Recently, Davido, the Nigerian Afrobeats superstar, rewarded a Ghanaian fan, Ananzo, who was seen miming a song from Davido’s latest album 5ive, with $5000. The incident brought to mind the acumen of music superstars, whether from Nigeria or Ghana.
The gift is
a show of intelligence because it plays down the feud between ordinary
Ghanaians and Nigerians regarding which of the West African nations is
musically superior. While this feud lasts, I have watched closely the opinions
of the artists regarding the matter. Despite the fussing and fighting at the
bottom, you never hear an artist, be they Burner Boy, Davido or Stoneboy, joining
the argument –they stay mature. Instead, one hears them talking good of the
nations. Burner Boy once said, “When I want quiet time, I prefer to go to Ghana
because they have many such places.” But even Davido's gift of $5000 to Ananzo
is just another demonstration of wisdom that should be seen from celebrities.
At the peak
of the international feud, some Ghanaian “influencers” did just the contrary,
telling Ghanaian music fans that it amounts to stupidity for any Ghanaian fan
to support Nigerian music when Nigerians aren’t supporting their own music.
Their counterparts on the Nigerian side responded with a barrage of insults.
While the
Nigerian response is condemnable, there is also the need to inform their
Ghanaian counterparts on how music success works. At the level of nations,
music success works like a relay race. Every country has its turn. At some
point, it was the South Africans. At another, it was the Congolese. Now, it is
the turn of the Nigerians. A Ghanaian turn will surely come.
I always ask
Ghanaians whether their music receives rave reviews in every nation except
Nigeria. If Ghanaian music is currently making waves around the world, except
in Nigeria, then the Nigerians are truly acting in a way that can be considered
malicious. If that is not the case, then those Ghanaians need to have a
rethink.
The current
Ghanaian President, John Mahama, once talked of how he stayed with his step-mum
in Ofa, Nigeria, for a few years while fleeing political persecution from his
country and how he has come to consider Nigeria his second home. Just imagine
what goes through the mind of the President when he hears common people going
for each other’s jugular over issues of superiority.
While
receiving former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House, the
American President, George Bush, referred to Britain as the only country that
is truly America’s friend. After hearing this, I started searching to see which
country is truly Nigeria’s friend. There is none other than Ghana.
