Sony Music hosts industry event in Accra

According to Graphic Online, the session was attended by key Ghanaian music industry stakeholders, including 3Music Awards founder Sadiq Abdulai Abu, artist manager Fui Tsikata and rappers Ko-Jo Cue and Kirani Ayat, among others.

The publication said that a Sony Music West Africa executive had revealed that the company was planning to set up a state-of-the-art studio in Ghana and sign a number of artists in the country. The company is already working with the likes of Davido, Wizkid and AKA.

During the even in Accra, singer Amaarae moderated a panel discussion featuring Ghanaian music video director David Nicol-Sey, executive vice-president of A&R at RCA Records Tunji Balogun, music journalist Stephanie Smith-Strickland and music and editorial general manager at Trace West Africa Lanre Masha. The discussion centred around how to get music by African artists on the international scene.

YFM Ghana presenter Kojo Manuel hosted a Q&A with Davido about his deal with Sony Music and the impact it has had on his career.

The curator of the event, Amarachi Nwosu of Melanin Unscripted, outlined possible takeaways for the event's audience and commended Ghanaian artists for “creating an incredible sound” that “is almost nostalgic".

"We need to build our own community, we need to have our own conversations for evolution to take place,” the Nigerian-American Nwosu, who is a photographer, visual artist, filmmaker and writer, said.

“Great ideas come when we communicate. I think more conversations need to be had. Mentorship is necessary, that is why this event is taking place. This is access that people don’t always get but what you take from this is that, ‘okay there is a structure you can learn from’."