According to Mariam Webster Dictionary, Collaboration is defined as work done jointly with others especially in an intellectual endeavors.
Musical Collaboration began in 1970 in the Western world and meandered its way into the system in the 1980s, Ghanaians who started their musical career in bands also adjusted to the system as many of the groups went solo.
Collaboration in music gradually became the itch; mainstream artistes saw it as means to make extra money from their craft, fame and talent.
In a bid for young and up and coming artists to gain fast recognition in the industry, they relied solely on collaboration to sell their art to the people through the famous person they featured.
Performing and singing with an artist who shares similar styles and connects on similar themes is an experience that makes one grow as well as growing one’s audience.
While art is usually an extremely personal process, some of the best works were created when two or more creative talents came together to contribute their skills and create something unprecedented.
Artistes like Medikal, Sister Efya, Bless and Dj Vyrusky among others used collaboration to gain acceptance in the industry.
Music is inherently social, as such many musicians have influenced the society, community and the world with their name, brand and music inturn have earned them show gigs, deals and collaborations in and across the globe.
In Ghana, music has evolved, to the extent that the world could now feel and taste the good craft Ghanaians are producing through the act of collaboration.
Some artistes like dancehall genius Stonebwoy and the self-acclaim dancehall king, Shatta wale gained global platform to sell the country’s art, indeed these artistes were the top notch arts that musicians loved to feature until Ghana Music Awards brought them to their knees.
It could be recalled that, at the 20th edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) the enmity between these two bestselling artistes got to its extreme and Stonebwoy who got infuriated by Shatta Wale’s action brandished a gun at him.
The indiscipline attitude exhibited by both musicians led to their ban, thus were stripped off their awards.
After Shatta Wale whose real name is Charles Nii Armah-Mensah’s image was projected last year through collaboration with the American Rhythm and Blues (R&B) goddess, Beyonce Knowles and also smoked a peace pipe with his arch rival many thought their brands have become solidified.
Entertainment analysts and music lovers began to criticise the VGMA award’s board for banning the two dancehall artistes, arguing that they were national assets and were selling the country’s art in the international front better than any artiste of the country.
They said those two artistes worth in the country’s entertainment fraternity and VGMA would lose a lot if the ban on them was not lifted.
Many had notion that this year’s patronage of the awards would be low with the absence of the two dancehall artistes.
Narratives began to change after the organisers of the awards scheme released the nomination lists, the absence of “Stevie Wonder,’’ an afro beat song by Wendy Shay and Shatta Wale as well as “Zakari” a song by Cabum, Stonebwoy and Sarkodie tempered the brands of the dancehall artistes.
This has deterred many artistes from collaborating with the dancehall rivals with the notion that their songs would not gain nominations.
Collaborating with best selling artists to create exceptional works of art was deemed as best but artists are now shying away from featuring.
Aside these two artistes charging whooping sum of money and bluffing to accept featuring from young artists and at the end the song would not be recognised got many interested singers wishing to feature these artistes thought twice.
Although some are of the view that collaboration is just a mere marketing art to gain acceptance but the presence of the awards also is argued by many as the best selling opportunity any musician would ever gain to help set history, gain recognition and gigs.
Gradually, people are embracing the idea that awards, plaques and trophies enhance one’s career and gain one massive following than collaboration, thus would not waste resources on artistes who would not add value to their career.
There was a moment that musicians, both renowned and young would give the world to have either Stonebwoy or Shatta Wale on their album or track, but that action is gradually dying out.
Although these artistes are still reigning in the country and on global grounds, and still have massive followers on social media, having won the heart of many music and non music lovers, would other musicians in the country do everything to have them on their songs?
spotonnews.net gathered that Stonebwoy who is known in real life as Livingstone Etse Satekla wanted to rebrand himself to 1GAD.
Critics have started saying that the ban on him has deeply affected his brand and wanted to act intelligently to regain his career, stressing that it would build enough curiosity for Musicians to find out about him and collaborate with him.
BY JOYCELINE NATALLY CUDJOE
