Social media was set on fire when a video of a veteran Ghanaian musician popularly known as Ama Rasta was recorded raining curses with powerful deities on Ghana Music Rights Organization, GHAMRO.
In an interview on Zylofon FM, Ama Rasta admitted that she was the woman in the viral video and that what she did became indispensable in order to get what she wanted from the aforementioned organization. According to her, this was not her first encounter with GHAMRO; she explained that the organization has hitherto been playing dilly-dally games with her anytime she went for her payment hence the new approach in collecting her money.
She then confirmed that “I got my money after cursing GHAMRO” even before she left the premises.
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Over the years, many old, current and young Ghanaian artists have had a series of problems with GHAMRO, an organization currently superintended by legendary Ghanaian musician Rex Omar. This includes financial accountability from the organization to Ghanaian musicians. The organization has also been intransigent in getting their systems digitized in order to allow an easy, transparent and smooth distribution of payment to the artist who has earned it.
This act by Ama Rasta and the shambolic system of GHAMRO has sparked up social media conversations. As some assert that GHAMRO is incompetent, should be dissolved, taken over and regulated by an external body, others avow that the introduction of curses into the music industry in order to resolve issues is an ominous sign which puts the Ghanaian music industry at the precipice of a catastrophic end. A minority of the population have also supported the use of schnapps and eggs to resolve problems since it has proven effective and potent than the legal methods of resolving matters in Ghana.
The Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO) was established in 2010 as a collective management organization under section 49 of the Copyright Law, Act 690 of 2005 and regulated under the Copyright Regulations 2010, Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 1962. The Society was issued a Certificate of approval by the Attorney General and Minister for Justice on 23rd December 2011 to license, collect and distribute royalties accruing to authors and owners of copyright and neighboring rights.
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Like all other copyright societies, GHAMRO is a non-profit corporate body (limited by guarantee) and therefore all fees collected are distributed among the right owners whose works have been used, in this instance composers, authors, and producers, publishers in proportion to the use made of their works.
