Kenyan R&B singer Abubakar Salim has expressed the need for musicians in his country to break boundaries by targeting the international market.
According to him, musicians in Ghana and Nigeria have excelled due to their goal of targeting foreign countries with their music.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Max Morning Show in Accra on Friday during his musical tour in Ghana after being nominated for an award in the country, the artist explained why Kenyan musicians were not recognized.
“The reason Kenyan musicians are not well known in Africa and other parts of the world is that we sing for ourselves,” he stated.
The singer, who also sings in Arabic, observed that Kenyan musicians were not ready to explore; therefore, they only targeted the internal market.
He said the time has come for Kenyan musicians to expand their reach by targeting the African market, stressing that they had to blend their Swahili language with English for the international market to relate to their songs.
Though he said language in music was not a barrier, musicians in East Africa had to explore other genres like Afrobeat to fit in the trends.
Revealing some of his reasons to be in Ghana, Abubakar said he would collaborate with some renowned Ghanaian musicians and also sing in English to attract new fans.
“Singing in our language is good because people can move with the rhythm, but giving other people a language that they will understand the song and relate to is key.”
“Now it’s my goal to expand my reach and be known for it, so I will start doing more English songs. Since I am in Ghana, I am touring and getting to know some of the artists for a future collaboration to broaden my scope,” he added.
Source: Ghana/MaxTV/MaxFM/max.com.gh/Joyceline Natally Cudjoe
Send your news stories to editor@max.com.gh and via WhatsApp on +233 506-367-196.
Join our WhatsApp channel for the latest news.
