The Ghana music industry is endowed diverse talents from different backgrounds who find inspiration from different sources.
Musicians like Sharifa, Amandzeba and other traditionally inclined artistes in the music industry have peculiar attributes to their names. May be, some of the things worth remembering about these famous and classic artistes are their background, culture and heritage.
The mentioned musicians make good use of cultural elements like tribal language, hometown, indigenous food, dance and cloths in their fields of artistry.
It is the rich display of their language and other culture that mostly distinct them from the western orientated musicians like D Black, Jay So, A J Nelson, Lighter, EL, etc.
Now let’s look at Guru, a contemporary artiste who has also benefited   immensely from the understanding and usage of his background in his music.
Despite his popularity and having been a frontrunner of the Azonto revolution with ‘Lapaz Toyota’, Guru has never failed to tell people about his background, actual home town and has always fused his indigenous tongue in his music.
Unlike various artistes who would evade questions about their hometown and background, with some even going as far as to lie to say they come from cities like Accra, Takoradi, Sunyani or Capecoast, and in the end tell the interviewer  they have always lived there so arguably that is where they are from. Guru hasalways mentioned that he hails from not so popular town called Nkoranza in the Brong/Ahafo Region.
His truth about his background has repeatedly seen him mention small villages/towns like Yefri, Ampoma and Jema which are around Nkoranza in some of his intriguing songs.
He intentionally, I guess  put these  in to his music make the people in these areaa feel  cared for and well served, or better still encourage underground rappers in these little towns/villages where he hails from to erupt unto the surface and elevate themselves as well as the image of their town-just as he has done.
Elements of culture like language and accent is the hall mark of Guru and his music. The very day I heard Guru’s ‘Karaoke and Akonta Fried Rice’, I did not have to wait for the DJ to mention his name, I was able to easily identify him with the songs.
I believe our background is precious, and it is that which distinguishes us from the many so we should fully embrace it.
From what I have seen, the best way to recognize people like Guru is to examine their cultural traits.
More of our Ghanaian musicians should be begin to be who they are, wherever, however, and whatever…
Must we forget where we came from when it all gets good? Kudos to all the musicians who have not forgotten their background and are cleverly making good use of it in their musical career.
Lapaz Toyota
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCPfKBNILKw
Akonta Fried Rice
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIMBAu1VTqc
Karaoke
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vV7UQMKBc4