Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, others need tighter connections to also win Grammys – Gary Al-Smith

By Justice Dzido On Mar 15, 2021

A journalist at the Multimedia Group Limited (MGL), Gary Al-Smith says Ghanaian musicians are blessed with enough talents to also win Grammys.

But to him, the only needed addition has to do with tighter connections with international expertise among others.

This comes after two Nigeria Afrobeats stars Burna Boy and Wizkid dominated the 2021 Grammys.

Burna Boy won the Best Global Music Album category while Wizkid won the Best Music Video for his song with Beyoncé; Brown Skin Girl, from Lion King: The Gift album.

Reacting to this in a Facebook post sighted by thepublisheronline.com, Gary said, “Wizkid hasn’t been this close. So what did he do? He rode on the coattails of Bey. Kpa. He get am. Sharp. Sark has been to BET. Great step. Shatta has collaborated with Bey.

“Great step. Stone is doing amazing with relevant international acts. Great step. I am 100% sure our guys need just a little tighter connections, because talent is not a problem. We all know. Our people can do it. Let’s believe in them.”

Read full post below:

As always, the easy thing will be to bash Ghanaian musicians because of the latest Grammy news from Nigeria.

People forget two important things. It is widely acknowledged that the Grammys and the Oscars have stopped being about talent alone.

What matters?

– Branding.

– Networking/links/connection.

Especially the second one.

Rocky Dawuni, a man also from GH, showed us the way long ago, that he didn’t need to be relevant in Ghana to win. He needed to know the right people.

Maybe we should encourage our acts to tap into people who will push them there, rather than pull them down because two Nigerians (with a lot more money and influence, let’s be honest) have done it.

Burna Boy didn’t win last year so what did he do? He went for Sean Combs to be executive producer. Kpa. He get am. Sharp.

Wizkid hasn’t been this close. So what did he do? He rode on the coattails of Bey. Kpa. He get am. Sharp.

Sark has been to BET. Great step. Shatta has collaborated with Bey. Great step. Stone is doing amazing with relevant international acts. Great step.

I am 100% sure our guys need just a little tighter connections, because talent is not a problem. We all know.

Our people can do it. Let’s believe in them.