Ameyaw Says
Exporting Ghanaian music to Nigeria, an exercise in futility? The case of the Menzgold & Zylofon Media Nigeria launch concert
In my 12 years of writing about entertainment in Ghana, the crossing over of music between Ghana and Nigeria has been heavily skewed towards Nigerian music travelling into and across Ghana. As someone who started my writing journey with a Nigerian-owned magazine, Ovation Magazine, I’ve seen it all! Usually, we only see Nigerian stars on the bill for major shows in Ghana and not so much, vice versa. So when Zylofon Media and Menzgold decided to change the status quo a little, I decided to be a part of the experience, no matter the cost. I labored tirelessly to get my passport from the South African consulate just in time to travel to Lagos for the event on Friday. https://youtu.be/BpfYvxNS06M Nana Appiah Mensah, who owns the two companies, officially launch the Nigerian branches of Zylofon Media and Menzgold on Friday, climaxing it with a concert dubbed the Zylofon Media & Menzgold Naija Invasion Concert. [caption id="attachment_125958" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]
Nana Appiah Mensah watching proceedings carefully[/caption] Although it is not yet clear what Zylofon Media (which is a creative arts business focusing on film, music, fashion and media) hopes to do in the Nigerian space, being able to push Ghanaian music more in Nigeria would be more than welcomed for many Ghanaians. But how easy would that be, and is it even worth it? Are Nigerians too stuck on their own music to make room for Ghanaian music on a larger scale? The answers are not as clear as day, but perhaps there are some things to learn from Zylofon Media & Menzgold Naija Invasion Concert.
What happened at the concert
The concert was a well-organized event with a great setup and an impressive guest list of industry people, business people; and a general stand for other guests who won tickets online and through other media activations. The show started pretty late with some unknown acts opening the night. Zylofon Arts Club products, Zylo also got the chance to perform on stage before eventually the main show kicked off with Nigerian singer, Ninioala.![](https://i0.wp.com/ameyawdebrah.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Menzgold-and-Zylofon-Media-Nigeria-concert17-1024x683.jpg?resize=740%2C494&ssl=1)
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The Big Questions
So there you have it… a report on what went down when Zylofon Media and Menzgold ‘invaded’ Lagos, Nigeria with Ghanaian music! Maybe the outcome would have been different if other Ghanaian musicians with hit songs in Nigeria, like Sarkodie, Efya, R2bees, Patapaa, Kuami Eugene, Bisa Kdei and others were added to the bill. Maybe if the show started on time, the crowd may have found the energy to respond to ‘good’ music that they weren’t familiar with. Anyway, was the outcome of the concert enough to say that Nigerians do not play or appreciate Ghanaian music? Should Nigeria, a country with so many superstar talents and even more unknown ones struggling for attention within, be a target for Ghanaian musicians? If so, what should be the approach? How did Tic Tac, VIP, Bollie, MzBel, Castro and others do it in the past? How did Sarkodie and Efya do it in more recent times? (As for Pataapa I don’t want to add him to the list, he is a Magician). What were the benefits for these artists, who have had smash hits in Nigeria? Over the years, collaborations have been a way to go, and it seems that is the surest bet even from the reactions at the Menzgold and Zylofon Media launch concert. The style and language of music also counts for different audiences. I found out during my recent visit to Enugu, that they played a lot more Ghanaian music there because the Igbo people generally like Ghanaian music due to a common highlife culture. Throughout my stay in Nigeria, from Enugu to Lagos the Ghanaian artists currently getting listens particularly in clubs and at events are Magnom, Kidi, Kuami Eugene, and Bisa Kdei. Others include Stonebwoy, Sarkodie and Shatta Wale. Maybe these artists have to visit Nigeria more often, do media tours to get Nigerians to know then better; and do more performances in Nigeria (that’s if people are even booking Ghanaian artists for Nigeria at all). Is the Nigerian market even worth the hustle? Or should we focus on building a flourishing industry in Ghana capable of taking care of itself, while the music organically travels beyond our borders? Share your views!![](https://i0.wp.com/ameyawdebrah.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Menzgold-and-Zylofon-Media-Nigeria-concert4-1024x683.jpg?resize=740%2C494&ssl=1)
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