By Gloria Amoh
Ghanaian dancehall and reggae artiste Michael Okine, known in the showbiz industry as Jupitar, has expressed worry over the low visibility of songs done in the local languages on radio stations in Ghana.
According to Jupitar, there are good rappers in some parts of Ghana who do not get airplay in the southern part of the country because their songs are done in their native languages.
“Most of our radio stations in our media space have chosen one particular language that they will promote. There are very good rappers in the north who actually rap in Dagati or Sissala but they can’t speak Twi or Pidgin fluently, so if they take their music to Accra, it won’t get up to two airplays,” he said.
On the contrary, Jupitar explained that South African artiste Focalistic and Nigerian artistes Phyno and Asake do their songs in their native languages, yet their songs are appreciated by people in Nigeria who are from other tribes.”
He argued that musicians who come from the Ga tribe hardly get the needed support from industry players.
Jupitar has in the past been slammed for making statements that invoke tribal sentiments. Last year, he bemoaned the lack of support for some musicians who hail from a certain tribe in Ghana.