It is debatable if we really have a music industry in Ghana. One that is functioning and working, as a music industry should: providing food for the artiste and entertainment for the public.

There are many issues with the industry, no doubt, but at the same time we still need some system through which to link the artiste from inside his studio to the outside world.

But as dysfunctional as it may be, the blame cannot and should not be laid at the door of a single entity.

Kwasi Okyere Darko, the CEO of Black Kapricorn a record label that has produced various artistes as Wutah, Praye and Daasebre.

“In the industry sustenance is quite a very difficult thing. It’s hard to keep it up.”

“All the musicians in Ghana are suffering because we have all become pirates directly or indirectly. I mean, you have your cousin or relatives coming from abroad and you have a hiplife CD compilation, you give it to them, they go back and because they’ve also come from Ghana, their friends will expect the to bring new songs from Ghana and they also make copies. So nobody is buying the CDs anymore.

Kwasi believes that the “whole of Ghana is contributing to make the musicians poorer than they already are.” This he continues has made many executive producers of music in the couzhntry start to back out of the industry.

People are not on top of issues pertaining to copyright and piracy in itself. Unfortunately, some of the blame can be apportioned to radio stations and the DJs who usually play the tunes of these artistes.

Most of these DJs operate ‘mobile discos’ (what is known in some circles as ‘spinners’). In as much as they make the songs popular, they also ruin the earning side of the business for many musicians.

These artistes might just be planning a little ‘demonstration’ so people will “stop killing them.” The music industry was much bigger in the 60s and now that we are developing, it seems to be plummeting from the heights it once was.

Wutah, Daasebre, Ofori Amponsah, Reggie Rockstone, Praye, Nkasei, Black Prophet, King David.

It’s so bad that it might be difficult to have a Ghana Music Awards in 2008.