Speaking at a recent stakeholders engagement with artistes and artiste managers, she stressed the need for a unique musical identity that has global appeal.

The engagement aimed to gather input from creatives and key players in the industry for the promotion of the #playghana initiative.

Gyankroma, the daughter of President Akufo-Addo, acknowledged Ghana’s historical contribution to Highlife music but emphasized the need for a specific, globally appealing music genre.

“When we mention Ghana music, the immediate question is often ‘what is Ghana music?’ Everybody is doing everything, and so we are supporting everything. However, our producers and musicians must be able to come out with a particular sound that is coming from Ghana. For instance, if it is Highlife, let’s do it, or Hiplife, let’s stick to that. Whichever one, I think the most important thing is to have a music sound from Ghana that will be internationally recognized,” she said.

Gyankroma stressed that the current situation makes it challenging to identify a distinct Ghanaian sound in the global music scene. “Our music industry needs to reach a point where audiences worldwide can readily identify Ghana’s musical signature,” she emphasized.

Nonetheless, she clarified that the initiative’s goal is not to limit Ghanaian musicians to specific genres, but to create a unified and recognizable music identity.

“The aim is to foster a unique sound that can stand out on the global stage while allowing the diversity and creativity of Ghanaian musicians to flourish,” she added.

In December last year, Ghana launched the PlayGhana project, a significant initiative aimed at boosting the exposure of Ghanaian music on local radio stations.

This project is crucial at a time when the local music industry is experiencing a downward trend, seeking to promote and support home-grown talent by ensuring more airtime for Ghanaian artists.

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Gyankroma and the team at CAA seemed to have courted the displeasure and criticisms of some industry players when the council held a stakeholder engagement in December 2023 to gather inputs from creatives and key players in the creative industry for the promotion of PlayGhana initiative.

Interestingly, the PlayGhana initiative, which has been communicated as a means to salvage the declining trend of Ghanaian music on the airwaves wasn’t well received, generating backlash.

Particular among the criticisms was the motive to ban particularly Nigerian music from being played on our airwaves, with critics arguing that such a move would backfire, rather hurting the growth of the Ghanaian musician.

But speaking at a recently held DJs and Bloggers Forum-PlayGhana Initiative to solicit for views on making the project viable, Gyankroma expressed surprise at the reception of #PlayGhana, exclaiming that it was just a patriotic approach.

“It’s unfortunate that we started PlayGhana with controversy and misconstrued information, with the core goal of the initiative being ignored. However, I want to give an assurance that the initiative is a patriotic approach.”

“It is never to ban any other music, or to make Ghanaian musicians compete with other artistes. Far from that. What we are trying to do is just to push our artistes to the forefront, which will have a ripple effect on our industry.”

“We need more money in the industry. If people come, and they don’t hear us, they won’t stay to give money. Yes, we can pass the law which is everything great on paper, but how do we enforce it. How do we actually make sure that the radio stations are adhering to this law?”

“How do we make sure that the nightclub owners are playing our music, DJs are playing our music on the airwaves and this is why stakeholder engagement with DJs and bloggers are relevant,” she said.

PlayGhana is a campaign to build awareness and push local content on the forefront, and to ensure that songs by Ghanaian artistes are played frequently to increase visibility.

Among a number of ideas put forward by the DJs present at the forum including the popular DJ Mensah, official DJ of rapper Sarkodie, were the need for musicians to ensure the language used was not a barrier to audiences outside Ghana and also have the mindset of selling Ghana’s music to the global market. That is, consumers of the music should not only be locally targeted.

To ensure the effectiveness of PlayGhana, Gyankroma noted that her outfit would be deliberate about having conversations with players including event managers, club owners on the need to play and help promote Ghanaian songs.

There will be a DJ’s exclusive roundtable on Ghana’s music airplay at the Creative Arts Agency Conference Room on Friday, May 3 to engage DJs about their role in the Play Ghana initiative and the impact of the broadcasting bill amendment on their craft.

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As part of the Play Ghana initiative, the daughter of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo aims to boost the visibility of Ghanaian artistes by ensuring that their songs are played more frequently in the media and at various nightclubs.

She revealed that, her organization is working on measures to amend the local content law, facilitating the enforcement of the Play Ghana Songs initiative.

Gyankroma Akufo-Addo said the initiative is not just a seasonal effort for Christmas but a long-term commitment to promot Ghanaian music.

“The Play Ghana initiative is not just for Christmas. It has coincided with the Christmas season, which is undoubtedly the biggest season for our creators. We are advocating for the continuous promotion of Ghanaian songs. It is not a one-time gimmick but a sustained effort. We are committed to playing Ghanaian music forever,” she stated during the minister’s press briefing at the Ministry of Information.

Gyankroma Akufo-Addo urged every radio station, DJ, nightclub owner, and promoter to prioritize playing Ghanaian music.

Ghanaian artistes have long expressed frustration over the lack of support and promotion for their songs, hindering their success.

The Play Ghana initiative aims to address these concerns and establish a more prominent presence for local music in the entertainment industry.

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On Joy FM‘s Showbiz A-Z, he said that Gyankroma is working in the office without the official knowledge of the stakeholders of the industry. 

“She is the illegal Executive Secretary of the Creative Arts Agency. And I am surprised we are still sitting on this matter and the President is still watching, the Ministry is still watching,” he told the host Kwame Dadzie.

According to him, her appointment needed to have been made public if indeed it was duly conducted. 

“If she has received her appointment letter we have to know. The President appoints a Chief Executive Officer of the Volta River Authority and it is not done in darkness. We all know. Officially, you need to tell us. Then [if she’s been given her appointment letter] it means that government does not respect us,” he explained.

The Creative Arts Agency is a body that provides institutional framework for the development and management of the creative arts industry and for related matters.

The Executive Secretary of the Agency is appointed by the President of the Republic of Ghana. This official is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Agency and is answerable to Board in the performance of functions stipulated in the Creative Industry Act (1048). 

The act also prescribes the formation of a Board as the governing body of the institution. 

“Article 195 of the Constitution which gave the President the power to appoint an Executive Secretary and a Board for the National Film Authority gives him the same power to do same for the Creative Arts Agency,’ Kojo further noted.

In the meantime, stakeholders of the creative industry are awaiting the formation of a Board and the ratification of the Legislative Instrument to the act to make the activities of the Agency more functional.

According to her, most people do not understand the pressure which comes with being a President and making sure the citizens are okay.

Speaking to JoyNews’ Nicholas Ekow Yamoah, Gyankroma said President Akufo-Addo is a leader on a steady course.

“I think a lot of people do not understand the backroom pressure and responsibilities that are needed and the tolls that it takes.

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“This is a leader who has taken it effortlessly and has steered the ship that we all feel safe in these times of economic unrest. So for me, I’m sure lots of people will say I’m biased, but a lot of people who do know me understand my objectivity and I feel like he is leading us on a safe and steady course.”

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Gyankroma was speaking to JoyNews on the sideline of the unveiling of murals done at the Burma Camp-Giffard road overheard in Accra as part of her agency’s ‘Art for All’ campaign to beautify Accra.

It’s a project spearheaded by the Creative Arts Agency, and its aim is simple; transform major public spaces and monumental sites for all.

The latest phase of the project was done at the Burma Camp-Giffard overhead in Accra and has been unveiled.

The once dull overhead has now become a picturesque site, worthy of taking a shot or two.

The breathtaking graffiti designs, interspersed with Ga symbols and names, were done by artistes from the Ghana Association of Visual Artistes, and ‘Accra dot alt’.

CEO of the Creative Arts Agency, Gyankroma Akufo-Addo, said more designs should be expected.

“This is our ‘Arts for All’ phase three. The first was at Ako-Adjei, the second one Tetteh Quarshie, this is Giffard road, and this is our biggest one to date. One of the main things I think for myself is to push artist visibility whether it’s just in our country or globally, another thing is to make sure we have ownership of our work.

“A lot of our work whether is fashion, film or music or poetry, we lose our ownership or copyright. I want our African or Ghanaian artists to be well vest in owning work,” she said.

“We are not going to say where the next site is, but due to this one being the biggest, we hope that the next one will be bigger. I can’t say where the next site is going to be, it’s a surprise.

With Phase 1, 2 and 3 done and dusted excellently, we can only imagine what phase 4 and 5 will look like.”