Three female gospel musicians were sharing their stories about how they started their journey into gospel music among others. One very notable question the presenter asked was the rewards/benefits/monetary gains that come with being a gospel singer.
The answer each of them gave was quite the same, and it got me thinking, to quote (not word for word though) “We don’t sing for the money, it is our way of evangelism. The way a pastor or individuals will draw people to Christ through sharing the word of God, we do ours through music ministry. It’s doing God’s work.” If I say I believed them, I will be lying big time, but hey………
The recent happenings between gospel musicians Nicholas Omane Acheampong and Cwesi Oteng somehow does not reflect singing as a form of ‘evangelism’ and ‘not for money’ slogan the gospel artistes are making us to believe.
The hullabaloo started after the Ghana Music Awards 2013 nominations were announced. One party says they deserve the artistes of the year but not the other. The ‘issue’ was even discussed and dissected on various radio stations in Ghana with one claiming his song is more popular and widely accepted than the other.
Nicholas Omane Acheampong, on Peace Fm’s Entertainment Review made strong claims that his song was far popular in Ghana than that of Cwesi, “I do not have a problem with the young man at all. You can go out there and compare ‘Zaphenath Panea’ album to ‘Mercy Project’ album and tell me which is selling.
If you start from the North of Ghana right down to the South, everyone knows my ‘Zaphenath Panea song but with Cwesi, I don’t think if you go beyond Greater Accra where people know him and his songs…Yet he was nominated for Artiste of the Year and Album of the Year categories. Go to the market and ask for Cwesi Oteng’s album. You would either not get it, or find it in very few stores, yet he was nominated for Artiste of the Year and Album of the Year.”