Nathaniel Bassey reportedly made a plea to Ghanaian music ministers, asking them to write songs in English. He acknowledged their love for their local dialects, such as Twi, but emphasized that the world needs to hear their songs. Unfortunately, his statement has caused unnecessary controversy instead of prompting a moment of reflection.
I’m not a musician, just a music hobbyist. I’ve written and produced some popular Ghanaian gospel songs, but they haven’t gained much traction outside Ghana because they’re in Akan, a language non-Ghanaians don’t understand.
I could be content with a faux local champion or area boy status. But I’m not. Why?
Bishop Dag Heward-Mills apparently loves the first song I ever wrote, W’ahenni. He wants it to be performed by choirs at each of his crusades all over Africa. However, the song is in Twi, and it would be difficult for a choir in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Rwanda, or Madagascar to perform it. Therefore, the bishop had gone through the trouble of having the song translated into almost 30 African languages and performed in multiple local languages in several African countries. I loved it and get goosebumps thinking about it.
As I was listening to a rendition of a song, I had an idea. What if I had written a part of the song in English, like just one verse and a chorus? It could have made the job simpler, and the song could have gone much further. There are no guarantees, but it’s worth considering and maybe even putting in the effort.
To the real gospel musicians (not hobbyists like me or pretenders who haven’t written a line of a song before but think they know better than the actual musicians), I urge you to think deeply about what Bassey said.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean that you will have a greater impact if you sing in English. Why not try writing some of your songs in other languages? You have nothing to lose. For example, you could try Jamaican patois. How else would you know that ‘His only begotten son’ is ‘im wan dege-dege Bwai Pikni’? It can be a fun experience. By doing so, you can stay true to your music style while also keeping up with the times.”
Source: Ghana/MaxTV/MaxFM/max.com.gh/Sharon Cofie
