Concerned about what she describes as a fading culture of respect, veteran gospel musician Stella Aba Seal has spoken out against the way industry pioneers are treated, accusing some younger artists of using her songs without consent.
Appearing on Onua Showtime, she said the growing trend has been deeply hurtful.
“They don’t ask for permission before using my songs,” she said.
Stella Aba Seal argued that the issue goes beyond music and reflects a wider challenge within Ghanaian society. According to her, honouring trailblazers is not firmly rooted in the culture, and that absence of recognition stretches across several creative industries.
She noted that while athletes often receive public praise and support, veterans in music, film, and boxing are frequently sidelined.
“In Ghana, honouring is not part of our culture. We don’t respect trailblazers and pathfinders. It happens rarely, unlike in sports where international footballers have built houses for communities and offered support,” she stated.
The gospel artiste said speaking up often attracts unfair backlash, with veteran performers sometimes dismissed as seeking attention.
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“When you try to correct them for not relating properly to grown adults, they say you just want to trend, even when you are old enough to give birth to them and they met you at the workplace,” she explained.
She stressed that senior musicians laid the foundation upon which today’s industry stands. “We have done a lot of education on telling people to appreciate us after inviting us because we pay for our recordings ourselves.”
Drawing a comparison with Nigeria, Stella Aba Seal praised what she described as a culture of respect for legends there. “In Nigeria, young actors and musicians visit legends with gifts and receive blessings. In Ghana, it’s only Nana Ama McBrown that I have seen replicating that,” she said.
She also criticized how some young artistes handle the use of older songs, explaining that permission is often ignored or sought only after recordings are done. “Sometimes, you only see that they have already done it without your permission,” she revealed.
Beyond the professional impact, she issued a spiritual warning, insisting that actions always carry consequences.
“There are laws governing this universe: spiritual laws, physical laws, and universal laws, and they work. If I don’t say anything, the laws in the air will deal with you. If I say ‘hmmmm’, the laws God has placed in the air will still work,” she cautioned.
She pointed to the principles of sowing and reaping and karma as unavoidable truths. “One of the laws is: what you sow is what you will reap. Karmic laws work. It doesn’t matter how much you pray, speak in tongues, or apply grace, karma will catch up with you. If not today, then tomorrow,” she said.
Stella Aba Seal further urged them to remain conscious of their actions.
“As humans, we must do good.”
