Ghanaian musician Joshua Kojo Ampah, popularly known as Keche Joshua, has shifted the blame for the controversy surrounding Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr., known professionally as Shatta Wale, and his recent United Kingdom concert from the artiste to the event organisers.

According to the Keche member, Shatta Wale should not be held responsible for problems associated with the organisation and safety arrangements at the show, arguing that the artiste was only booked to perform.

“You can never blame Shatta Wale. Whatever happened in the UK, take Shatta Wale off. He has not done anything wrong. He’s not a promoter. Shatta Wale doesn’t live in the UK. He doesn’t know what goes on there or what’s on the ground,” he said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the final funeral rites of actress Beverly Afaglo, Keche Joshua said he was particularly concerned by reports that the venue had only one entrance, describing the situation as evidence of inadequate preparation.

“The right thing was supposed to be done before the event. I was very heartbroken when I heard that the entrance was just one. I was like, ‘Ah, why?’”

He said the controversy should serve as a warning to promoters planning large-scale concerts, especially those featuring Ghanaian artistes abroad.

“So, to me, I believe that this is also a good call. The next time, event organisers will do things right for a show like this to go well. It’s bad news, but it’s also a good call so that we keep correcting ourselves to do better,” he added.

Keche Joshua also appealed to music fans not to let the incident weaken their support for Ghanaian artistes performing on international platforms.

“It’s for Ghana, but this shouldn’t break anything. We should still support Ghana music. To the fans, I know Shatta is sorry. Everybody is sorry. We still need you to come and support Ghana music. Let’s protect our country. Beautiful country that we have.”

The musician further disclosed that Keche, made up of Joshua Kojo Ampah and Andrew Kofi Cudjoe, is considering a major European concert as part of efforts to strengthen the group’s international presence.

“We have been doing shows, and very soon we are planning something good around Europe. Just watch out. We’re still talking to some promoters. As I said, things need to be done right,” he said.

Joshua maintained that international concerts require extensive preparation and cannot be organised hastily, citing Michael Owusu Addo, popularly known as Sarkodie, as an example of an artiste who built his international concert brand over many years.

“You don’t just wake up and say, ‘Hey, I just want to go and do it.’ It took Sarkodie more than a decade to be able to do the show that he’s doing now. Keche is still here, and we’re still going to make sure something like this happens because, of course, we have big fans and bangers across the globe. Something like this will happen very soon,” he assured.

His comments come amid renewed discussions about the planning, crowd management and safety measures required for major Ghanaian music events staged outside the country.

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@theghanaweb It’s bad news but also a good call – Keche on ShattaFestUK incident #ghanaweb #ghanawebtv ♬ original sound – GhanaWeb

Source: Yvonne Nyarko Agyemang