The ‘Music for Development’ category of the Ghana Music Awards has come to stay in the music industry but it seems we are not seeing any close-fitting competition in it anytime the nominees are being presented to the public.
Reggie Zippy and Yvonne Nelson happened to be the artistes whose songs I can boldly say were up to standard and deserved to have been nominated for this year’s Music for Development category. Reggie Zippy was lucky to have dog-tied Yvonne Nelson although Yvonne put in more efforts in her promotion.
One question that crossed the minds of many music fans was the fact that O.M Studios has been given part of the money to be used in helping to promote the musician awarded on Fiesta TV, which according to many is not free to air and does not have a bigger audience.
All things being equal, we had the opportunity to talk to Reggie Zippy in the UK and he had this to say: “my being in UK is not only because of my wife as rumours have it but rather, I am here for four important reasons: to see my wife, celebrate the birth of my second son, to prepare for school, starting this June and finally to relax and to prepare for my broken home project” he said.
As to why he is going back to school, he stated that he has decided to enroll in the London Academy of Music and Arts because he wants to broaden his music horizon. He also wants to penetrate the UK/European music industry, and above all, to help the Ghanaian Music industry with the knowledge he will acquire.
“I played a show in Germany on Easter Sunday and before that I played over four shows for Alodia promotions since last March alongside Castro, 5five, Iwan and some UK based artistes. Now I’m getting ready for some festivals over here this summer for the whites (not Ghanaians) in Hampshire. So you see, after all I don’t come to London because of my wife alone” he stated.
As to what he will be using the Ghc.3000 world bank money which was what he received for winning the Music for Development award, Reggie Zippy said he would be using it to revamp the Broken Home Foundation he has set up. The foundation has not been effective since he traveled abroad and so he would charge his management and record label who assist him to run the foundation to apportion part of the money for that all important project.
Although he revealed that he would be donating part of the money to orphanages like the Osu children’s home, he was rather quick to add that he normally does not want to make much noise about the philanthropic works and donations he does because he believes he does it for God. Similarly, Reggie told this reporter that the song ‘Victim’ was given to him by God. For several years, he kept hearing the first line of the song which is about a child growing up without knowing his father.
The sort of hardship and struggles he went through since childhood also contributed to this song since his Mum could not cater for his upbringing. He assured his fans and hip-life lovers that his next album will be the best selling album this year. Reggie Zippy is one fine artiste who does not flop with his releases but at the same time he does not fly that higher.
