Ghanaian musician Emmanuel Kwadwo Oware, popularly known as Ayisi, has urged his colleagues to improve their craft by performing with live bands.
According to him, the ability to perform with a live band is true proof to an artiste’s professionalism, and he believes many in the industry are falling short.
Speaking in an interview with AJ Sarpong on 3FM, Ayisi noted that performing with a live band demands a different level of discipline and stage presence compared to simply singing over a PA system or pre-recorded backing tracks, which he believes is easy.
Ayisi further praised gospel artistes for setting a standard when it comes to live music, noting that their commitment to rehearsals and real-time instrumentation gives them a natural advantage on stage.
“Performing with a live band is different from performing with a PA system. If you haven’t been doing live performances or training for some time, it will become apparent.
“This is why gospel artists excel in live performances; they rehearse and play shows with live bands consistently, and it shows in their work,” Ayisi stated.
In contrast, he pointed out that many secular artistes rely heavily on studio tricks and vocal enhancements that fail to translate in live performances.
“It’s relatively easy to go into a studio, piece together tracks and rely on auto-tuning. But artistes need to show workings,” he added.
By using what he described as “show workings,” Ayisi encouraged artistes to prove their artistry beyond what fans hear on recorded tracks.
AK/EB
