Where is the talent?

Writer, Mamle Kabu, wrote a short story entitled, “The end of talent.” This story, among other themes, reveals the competitive nature of Kente creative production. Instead of recreating the same patterns over and over again, Kente weavers are motivated to always outdo themselves. They aim to produce a better product each time and to outshine their competitors. By so doing, they attract the attention of the major patron, the king, and gain the reputation of being the best. Too bad we can only say this of Kente weavers.

No one talks about being the best any more. What you hear is the rising rate of mediocrity. Far from aiming to become the best, the current population seeks to “just get by.”  In fact, one can make the argument that competition, the idea of outdoing others and being the best is not part of the general mantra.  What you find is people trying to do less than is expected of them. The doctors not showing up for work, the nurses sleeping on the job, the teachers sending students to work farms or to the market on their behalf or the bank teller unmotivated to be of any service and of course customer service as rare as Japanese speakers. In fact, what you hear often is that “why should I do my best, this is not my father’s.” People are only invested in doing a good job if they have something to inherit from it. And even then, they don’t; let’s take a look at all the inherited family houses and gaze at their conditions.

It’s also surprising to me the rising rate of mediocrity within the music industry. For a country that suffers constant electricity problems, water shortages, bad roads, poor schools, gender imbalances, sanitation problems and so much more, I cannot name one song that has tackled any of those topics. The only recent musician who had me pay attention was King Ayisoba with his “ I want to see you my father” where he laments on his father’s philandering and irresponsible ways. We can all relate. Why only him? Where are the other voices on the vices of our society? Is this not why Fela and Bob Marley remain legends? From Ayiti to Zimbabwe, everyone can relate to their music because they speak the universal truths of some of our societal tribulations.

So where are the musicians in Ghana? What are they expressing? If my favorite Ghanaians are telling the truth, and I suspect they are, the real artists are part of an underground movement. Their music is not heard on the radio airwaves because they cannot afford to bribe the radio presenters to play their songs. The fact is the only music you hear on radio stations in Ghana are by those who can afford the bribe to get their music played. In theory, I can do a demo of my 7 year old’s guitar lessons and pay to have all stations in Ghana play it. He would become popular because he is heard over and over again. He would become the “best” based on the lack of competition. And if no one else is as heard, he becomes the best by default. This is how people get the title of musicians and artist in Ghana and ultimately win “awards.”

Musicians in Ghana, just like the doctors, teachers, nurses, and other unprofessionals realize that there is no need for competition. They don’t need to perform their best because no one is demanding it of them. No one is holding them to any standard. They are “free” to disrupt our ears with drivel because their Democratic rights, just like the journalist, demand that they just exist. Luckily the Kente weavers have not given up. They continue to outdo and outshine.