Ghanaian artiste, M3nsa has conceded that Nigerian musicians produce superior music compared to their Ghanaian counterparts.
The songwriter and producer believes that this is a contributing factor to the international acclaim that Nigerian songs currently enjoy.
M3nsa’s admission comes amidst a campaign by various stakeholders advocating for a minimum of 70% airplay to be dedicated to local songs on Ghanaian media and at events.
“Definitely Nigerians are making better music and Ghanaians. I have to say this. … They are definitely making better quality music because they are investing more money more time.
“There’s more of an understanding for the importance of arts, but also in an entrepreneurial way. So it’s not waiting for the government to do something but it’s just like support, people investing a lot of money into creating world-class music,” he said on Monday, January 1, 2024.
In an interview with JoyNews, Mensa Ansah, as he is known outside showbiz, delved into the roots of the sudden preference among Ghanaian consumers for foreign arts and culture.
While acknowledging that there a a few artists taking their productions more seriously, he lamented that it was not enough.
“Sometimes when I go out and I hear DJs playing Nigerian songs, and they switch Ghanaian music, the quality just drops, in terms of mixes, in terms of my production. You know, it’s a few artists who are really doing interesting things, but I feel like our whole attitude towards the whole thing is almost like, we’ve given up on that flex too,” he added.
He further emphasized the need to understand the dynamics of music production, including the approach to creating music and the quality of the final product, as factors influencing the international success of Nigerian music.
“Let me just quickly say this, that it’s also a little bit unfair to compare Ghana to Naija, because we’re talking about people with 230 million population… When it comes with like, five times bigger, and so, if they decide to stand behind the music, they’re definitely going to make more noise, more variety and entrepreneurial success,” M3nsa explained.