SARKODIE SHOULD LEARN, HE LACKS INTERVIEW SKILLS – Socrates Safo

For his recent criticism on Ghanaian radio hosts, director Socrate Safo has pounced on Sarkodie.

The rapper during a discussion with Fire Stick, a Ghanaian UK-based stylist and fashion critic, voiced alarm about how Ghanaian radio presenters and analysts increase pressure on Ghanaian singers to transgress boundaries.

Sarkodie says he doesn’t see why long-time local radio hosts would condemn singers for failing to break into new markets.

Socrate called Sarkodie “one of our top artists,” but warned that the musician needed to “repackage” himself in terms of interviews and watch what he said.

“It is easy for somebody to sit on radio and tell you Shatta Wale no do this. You, you dey radio top for Ghana for close to 20 years wey you no fit come enter Choice for here or BBC. I don’t think you have the moral right to talk about artiste wey e dey Ghana wey e no move. Because me I go BBC because it is Komla Dumor wey e make I go,” Sarkodie said.

I feel like there’s only one thing he’s missing right now. When I was a talent manager, one of the most important things I taught the artists I was developing was how to succeed in interviews.

Socrate said, “I read in a book that your interview skills are crucial as an artist because it may knock you down and it can also elevate you up.”

He taught Sarkodie a valuable lesson by saying, “Every artiste should have a bag of replies for a pack of questions.” In radio, there is no equivalent of “graduate” or “moving up to the next level,” as in other sports.

Moving from Ghanaian radio to the BBC or CNN is not the same as graduating; rather, it is a transition from one industry to another. The method does not need you to state that the individual has not improved as part of your submission, and it is not a law.

Expanding into new markets is what we mean when we say, “go international. Just because you haven’t broken out of Ghana doesn’t mean you’re any less talented. There are a lot of moving parts involved in expanding internationally… You sat on local platforms to promote your brand, and as a result you made some connections,” the director said.

NKONKONSA.com