The Industry built everything around Sarkodie – KOD of Echo

Kwame Owusu Danso has said that the music industry during his time was structured around the a single artist.

KOD, former member of the music group Echo and the current Morning Show Host of Pan Africa Television, spoke about Ghana’s music scene from when he was still a performer.

In particular he mentioned how the industry was structured around one single top artist.

During a sit down interview with Caleb Nii Boye they spoke at length about the industry at the time, with KOD pointing how the industry would eventually become.

He said: “We came out in 2008, and had our hits. When Sarkodie came it was like the industry built itself everything around Sarkodie.”  Watch the full video here

The conversation went on to touch on how gatekeeping solidified that idea of Sarkodie and a few others being the preferred choice of some notable gatekeepers because of their sound and style.

But KOD still recognized that the industry did decide to pick a particular artist and run with him as it’s brand, stating “I think it was a plan to Sarkodie within the Scheme within which they wanted to run with.

He went on to add how that focus on the Sarknation leader has rather had a negative effect in the long run.

“If we had not focused all our efforts on Sarkodie we would have had a number of Sarkodies.” He said. “We would have had a number of Echos.”