Career Sustainability in the Ghanaian Music Industry: The Case of Okyeame Kwame

Abstract

The discourse on music sustainability within ethnomusicological circles has largely focused on the protection of the environment and the sustenance of both music traditions and their material music cultures which are endangered. Thus, there is hardly any discourse on the sustenance of the careers of the musicians whose work actively keeps these music traditions alive; although there have been observations made about the difficulties associated with sustaining a career in music. In Ghana, music making has largely been observed and practiced as a community affair in many indigenous African societies. For that reason, the profession has been historically perceived as one that cannot be taken on a full-time basis. This notion appears to have spilled over to contemporary music making in the country and therefore tensions often arise in relation to compensating musicians. Drawing on the case of Okyeame Kwame, a hiplife musician in Ghana, this thesis examines the philosophies and strategies that he has employed in the sustenance of his music career by first discussing him within the broader framework of the Ghanaian music industry. Framed within the theoretical notion of music sustainability and ecology, the thesis argues that music career sustainability is a complex phenomenon that goes beyond talent to include business management skills. From this perspective, musicians should see themselves as entrepreneurs whiles still utilising their creative outputs.