Soraya Opare-Riley is an event organiser
Event organiser, Soraya Opare-Riley, has criticised the media and public for paying too much attention to problems in the entertainment industry while ignoring the achievements of artistes who are making Ghana proud on the global stage.
Speaking during a discussion on GhanaWeb’s X Space, on July 18, 2025, Soraya said the conversation around Ghana’s music industry often focuses on challenges, setbacks, and controversies.
She believes this constant negativity overshadows the progress many Ghanaian musicians have made internationally.
She mentioned Sarkodie, Rocky Dawuni, and the legendary band Osibisa as examples of Ghanaian musicians who have gained international recognition and success.
“A lot of industry conversation tends to focus on the problems and not the successes chalked. We have seen people like Sarkodie being awarded on international platforms. We have seen people like Rocky Dawuni being awarded on international platforms. We can go as far back as the days of Osibisa. I’m really confused as to what the audience wants to see and why we keep hammering on just the negative,” she said.
Soraya also pointed out that many Ghanaians love to compare their artistes to Nigerian musicians like Burna Boy, but she argued that this comparison is unfair.
According to her, if you look at the numbers, Ghanaian artistes are actually doing well internationally.
“You are talking about Burna Boy but do you know how many Nigerian artists are listed in Nigerian music industry? If you are looking at their percentages, you would see that Ghanaian artistes are actually doing very well but we have a very negative stance on things. So, you would google any Ghanaian artistes and you would see only negativity,” she stated.
Meanwhile Jane Reindorf Osei says Ghana is ready to attract investment, partnerships and tourists:
AK/VPO
