Ghanaian Reggae and Dancehall Artiste, Stonebwoy has revealed the amount of money he has received as royalties in Ghana since he started music.
According to him, the Ghana Music Right Organisation has paid him only GHS 2,000 for all the years he has been in the time music industry, producing numerous hit songs.
Stonebwoy, who is currently in the United Kingdom for a music tour made this revelation when he met Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Papa Owusu-Ankomah.
“Me I’m telling you on camera. This is Stonebwoy. The amount I have ever gotten from making music as royalties in Ghana is GHC 2000. I’m being honest. A lot of other artistes are having the same problem,” he said.
Surprised by the amount, Papa Owusu-Ankomah then asked: “What about all your songs that are being played on the radio almost every day?”
In his response, Stonebwoy said: “I’m being honest, put me to it, and let’s have this conversation. The conversation is big in Ghana. They know it.”
He added that he’s been to the Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO) to demand royalties due him but has not been successful.
“We go there every time, I went there with my lawyers, we were not fighting,” he added.
Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO) has been hugely criticised in recent times for not putting in place the right structures to ensure effective collection and distribution of musicians’ royalties.
While most stakeholders of the music industry think the collective management organisation has not lived up to expectations, the executive has explained that their biggest challenges have been acquiring the right software to track how songs are played on the radio.
They have also mentioned that most music users in Ghana including radio and television stations have been recalcitrant in paying their royalties.
