Surviving as budding act requires determination — Kojo Golden

 O matter the amount of work you put in as an up-and-coming artiste, waiting out the time to ‘blow’ requires a determined mindset, Afrobeats act, Kojo Golden, has said.

He explained in an interview with the Daily Graphic that being determined and confident in one’s own abilities was important in figuring out what one is good at and how to build on those strengths.
 

Testimony

“You may not always enjoy that sort of situation but don’t quit.

I have been there and today my story has changed.

I now have a song, Pan Them, that is making waves.

That piece got me a nomination in the Ghana Music Awards USA.

It has also paved the way for me to work with Nigerian act Ice Prince Zamani,” Kojo Golden said.

The young man who has been doing music since 2009 added that a big part of surviving in the music industry is maintaining a positive attitude, especially when you’re starting out or still trying to get people interested in what you do.

“This breeds competence.

It can work wonders for survival because others start viewing you as someone who has his act together,” he stated.
 

Music Business

Kojo Golden further advised that if you are a musician who desires to make a full-time career out of it, then you need to approach music as a business.

“You have to take it seriously, dedicate yourself to it, study and work towards your goals.

You must translate musical elements into business terms.

I have had to learn this the hard way and it has been working for me over the last five years,” he added.
 

Marketing

Notable names Kojo Golden has worked with include Sarkodie, R2bees and Tiffany.

He emphasised that being an artiste should not just be about singing or putting songs together.

Rather, it was crucial to identify people’s needs or desires and develop a product that meets those needs or desires; that product can then be marketed to the people who need or desire it.

“These three concepts flow directly into the idea that you, as an individual, can affect a great amount of change within niches and musical sub-genres,” he noted.

Consequently, Kojo Golden stated that if artistes take the business side of the show seriously, they would be sufficiently rewarded.
 

Music culture

The Afrobeats singer who is gaining popularity for his Pan Them track added that it was natural for people to seek inspiration and entertainment, and music was a key part of satisfying those desires.

He stressed that “a culture with no music is likely to destroy itself.”

“Once you are a performer, you are also a product.

If you perform music, the public will be interested in you and not just your songs.

Once you’ve created a musical product, you market that musical product for sale to the public through promotion, concerts and record sales,” he said.

Kojo Golden mentioned the likes of Bob Marley, Sizzla Kalonji, Vybz Kartel, Mavado, Obrafour and Daddy Lumba as being among his artistic influences. 
 

Challenges

Touching on challenges he has encountered since he started music in 2009 and how he surmounted them, he mentioned the canker of ‘whom you know’ and ‘each one for himself, God for us all.’

“It's funny how music in Ghana is about whom you know; which means if you don't know anyone to help you in the Ghanaian music industry, you cannot make it, even with money,” he said.
 

Music Journey

Kojo Golden has been nominated in the Emerging Artiste of the Year category at this year’s Ghana Music Awards USA.

He says his burning desire is to win a Grammy and BET in the next five to 10 years.

He stated that his journey in music actually commenced in 2003 but he took it seriously in 2009 and his motivation has been the cheering and clapping that came from the audience whenever he performed.

He is currently signed on to the United Music Movement of Africa-Records (U2MafricaRecords).
 
Writer’s email: delali.sika@graphic.com.gh