VIDEO: Big politicians jamming to songs

Right from the civilization of man, music and politics have always been intertwined. Music was used to sing the praises of heroic political leaders and figures and in some situations was used as a tool by one country or tribe to defeat and overthrow governments.

The Holy scriptures of Christians talk about how the women in Israel composed music to recite the achievement of David, then a young warrior. It also mentions how the Israelites fell the impenetrable walls of Jericho and took over the city using music as a weapon.

This relationship between music and politics keeps developing. In modern society, politicians employ the services of prolific and talented musicians to compose songs to support their political agenda, political parties also do the same for musicians to tell their many supporters and persons in their jurisdiction exactly what they stand for through music. It is of no shock that all political parties have their personalized anthems.

In times of hardships, activists have also composed music to talk about the injustice they are going through. For example, Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Alright’ talks about the Apartheid system in South Africa and police brutality on the black society in the United States of America. ‘Get up, stand up’ by Reggae Icon, Bob Marley was a call to the African and African-American race to fight for their civil rights. This mutual relationship between music and politics is not alien to the Ghanaian settings.

In Ghana, political players employ music and musicians to push their political messages and build hype for themselves and/or their desired candidates.

Let’s take a look at 3 instances where this happened:

Nii Kwartei – ‘Obordobidi’

During the campaigning period for the 2020 general elections, then Member of Parliament of Tema East constituency and the Deputy Minister of Transport in Ghana, Hon. Daniel Nii Kwartei used to perform Shatta Wale’s hit song, ‘obordorbidi’ at political rallies of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to make himself famous. Unfortunately, this legislator appears to have sang himself out of office into opposition.

Nii Lantey Vanderpuye – ‘Kai’

Similarly, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, a legislator from the camp of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was captured dancing to Shatta Wale’s ‘Kai’ at the NDC’s final campaign for the 2020 elections.

Ken Agyapong – ‘Obiaa Wo Ne Master’

Business magnate and parliamentary for Assin Central constituency, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong at an NPP political rally in the Ashanti region of Ghana was lost in the music as he danced ‘shaku’ to Yaa Pono’s hit sing ‘’Obiaa Wo Ne Master’’.