Nigerian Artistes Are Treated Better Than Us In Our Own Country – Celestine Donkor
About Nathaniel Bassey’s discussion on the disparities between Ghanaian and Nigerian gospel artists, Celestine Donkor, a Ghanaian gospel artiste, has expressed her perspective on the matter and shed light on how Nigerian artists always seem to have the upper hand.
During an interview on Hitz FM on December 7, Celestine Donkor disclosed that numerous Nigerian gospel acts receive extensive airplay in Ghana without having to pay any fees.
Furthermore, she made allegations that certain mainstream pastors in Ghana tend to favour booking Nigerian gospel acts over their Ghanaian counterparts. According to her, this preferential treatment contributes to the lack of financial recognition for Ghanaian artists in comparison to their Nigerian counterparts.
“It is worse in Ghana. They get the plays; they don’t even pay ‘payola.’ They get the big pastors to bring them here for shows. You can see a whole Ghanaian church line up to attend a show with only Nigerian artistes. Meanwhile, Ghanaian artistes don’t get that same advantage.
Moreover, Celestine Donkor expounded on the issue, highlighting that the current state of affairs is a direct result of the Ghanaian music industry’s preference for promoting Nigerian songs while simultaneously neglecting the acknowledgement and backing of local Ghanaian artists.
In light of Nathaniel Bassey’s plea for more English songs, Celestine Donkor proposed that his statement would have been better received if he had also urged Ghanaians to support their musicians. Sharing her perspective on how to enhance the reception of Ghanaian songs among the local population, Celestine Donkor advocated for a collective endeavour to prioritize the airing of Ghanaian music over foreign tracks on radio stations.
“Even in a case where Nigerian and Ghanaian artistes are paired, the Nigerian acts are paid better. I have been on plenty of programs with Nigerians, and I know how much they get paid. If a Nigerian is getting $10,000, and we are struggling to get GHC1000. We have allowed their songs to penetrate; we are so receptive to their songs, we jump on their songs, from the streets to the media space, and we have promoted them for free. I would have appreciated Nathaniel Bassey’s speech better if he had urged Ghanaians to support their musicians. We are not saying don’t play, but there should be a percentage. The Nigerians are very intentional about the songs they allow onto their space,” she remarked.
