Singer and traditional music advocate Dela Botri has criticised the alleged practice of payola in Ghana’s music industry, saying it has prevented many talented musicians from receiving the radio exposure they deserve.
In an interview with Kafui Dey, Dela Botri said Ghanaian radio stations no longer give sufficient attention to Highlife and other indigenous musical forms, partly because of what he described as a corrupt system of paying for airplay.
“We do not hear lots of Highlife from our radio stations because payola has come to destroy lots of things,” he said.
He argued that the practice has disadvantaged musicians who may not have the financial resources to pay for the promotion of their songs, regardless of the quality of their work.
“It is really a corrupted system we have in our country,” he stated.
According to Dela Botri, Ghana has many talented musicians whose work remains largely unknown to the public because their music does not receive adequate exposure through mainstream radio.
“We have lots of great musicians here that people do not listen to because of this payola thing,” he said.
He, however, welcomed the growing influence of social media, saying digital platforms have created an alternative avenue for musicians to promote their work without depending entirely on traditional gatekeepers.
Dela Botri said musicians must take advantage of these platforms while continuing to innovate and adapt to changes in the music industry.
