Senior consultant to the President and CEO of the Recording Academy (Grammys), Akosua Dentaa Amoateng has disclosed that Ghana is currently not among the African nations listed as the founding members for the Grammy Africa initiative.
According to her, the founding African nations include; Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa.
The Recording Academy, organisers of the Grammys announced the Grammy Africa initiative as part of its global expansion to Africa and the Middle East.
The Academy partnered with local Ministries of Culture and stakeholders in Africa and the Middle East to support music creators.
The initiative will help celebrate Africa’s rich musical heritage and encourage cross-cultural exchanges within the global music community.
In an interview on Hitz FM’s Daybreak Hitz, Akosua Dentaa the Chief Executive Officer of GUBA Enterprise who first shared the news on her X page elaborated on the initiative and why Ghana missed out on becoming a founding member.
Dentaa Amoateng explained that Ghana missed out due to inability to meet prerequisites set by the Recording Academy.
She explained that Ghanaian artistes remain eligible for award nominations but the country will not enjoy hosting benefits.
“It is somewhat unfortunate, but the agreement that was supposed to be signed did not happen, so at the moment, those four countries will be able to host the Grammys. It doesn’t stop any artiste from being nominated, but it is just hosting and other benefits that the country will have. Currently, Ghana is not a part of it,” she said on Wednesday, June, 12.
Dentaa Amoateng who revealed that she worked closely with a team from the Academy for two years on this initiative believes Ghana lacked resources and requirements to be a founding member.
“I think it is more of resources and there a few things that the country will need to be part of it, which I cannot disclose on radio. Looking at few things that have happened in Ghana it wasn’t feasible,” she stated.
Despite this unfortunate situation, Dentaa Amoateng noted that Ghana has not lost out entirely on this opportunity as it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Record Academy together with Ivory Coast.
She said if the country is able to meet the requirement, it would secure a position as a founding member along with other opportunities.
