Mzbel: I Was Called “A Walking Pornography”

Ghanaian musician Mzbel has revealed that she faced years of public criticism and industry pressure over her appearance and stage performances, including being labelled “a walking pornography” early in her music career.

The singer said the criticism went beyond comments from the public, claiming that some industry figures deliberately tried to block opportunities that could have helped her career grow.

Speaking in an interview with Kafui Dey, Mzbel said she personally witnessed what she described as attempts to target her and prevent organisers outside Ghana from booking her.

“I was targeted. Not that I felt it, I saw it. It was face to face,” she said.

According to Mzbel, some people she described as “gatekeepers” would speak negatively about her whenever international organisers showed interest in booking her for performances.

“People would want to put me on a gig outside Ghana; they are what they call the gatekeepers. They have to say all the negative things about me and suggest another female artiste,” she explained.

Mzbel said the situation began after a female journalist criticised one of her performances, particularly her dressing and the way she behaved on stage.

She recalled that her energetic performance, which included dancing and playful gestures, was used to form a negative image of her.

“Because one woman disagreed with the way I dressed to perform in the club. I was too naughty. I was licking my fingers, I was all over the stage, I was shaking my ass. The way she described the whole thing, she even added the word ‘porn’ somewhere. At a point, people said I was a walking pornography, and all I did was wear a short skirt,” Mzbel said

She said the description eventually became attached to her public image and contributed to what she believes were attempts to push her out of the music industry.

“People meant to erase me because I was bad,” she stated

Although the criticism came from a female journalist, Mzbel said that did not make the experience any less painful. She declined to identify the journalist because the woman is now deceased.

“Then I didn’t even care whether it was a female. I felt like, ‘Why would you?’ It really hurts, you know? But she’s no more, so I will not say her name,” she stated

Mzbel said the label followed her for years, making it difficult for people to separate her stage personality from the image created around her.

“Once people’s minds are programmed that this is who Mzbel is, as soon as you see Mzbel, it has to be pornography. It’s something that’s associated with pornography. I have lived with it,” the singer stated

She also recalled how radio discussions about her dressing made her uncomfortable and sometimes left her unsure about how people viewed her.

“It made me uncomfortable because when I go out into public, l’m not sure who is nice and who is not nice because I always get attacked on radio. They will open the phone lines and the whole conversation is about one person… They didn’t like what I was wearing, and it would be a whole topic on radio,” she added

Mzbel also compared her experience with that of the late singer Ebony Reigns, saying she recognised the kind of public attention Ebony received because of her free-spirited style.

“When I saw Ebony, I saw how she would dress freely, and she’s happy on stage… I knew she wouldn’t have it easy. I always saw it coming, but I didn’t think she’d pass away so soon like that,” she sympathized.