Musician, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley was one of the numerous veterans who paid tribute to the late Paapa Yankson at his burial service at the forecourt of the State House in Accra, Saturday.
The ‘Bolga Besia’ singer was not happy with the absence of the new generation of artistes at the service of a man he said has contributed immensely to the growth of Ghana’s music industry.
In an interview with JoyNews’ Maxwell Amoofia, the musician stated that the new crop of artistes will regret exhibiting such an attitude towards Paapa Yankson.
“Many of the young ones are sampling Paapa’s music… I don’t know why they are not here but they will regret that later,” he said.
Notable young artistes such as Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Shatta Wale, Samini, Wutah, Kumi Guitar, Kwabena Kwabena were conspicuously missing at the State House event.
The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was present and was joined by the likes of Nana Ampadu, Rex Omar, Paulina Oduro, Alhaji Sidiku Buari, Akwaboah Snr, Nana Queen, Gyedu Blay Ambolley, Ben Brako, Pat Thomas among other mourners to pay their last respects to the Highlife legend.
Gyedu-Blay Ambolley also revealed that the young artistes tend to refer to the veterans as ‘old school’, who have lost touch with the current trends.
This perception, he says, prevents the new crop of musicians from learning from the older generation.
“That is the mistake that is coming from the younger ones. When the younger ones see us, they say old school. They forget that it is the old school that teaches the new school,” he asserted.
Mr Ambolley, who vied for the presidency of the Musician Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) in 2015 advocated cooperation and mutual respect between the old and the younger generation of musicians.