Music groups are relevant, let's not kill them — Wutah Kobby

BACK in the 90s and early 2000s, music groups such as Akyeame, Akatakyie, Wutah, 4X4, VIP, R2Bees, Praye, 5Five, BukBak,  among a host of others, ruled the airwaves.

They rubbed shoulders with solo artistes at gigs and keenly contested them, earning some enviable and top awards at the biggest awards scheme on Ghana’s entertainment calendar, Ghana Music Awards.

However, the story has been different in the last decade, and probably got worst in the last few years. The number of music groups have dwindled so badly, forcing the organisers of the biggest music awards scheme, Ghana Music Awards, to scrap the Best Group of the Year category at this year’s awards ceremony.

Presently, it appears only DopeNation and Keche are representing the secular music group, further raising conversations about the state and performance of the once vibrant music groups which have become a shadow of themselves.

A member of the defunct Wutah group, Wutah Kobby, is not happy with the current situation. And in a recent interview with the Daily Graphic, he said a variety of talents allowed groups to stand out and compose great songs. 

“Music groups are vibrant, and the diversity of music allows groups to be vibrant. I’m of the opinion that solo artistes can always come together to compose music as a group.

“Take a look at La Meme Gang, they are solo artistes but  they come together to create music and after that, go their separate ways.

“It doesn’t always have to be that members of the group are official members. Also, the advantage of a group is that individuals put collective effort into unique talents, creating magic”, he said. 

He also pointed out that a major benefit of being in a group is financial support. “When artistes collaborate in a music group, they can share the costs and responsibilities of composing music and managing their careers. 

“This makes things easier for everyone since no single person has to handle everything alone. It’s financially easier when the load isn’t on just one person. Working together helps artistes improve their unique skills, resulting in creative and varied music,” he said.

Reflecting on his own experience with his group, Kobby mentioned that he started his career as a solo artiste. However, he had to form Wutah with Afriyie when the Nescafe African Revolution competition scouted for music groups.

To avoid disqualification, they came together to form Wutah, and he has no regrets about that since it ultimately enabled them to realise their dreams and achieve success in the music industry. 

“We were solo artistes pursuing our individual careers until the Nescafe African Revelations competition came along, specifically for  groups. Coming together allowed us to make our dream come true”, he stated. 

He also praised iconic music groups for shaping their music history.

Citing the likes of The Jackson Five, The Wailers and Osibisa, he highlighted how these groups had made a lasting impact on the industry. 

“Look at great names like Michael Jackson from the Jackson Five, Bob Marley from the Wailers and Osibisa. This is not in comparison to solo artistes, but to say that yes, music groups are vibrant and will always be”, he said. 

Kobby pointed out that even in Ghana, many legendary artistes had maintained their vibrancy by performing with bands, which he also considered as a group.