The Golden Jubilee edition of the Ghana Music Awards (GMA) 2007 has come and gone. However, the disappointments often associated with the event still continue.

While those who won various awards are still basking in glory and excitement, some nominees who unfortunately could not take home any of the prestigious awards at stake are also licking their wounds in anger.

One group which started raising the red flag even before the event took place is the sensational hiplife duo, Akatakyie.

In their opinion, undoubtedly one of the finest musical groups in the country, the GMA is not transparent enough and that there are hidden forces behind the awards who virtually control and determine who gets nominated and who becomes the eventual winners.

Speaking on the Entertainment Review programme on Peace 104.3FM in Accra, Akatakyie stated that there is a mafia in the music industry which has over the years worked tirelessly to frustrate their efforts and bring them down as musicians.

They told the host of the programme, Akwasi Aboagye that although five of their albums have over the last eight years received various nominations, they have so far picked only one award, this they believe is unfair and smacks of underhand dealings within the system.

Akatakyie contended that a careful study of the Ghanaian music industry reveals that many artistes, who took off as groups, could not stay together for long and eventually fell apart, but they have remained united to date, for which they deserve some recognition.

Shockingly, the winner of the topmost award for this year, King Ayisoba who was also on the programme, stated that he would have questioned the transparency of the GMA, if he had not won the Most Popular Song of the Year.

In his opinion he deserved the award at all cost, because he believed he did more than any other artiste as far as the year under review was concerned.

Indeed, this writer gathers that at the industry awards night held earlier at the La Palm Beach Hotel, Ayisoba started complaining and pointing accusing fingers at the organisers of the event, saying he had been short-changed.

It took the intervention of Akwasi Aboagye and other eye witnesses to calm him down and explained that the big event itself was yet to come off.
Over the years, I have watched in amazement as some disgruntled musicians who were not nominated or failed to win awards cast insinuations at the organisers of the GMA.

Interestingly, such personalities turn round to heap praises on the system once they receive an award later. To such self-conceited artistes, it is either them or nobody else.

While not holding brief for Charter House, the brain behind the awards, I think they deserve to be praised for creating the platform to recognise and appreciate the efforts of our musicians instead of castigating them.

After all, the music industry has been in existence from time immemorial, but the industry players themselves could not reward their own efforts until Charter House brazed the trail.

Although, the GMA, like all human endeavours has its fair share of problems, I think the event has seen a massive improvement over the years. And all of us must contribute our quota to make it the best on the continent, instead of frustrating the efforts of the organisers unjustly.