-built and managed for international exploits,” he told Graphic Showbiz.

Aside from the obvious advantages it would bring to the music industry, he urged individuals to make the effort to get into the artiste management space, emphasising that it was also a lucrative business opportunity that had not yet been thoroughly explored in the country.

“We would go on and on with a long list of names from both within and outside of Africa of artiste managers who are benefiting greatly from the initiatives. Simply put, we must make conscious efforts to explore that space too. If we go into this space with all honesty and remain dedicated to it, it can be a multi-million venture we won’t regret giving a try”, he added.