Ghanaian gospel artiste Ohemaa Mercy has revealed that she has received GH₵300 as royalties from Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO) in her 16 years of doing music.
In a recent interview, the award-winning singer expressed her frustrations, shedding light on the challenges faced by many artistes who find themselves in similar situations.
Ohemaa Mercy, known for songs such as Wobeye Kese and Ote Memu, mentioned that the 300 cedis has been her only royalty payment since 2007.
Her revelation has further deepened and raised questions about the transparency and accountability of royalty collection and distribution in the Ghanaian music industry, with the role of GHAMRO.
GHAMRO, established to protect and manage the rights of musicians and songwriters, collects royalties on behalf of artistes for the public performance and broadcasting of their music.
These royalties are intended to serve as a crucial source of income for artistes, supporting their creative endeavours and livelihoods.
In the said interview, Ohemaa Mercy lamented about the financial difficulties she had faced due to the lack of proper structures to earn the right royalties.
“I received GH¢300 in 2007 and since then, I have never received any money from the royalties-sharing agency,” she said.
Ohemaa Mercy also called for transparency, accountability, reforms and a comprehensive review of the royalty collection and distribution processes to ensure that artistes receive fair share of their earnings.
Meanwhile, some artistes including Celestine Donkor, Shatta Wale and Kwaw Kese have received thousands of cedis from GHAMRO as royalties following the implementation of their new system.
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