You might have noticed it, but in case you haven’t, the currency used in most Ghanaian artists’ (especially the secular artists) music videos is dollars – so do the film-makers.
The orientation of showering money in music videos to show opulence is actually a ‘Western thing’ – largely amongst hip hop artists, but for some reason – the same age old INFERIORITY COMPLEX, Ghanaian secular artists have also copied that orientation into their music videos.
Africa or Africans are rich too – so there is nothing wrong if an African artist tries to show how rich he is in a music video. However, the wrong is, using dollars to do so at the expense of our legal tender – Ghana Cedis. Certainly this is wrong and should be stopped immediately!
Art is spiritual – what you see often, hear, and read, affects your mind, and once it affects your mind, you react to it. Have you ever watched any Western artist’s – Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Chingy, Kanye West, etc. music video and seen Ghana Cedis, Naira or CFA in it before?
The answer is a resounding NO! In fact, rarely would an American musician flaunt pounds sterling in his/her music video. Why? Because Americans want to show the whole world that dollars is sovereign over all currencies!
Aside good financial management, I dare hazard that art is one strategy America as well as many others believe developed countries used and still using in making their currencies superior over other currencies – hence, increasing their currencies value and purchasing power internationally!
Westerners understand the psychology in whatever they do. We sit in Ghana or Africa and copy anything foreign without analyzing the reasons or possible reasons behind what we copy. I have seen dollars flying about in music videos of A-listed musicians such as: Sarkodie, former VIP, Kwaw Kese, Okyeame Kwame, Castro, and the rookies who are also following suit.
Of course such art-pratfalls will always occur in our art industry all because there are no Industry Standards that direct us on anything we do. Our showbiz industry is left blank for any tyro to walk in, wake up and do things based on his or her idiosyncrasies – damn the consequence!
Well, maybe I should not blame those lazy thinking artists and music directors too much because two bodies – TV stations and the Bank of Ghana are the right authorities who could help check the use of dollars in Ghanaian music videos but they are both silently watching on!
I will not see anything harsh or killing of creativity if a Ghanaian TV channel states that one of their requirements for accepting music videos is that it should not have the display of currencies other than Ghana’s approved and certified legal tender – Ghana Cedis.
Then comes the second accused – the filmmakers. Each time a rich man opens his fully packed brief case to show money to say his drug baron partners or mistress, all one sees is dollars. Hardly will you see Ghana Cedis in such scenes in Ghanaian movies.
Can you remember watching a Hollywood movie with a brief case fully packed with Ghana Cedis or Naira? If you know of any, kindly indicate in the comment blog. Indeed, INFERIORITY COMPLEX is deep seated in the DNA of Black Africans.
The governor of Bank of Ghana came out last year to strongly warn any institution or individual who uses dollars, quotes amounts or charges anything in dollars, to desist! It’s obvious their lenses caught only the financial and business sector and not the creative arts industry.
“With the fast rate at which Westernization is fruiting in Africa, someday, you will sit with your children in Africa (say Ghana) but they will look at you in the face and asked you; father, is it true we once lived in a place called Africa? What will you tell your children?”
Those were the exact speech of South Africa’s celebrated musician, Hugh Ramopolo Masakela when he came to Ghana and spoke on Metro TV’s current affairs show ‘Good Evening Ghana’ hosted by Paul Adom-Okyere 2 years ago on; how Westernization is killing Africa’s identity and culture.
Our TV channels and the Bank of Ghana must take a second look at this dollar usage in our art industry. Until then…MOTWUM!!
The mindset of ghanaians is that they are really behind but they believe they are civilised. How can you disregard your own culture and adopt another but get angry when someone has something to say about ghanaians. What percentage of average people in Ghana have dollars, like what is really wrong with the cedi? Why do ghanaians love adopting British and American culture, it doesn’t work, be proud of who you are and where you come from. This whole sua tra culture makes me sick