One of Ghana’s best songwriters and highlife musician Nana Yaw Kumi also known in showbiz as Kumi Guitar has made it clear that, to be a song writer, one does not need to be educated but rather song writing is a gift from God.
He has explained a song writer as one who uses anything seen, heard or felt around to compose something which will relate to a lot of people.
According to him, there is no such thing as one needs to be educated to write songs since music comes in various languages and it will be of the least to say education comprehends a good song writer. He said however that, it can be nurtured through schooling to know how to play some instruments or to know certain chord progressions.
Kumi added that most great musicians who are hailed today never went through school but by virtue of being part of a music band, has been able to acquire exquisite knowledge in music and today have become who they are. Thus an illiterate can churn out a beautiful song for all what is needed is the things surrounding him and in the language he is comfortable in so long as there’s control over what he is writing.
The Obra singer noted that song writing varies, and therefore wouldn’t say one is better than the other because, there are people who sing and still rhyme with a story line which makes sense but others can as well do same even without a story line but will still make sense.
He said song writing should just be right depending on the angle the writer is coming from, together with the melodies, rhymes and story line even though after writing there’s a realization that, the last verse should have started and the only thing needed is to be able to grow the passion in built.
Kumi as well pointed out that, not all song writers can sing, but they can make money by not necessarily singing what they write but can either sell what they write to other musicians or enter in to an agreement with the musicians that if the song is sold; a percentage of it is given to him. He finally advised song writers to learn more.
“Personally I feel the songs sold to the world are not what we owe but if more of us should dive into highlife music then I think we will be recognized as a country with this genre and appreciated as such for the rap is already established in other countries but if we are to do it like the Hughes Masakela’s and Akah Bladen’s who have attained the greatest musical height with their dialects, then Ghana will have a bright future,” he concluded.
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