Don’t make music out of every social issue – Kofi Kinaata tells colleagues 

Ghanaian Highlife musician and songwriter, Kofi Kinaata, has offered poignant advice to his fellow artistes, urging them to exercise caution when addressing sensitive social issues through their music. 

Speaking on Asaase Radio’s Asaase Café with Caroline Sampson on Thursday, April 25, 2024, Kinaata emphasized the importance of thoughtful consideration and restraint in tackling contentious topics. He highlighted the need for caution among Ghanaian artists when addressing sensitive social issues in their music. 

The ‘Susuka’ hitmaker stressed on the significance of experience in discerning which subjects are appropriate to address, suggesting that artists should exercise discretion and refrain from expressing opinions on certain sensitive topics. 

Kinaata further cautioned against artists delving into contentious issues like LGBTQ rights and religion without a thorough understanding of the complexities involved. The award-winning crooner noted that some artists might feel compelled to voice their opinions on every matter, despite lacking adequate knowledge or insight. He cautioned against this tendency, urging artists to recognize the limitations of their understanding and avoid inadvertently causing harm or offense.

Highlighting the sensitivity surrounding topics like religion, Kinaata advocated for a sense of responsibility and mindfulness among artists to avoid inadvertently sparking controversy or backlash. He stressed the importance of maintaining boundaries and exercising restraint when addressing contentious social issues in music to prevent unnecessary trouble or discord.

“For you to put out songs as artists it has to first click in your head, having experience is also a contributing factor. The longer you are an artist the more you realise that there are some topics that you need to keep your opinion to yourself.”

“Some artists feel that because they are musicians their opinions need to be heard always and sometimes they don’t know the details of a situation on the ground and when they share their opinion you will realise it doesn’t make sense. So these are some boundaries that we must get. Some people want to talk about everything, including LGBTQ and religion but religion is a sensitive topic, so we all need to get this sense. So we don’t get in trouble,” he added.

Kofi Kinaata is currently on a media tour promoting his new release dubbed ”Effiakuma Brokenheart”.