Veteran Ghanaian gospel artiste Stella Aba Seal has raised concern about what she sees as a growing disregard for industry trailblazers, saying many young gospel musicians do renditions of her songs without seeking permission.
Speaking on Onua Showtime, she described the practice as painful and discouraging.
“They don’t ask for permission before using my songs. Some do not call before using them, others record first and only inform the owners when they are set to release.
“Sometimes, you only see that they have already done it without your permission,” she revealed.
Stella Aba Seal noted that the issue reflects a wider problem in Ghanaian society. She argued that honouring pioneers is not deeply rooted in the national culture and that the situation is evident across creative fields.
She pointed out that while sports personalities sometimes receive public recognition, music, acting and boxing often overlook the contributions of veterans.
“In Ghana, honouring is not part of our culture. We don’t respect trailblazers and pathfinders. It happens rarely, unlike in sports where international footballers have built houses for communities and offered support,” she stated.
According to her, veteran artistes are sometimes labelled as attention seekers when they raise concerns.
“When you try to correct them for not relating properly to grown adults, they say you just want to trend, even when you are old enough to give birth to them and they met you at the workplace,” she added.
She stressed that older musicians laid the foundation for much of what exists today. “We have done a lot of education on telling people to appreciate us after inviting us because we pay for our recordings ourselves.”
Comparing Ghana with Nigeria, Stella Aba Seal praised the culture of respect she observes among Nigerian creatives. “In Nigeria, young actors and musicians visit legends with gifts and receive blessings. In Ghana, it’s only Nana Ama McBrown that I have seen replicating that,” she said.
Her comments were supported by gospel music trio, Daughters of Glorious who shared their opinion on Facebook.
They wrote: “You couldn’t have said this any better. Instead of honor, some even compete.
“Let’s find a better way to reach out to song owners before remixing them. We love to hear the new renditions but seeking permission doesn’t hurt. May God bless us all. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾”
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