Kuami Eugene, a skilled Ghanaian highlife vocalist and songwriter, has said that fantastic music making need not fundamentally be written in English, as opposed to prevalent perception.
He asserts that many individuals appreciate awesome music, especially African music, without actually comprehending the verses.
Speaking to Rev. Erskine on Y107.9FM’s Myd Morning Show, he said, “There are a lot of African songs we don’t understand but still jam to. I believe music goes far regardless ergo, you have to perform excellent music and once it sounds nice people jump on it.”
He accepts that language boundaries will make it challenging for any musician to penetrate into new music zones and new markets.
“If you’re able to break through that barrier, then you can do the O2 arena and other places because those coming to watch you want to sing along, and if they don’t understand anything about the music it’s quite difficult,” he clarified.
He used Nigerians as an illustration, since they sing almost only in English, an element he saw as an advantage for the country’s music business and industry.
“The fact that they use a lot of pidgin in their music and because it’s English, people understand what’s being said. So, when it’s played somewhere, it doesn’t have to be explained because they can understand everything being said in the song,” he explained.
The highly lauded artiste said that it’s essentially a good thing to invest heavily in one’s foundations and culture, and that it’s likewise not an awful idea, should our music get out there, for more fans to actually appreciate the content and the message in order for them to connect with it.
“It’s good but if you really want to get on the international market you have to do something they’ll understand and that means adding a little of what they can relate to,” he examined.
