Keche Joshua has taken to social media to express his disappointment over what he described as a “dead crowd” response to Ghanaian artistes at the recently held All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) in Lagos, Nigeria.
His comments followed the circulation of viral videos from the 9th edition of the awards, held on January 11, 2026, which showed Ghanaian stars Stonebwoy and Wendy Shay delivering energetic performances to a largely unresponsive audience.
In a post shared on January 13, Joshua suggested that the lukewarm reception was deliberate rather than accidental. He argued that the Nigerian audience was well aware of the popularity and influence of the Ghanaian artistes but intentionally chose not to show enthusiasm.
“Is there any rapper in Africa bigger than Sarkodie? Are there any dancehall artistes in Africa bigger than Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy?” he asked.
“They know Stonebwoy’s songs, they know Wendy Shay’s songs, but they will not get up to hail you. They knew exactly what they were doing.”
He contrasted the reaction to Ghanaian performers with the massive excitement shown when Nigerian music duo P-Square mounted the stage at the same event.
According to Joshua, the issue stems from how Ghanaians themselves treat their artistes. He argued that a lack of appreciation and support for local talent at home affects how Ghanaian musicians are perceived and received internationally.
“But do you know why we are not respected out there? We don’t respect ourselves,” he said.
“Until we in Ghana start respecting our own, the people out there will not respect them.”
His comments have since sparked debate online, with many Ghanaians echoing his call for stronger support and appreciation for homegrown music talents.
