Ghanaian musician and songwriter Kofi Kinaata has firmly expressed his stance on political endorsements by artists.
Speaking on Nhyira FM, Kinaata clarified that, while he is open to performing at political events when invited, he categorically refuses to compose campaign songs and would reject a $1 million offer to endorse any political party.
He highlighted the misconceptions surrounding artists’ involvement in rallies and the challenges they face if perceived to align with specific parties in Ghana’s political landscape.
Kinaata emphasised that performing at rallies is part of artists’ professional duties, much like carpenters and electricians contribute to the event setup.
“Actually, it’s not a bad thing, but Ghanaians are currently unaware of this.” They need to understand that the stage that is being used for rallies was constructed by carpenters, electricians, and even DJs who play at the rallies.
They perform their duties not because they are necessarily party members but because they are doing their work.” But it is always a different case if a musician decides to entertain his fans; they start stigmatising us.”
Despite these challenges, Kinaata expressed hope that a stigma-free environment could eventually allow artists to participate more openly in politics post-elections without fear of damaging their reputation or careers.
