The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Music Publishing and Management, Diana Hopeson, has encouraged women to venture into music talent management.
According to her, the music talent management industry was dominated
by men, yet there were a lot of women who had skills and knowledge in the industry who can also manage people. Mrs Hopeson, made the appeal during a seminar on the music industry in Accra on Thursday.
She said there were lots of youth who had talents and need support to hone those talents, and women talent managers could take advantage of that to create their own businesses.
The seminar dubbed; “World Music Festival of the Women from Here and Elsewhere Colloquium,” was to exchange ideas on how to improve the professional, social and economic status of female artistes.
It was organised in partnership with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Centre for Communication and Culture (CCC), Women in Tourism, BM Culture and Afro Mondo.
Mrs Hopeson, the former president of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), who delivered the keynote address, said talents of the youth when properly harnessed could help create employment and products for export to enable the country to rake in foreign exchange.
“I want to put it up to women to take up the arts, nurture them and make good use of them [talent], though it will be difficult, it is possible,” she said. The former president of MUSIGA encouraged women to continue to learn new trends in the arts industry, establish networks and practise to perfection, so that, when given the opportunity to perform they would be able to deliver.
The National Professional Officer for UNESCO, Mr Carl
Ampah, observed that women were not granted the same rights and privileges as their male counterparts.
He said women were not given the same financial support, opportunities and professional acknowledgment as men, for them to showcase their talents and fulfill their potentials.
“Women are missing behind the scenes with only 2.8 per cent female producers and 12.7 per cent as songwriters,” Mr Ampah, stated.
The three-day performance will kick-start at Alliance Française this evening and will see live performances from Quayba, Laura Etemah, Sun-dri Feeling, Della Hayes and Esinam.
The Ghanaian artiste would compete alongside 15 other artistes from other African countries.
Present at the event were Deputy Spanish Ambassador to Ghana and Togo, Mr Diego Spottorno Vergara; Executive Director of CCC, Mr Enimil Ashong; CEO of BM Culture, Mr Moustapha Ahounou, and some musicians who performed at the festival.
BY CECILIA LAGBA &CONNIELOVE DZODZEGBE