Ghanaian dancehall artiste Livingstone Etse Satekla, popularly known as Stonebwoy, has blamed the limited global breakthrough of Ghana’s music industry on negativity, rivalry and the failure of industry players to promote their own successes.

The award-winning musician said Ghana has exceptional talents capable of competing worldwide, but constant focus on controversies and internal competition has weakened efforts to build a stronger global image for the country’s music.

Speaking in an interview, Stonebwoy explained that positive developments within the industry often receive little attention, while negative stories quickly gain widespread publicity.

“We need to work a positive news ten times for it to fly. Negative news flies automatically. People create something anyway. That energy has darkened the Ghanaian scene for too long,” he said.

The “Putuu” hitmaker agreed that negativity has affected the industry, arguing that Ghanaian artistes and stakeholders spend too much energy on competition rather than creating a united front to promote their achievements.

“Absolutely,” Stonebwoy said when asked whether negativity was affecting the industry.

He compared Ghana’s situation to Nigeria, where major international achievements by artistes are often amplified and used to highlight the country’s growing influence in global entertainment.

“Comparatively, when a Nigerian wins an iHeartRadio Music Award, it will be compared to all those who have won the award, what the award is about, and how significant it is,” he explained.

Stonebwoy, who has won several international awards and helped push Ghanaian dancehall onto the global stage, stressed that the country has a rich musical history and has contributed significantly to African culture.

“The story is that Ghanaians are not moving hard enough; meanwhile, we have some beautiful talent. We are actually some of the fundamental inspirations to some of the things that have happened on the African continent. From our independence to Pan-Africanism,” he noted.

The musician added that Ghana’s entertainment space must shift attention away from disputes and embrace collaboration if it wants to compete more effectively on the international stage.

“We have always allowed too much of a focus on the competition aspect of the music business and over-focusing on the other stuff that is supposed to be a minority,” he stated.

Stonebwoy’s comments add to the growing conversation about the need for stronger collaboration among Ghanaian musicians, industry executives and stakeholders.

Watch the interview below:

Source: Yvonne Nyarko Agyemang