Two of Ghana’s renowned background vocalists, Nana Ama and Akablay, have requested for persons in their category to be given needed acknowledgement.
The duo educated that most music productions fall on the shoulders of background vocalists and instrumentalists, as the main artistes contribute a trivial 20%.
To them, most singers even have a hard time composing lyrics, and their motivation and intellectual property are what make the song see the light of day.
“Singers just come to studio, sing small and stop. Some also bring lyrics to the studio, master and go; it takes the efforts of instrumentalists to arrange the songs. Backing vocalists on the other hand make sense out of the song and determine where touches must be made,” they agreed in the studios of Adom TV during the weekend entertainment show Ahosepe Xtra.
On the part of Nana Ama, she lamented that she had been the backbone of many vintage songs, having worked with the likes of Lord Kenya, Buk Bak, Blakk Rasta, Sony Achiba et al, but others are enjoying the fruit of her labour.
“The painful part of this job is that we are never appreciated. Ever since I started making music only about five persons have ever appreciated me, yet music still plays.”
For Akablay, he has been the guitarist for most gospel acts; Ohemaa Mercy, Grace Ashy, Amy Newman and other top names in the genre.
But, as a result of under remuneration, they explained that most background vocalists are forcing to enter the limelight.
Consequently, they are advocating for backing vocalists to be incorporated into award schemes, adding it will erase the issue of misrepresentation and neglect.