‘Everybody wanted to get in my pants’

Ghanaian dancehall artiste Angela Akiyana Kweku, popularly known as Akiyana, has revealed that people attempted to take advantage of her sexually when she was starting out in the music industry.

Speaking in an interview on Hitz FM, Akiyana shared that being a female artiste in Ghana comes with numerous challenges, particularly in a male-dominated space where attention is often focused more on male musicians.

“The male-dominated industry is hard. It’s very hard because all the attention and everything is focused on the males,” she said.

She explained that female artistes have to be especially mindful of their image and the kind of music they release.

“As a female, you need to be more careful about the kind of songs you put out and how you conduct yourself in the industry. It hasn’t been easy, but we’re still pushing,” she stated.

When asked if she still faces the same challenges today, Akiyana said the situation has improved, but admitted that the early stages of her career were particularly difficult.

She revealed that in the beginning, many people tried to exploit her because of her appearance.

“No, when I started, it was worse, really bad. Everybody wanted to get in your pants just because you’re a pretty girl. People see you and think, ‘Oh, I want to have this,’” she said.

She explained that over time, things changed due to the hard work she put in and the respect she has earned in the industry.

“I had to work my way up to this level, and now I don’t really experience that anymore. These days, they’re more hesitant to approach me. They feel a certain type of way, like, ‘What if she’s out of my league?’ But when you’re starting out, you’re all over the place, desperate, and they can sense that. That desperation attracts them,” she added.

AK/MA