2014 Ghana Music Week: MUSIGA hasn’t paid Stonebwoy since

• Posted on March 28, 2014March 28, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Though the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) has often trumpeted the need for event organizers to respect performance contracts they sign with artistes, the Union has committed the same blunder.

News One has gathered that several of the artistes MUSIGA contracted to perform at the 2014 Ghana Music Week’s GH All-Star Live Concert, have not been paid weeks after the event, though their contract said they would be paid exactly a week after the concert.

The Union’s President, Bice ‘Obour’ Kuffour, is in a rather tight corner owing to the development. Though several of the musicians have expressed disappointment over the development, only a few of them have spoken publicly about the matter for fear of victimization by the Union.

One of the few vocal ones is Karl Gidiglo, manager of dancehall sensation Stonebwoy, who said MUSIGA had not paid his artiste.
Stonebwoy earlier threatened to boycott GMW’s concert because the money MUSIGA offered to pay him was not enough, but he later agreed to perform because of the love he has for his fans.

The Union, according to Karl, was expected to pay Stonebwoy a week after the event but “it has been two weeks and still MUSIGA hasn’t paid my artiste.”

“I have called the MUSIGA office twice and each time I call, they tell me they are holding meetings… they will get back to us. It is cool, we are alright. We are fine with no beef, but my problem is that we shouldn’t wait for my musician to go overboard before they (MUSIGA) start calling us. We kept our end of the deal and performed on the night. They don’t have to wait for my artiste to go on social media again and tweet about this,” Stonebwoy’s manager told News One.

He added that he was really disappointed and wondered how other event organizers should behave if MUSIGA, which is supposed to champion the welfare of musicians, acted in that manner.

“After all this, they don’t have to let me chase them for the money due my artiste. If the Union, which is supposed to fight for the interest of musicians is not paying us to become who they want us to become, then what are we looking at. I see MUSIGA as an organization that is supposed to grow artistes, not to deny them what is rightfully theirs,” he said.

Daddy Bosco, administrator of MUSIGA, declined to comment when News One reached him over the matter. In an uncharacteristic fashion, he said the paper could go ahead with a one-sided story if it so wished.

Meanwhile, News One has gathered that MUSIGA was expecting funds from some of its sponsors to fulfill its financial obligations to the artistes it contracted.

The Union, which is said to be in talks with some of the artistes, has called for calm.