Like other profitable venture, music is a serious a business; whether you do it out of passion or for some other reason.
Without doubt, the biggest challenge new artistes face is getting their music heard. It is therefore important for an artiste to give him/herself the very best chance of cutting through.
Majority of our Ghanaian musicians think that just putting a hit song out there and playing at countless shows are the most important. These in themselves are not bad, but they are not enough. Musicians frequently spend months writing and recording new materials and then rush it out before considering the importance of presentation or branding.
With so many new artistes emerging every day, it is easy for others to fade out of the industry. To really stand out from the crowd, an artiste needs to be unique and brand him/herself very well.
A branded image establishes one as a legitimate musician and makes it easier for his/her fans to identify with him/her. This makes a performing artiste unique and sets him/her apart from all other musicians. Without a brand, all that an artiste has is just a name.
When the names of certain musicians are mentioned, all that one could think of is maybe a hit song he/she did. With branding, an artiste does not necessarily have to come out with a hit song before people would pay attention to him/her.
I believe that when the name of Wanlov de Kubolor is mentioned, not his songs come to mind, but something different. It might probably be the way he dresses (skirt or wrapper with no slippers) or his attitude in general. That is the image he has continuously carved for himself—to live up to the connotation of his name (Kubolor).
