Artiste manager and publicist, Elorm Beenie has said in an interview with Joy FM’s ‘Showbiz A-Z’ that artistes that performed at a pre-independence concert for this year’s celebration in Ho were paid lower fees than they budgeted for. 

The Pre-Independence Concert was held on the night of Friday, March 3, 2023 at the Ho Sports Stadium.

Highlighting some of the challenges creatives in the region go through Elorm said, mostly, people who serve as middlemen to deals, try to exploit entertainment people in the region. 

He told Kwame Dadzie in the interview on Saturday, March 18, 2023 that at the concert, somebody who served as a middleman to the Volta Region artistes, slashed down the fees that were originally budgeted for the local artistes. 

“You would get people who are middlemen who go behind and try to berate [sic] rate cards. Yes, I am saying it on record. 

[The middle men will tell you], let’s say if Kwame is charging fifteen to twenty thousand, there is somebody who will go and say 'oh Kwame is my brother. I go fit get am 2,000',” he noted.

Confirming Elorm’s assertion, Seth Dellings Nyasorgbor (Sizzla), an event organiser and artiste manager in Ho said the attitude is affecting the work of entertainers in the region.

“The recent show, if I tell you the amounts that were supposed to have been given to the boys and what they were paid to the boys, you would marvel. On paper, it is quoted that this person is supposed to get this amount but on the grounds, we are paid peanuts. How would they event get money and get the courage to master their craft?” he asked.

Some artistes who performed at the event were Chief One, Agbeshie, Camidoh, Israel Maweta, Hanx Bex, Afro Khelly, and Feli Nuna.

Elorm Beenie also stated that creatives in the region are faced with financial challenges, a reason most of them cannot gain recognition beyond the region.

The two music executives from the Volta Region said that the entertainment space there is viable; they only need investors to tap into the varied opportunities and talents there. 

This discussion on projecting entertainment in the Volta Region comes on the back of the Afadjato edition of Showbiz A-Z which was held on March 11, 2023.

The show which was aired live from Gbledi Gbogame in the Volta Region explored the Ewe culture, tourism potential and creative economy.