Photos & Video: Ghana hosts first-ever SONY Music event in West Africa

A networking event powered by the West African unit of American music company, Sony Music was held in Accra on New Year’s Eve.

An Executive of Sony Music West Africa revealed exclusively to Graphic Showbiz, the first-ever SONY Music event in West Africa is the first stage of plans by the global music company to set up a world-class studio, and also sign music talents in Ghana.

Currently the world’s second largest record company, SONY Music has signed deals with African artistes including Davido, Ycee, rapper AKA and WizKid.

Sadiq Abdulai Abu, founder of 3 Music Awards, Fui Tsikata, manager of M.anifest, Ko-Jo Cue, Ayat and other stakeholders in the Ghanaian music industry attended the event hosted by The Woods Lounge, Osu.

Ghanaian singer and songwriter, AmaaRae moderated a panel of experienced music professionals including Ghanaian music video director David Nicol-Sey, Tunji Balogun, Executive VP of A&R, RCA Records, Ghanaian-American music Journalist Stephanie Smith-Strickland and Lanre Masha, General Manager, Music & Editorial, TRACE West Africa to discuss how to break music by African artistes on the international music scene.

The panelists also spoke about the digitization, and marketing of African music on a global scale.

Kojo Manuel hosted a question and answer session with Nigerian artiste, Davido about his deal with Sony Music, and the impact on his career so far.

Sony Music and Friends
Discussing the globalization of African Music @rcarecords @sonymusic_wa
@melaninunscripted@amazonmusic @columbiauk
@freetheyouth_ghana@thewoods.gh@amaarae @amaraworldwide @tunji @davidnicolsey pic.twitter.com/zakPRvq3mN
— Northproduction™ (@Davidnicolsey) January 10, 2020

Nigerian-American multi-hyphenate, Amarachi Nwosu, curator of the event and Team leader of Melanin Unscripted, a media agency spoke about the importance of the event in an interview with Graphic Showbiz.

“I think that, what Ghanaian artistes can take away from this, is community. 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,” shared Nwosu.

“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.’ We need to build our own community. We need to have our own conversations for evolution to take place. A lot of it is lack of information and I think once that gap is bridged then comes action and through action you build community.”

She also commended Ghanaian artistes for “creating an incredible sound” that “is almost nostalgic because I love that artistes here (Ghana) always try to find a way to integrate traditional sounds.”

Ghanaian street wear label, Free The Youth customized exclusive SONY and Friends merch for patrons at the event.

Vyrusky, Juls and Mercedes Benson played music during an after party session.

The event was put together by SONY Music in conjunction with RCA Records, Amazon Music, SONY Music West Africa, Melanin Unscripted and Columbia UK.

By me. Published by Graphic Showbiz newspaper on Thursday, January 9, 2020, and Daily Graphic on Saturday, January, 11, 2010.

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