Dear Wendy Shay Official , you don’t know me; and I don’t think I am going to bump into you soon, let alone have our paths crossed. I however, want you to treat this open letter with the necessary attention it deserves.
I am an ardent fan of music , and double as a creative writer . I have been following keenly the Ghana music industry for sometime now; and even though there’s more to learn, I can categorically say that I am a but privy to the trajectory and annals; regardless of how limited it could be.
The Industry is incontrovertibly a patriarchal one , not to despise or disrespect great female artistes who have over the years contributed to the success of the industry: the likes of Awurama Badu, Naa Anamoa of Wulomei fame, Akosua Agyepong , MzbeL , Mzvee , Abrewa Nana, Efya , Irene logan , Sister Afya, Kakie, Mzvee, Adina Thembi, Cina Soul, Gyakie, Ohemaa Mercy, Daughters of Glorious Jesus, Philip Baafi, your “predecessor “, Ebony reigns of blessed memory etc.
The aforementioned artistes have played great roles in the development and transformation of the creative space, it is a no brainer; but we can only be realistic to point out the fact: the industry is a male-dominated one.
It is in this vein that individuals like myself get thrilled eachtime a female artiste attains a certain level of appeal and shares the waves with the A-list male artists.
Not to discredit any artiste, but if there’s that one female artiste who gave the A-list male artists a good run for their money; and if not exaggerating, took absolute control of the waves at a point with back-to-back hits ,it will be no other than Ebony reigns of blessed memory.
From the word go, she was a force to reckon with; she entered the industry as though an oldie but goodie. Her story couldn’t have been complete without an experienced artist cum manager who had credentials of churning out hits upon hits: big ups to your manager, Bullet .
Ebony reigns made history as far as the music industry is concerned: the first female artiste to have won the artist of the year category since the inception of the Ghana Music Awards. She was posthumously awarded on Saturday, 14th April, 2018; and after her reign, no female artiste has been able to reach that feat .
Trust me, anyone who steps in to “replace ” such an individual must be “out of her mind”.
I have admired you so much for one reason: your resilience . You introduced yourself at a time when all we wanted was Ebony or “nobody” . Giving the circumstances surrounding the demise of Nana hemaa , we were just not ready for a “replica”.
You however, defied all odds and announced your presence with a controversial song titled “Uber driver”: A song which reminded us of the late Ebony ‘s style. Songs like Poison, Sponsor, Date Your Father spawned controversies which unequivocally put her songs on the map.
You came under strong criticisms , you were inveighed for trying to be like Ebony; some people said you were not going to last because you lacked originality. Bullet’s critics dragged you along with him , and sought to question the integrity of the Rufftown records regarding its operations.
Your own female colleagues in the entertainment space have descended on you on several occasions; but hey , I wonder what kind of skin you have developed over the years; all I can say is you have pulled through.
You have been one of the consistent artistes (won’t even say female) in the industry. You were introduced in 2018; and after a year , you were adjudged the discovery of the year at 2019 VGMAs; this is a trait of a genius.
Only two years and I can’t count on my fingers the number of hits you have churned out : songs like Uber driver , Masacra, Bedroom commando, Astalavista, Steve wonder , H.I.T, the list goes on , have been at every nook and cranny; and your latest ! Oh! That was a great one.
As an ardent fan of music, I just want you to know that you have an admirer who is super proud of you . An admirer who wants you to continue with your good works. Dont relent on the drive with which move.
You certainly can’t be Ebony nor anyone; yes! You are Wendy Shay Official ! And that’s one of the strongest brands now
You dont need to prove anyone wrong; all you need is to forge ahead , and the crown is yours.
I might not like everything you do or say, but I am a big admirer of your resilience, determination and perseverance; and all I want to say is “keep it up ” . Loads of love
#Wendyshay
#shaygang
An admirer
Signed
Chrisdad Kojo Arthur