Entertainment critic and regular pundit on Peace FM’s Entertainment Review Show, Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo, has admonished celebrities who openly campaigned and endorsed political parties and presidential candidates to use the same energy to speak about the ills and progress of the creative arts industry.
It would be recalled that celebrities such as Samini, Sarkodie, David Prince Osei, Kalybos, among others endorsed and campaigned for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, NPP and Lydia Seyram Alhassan, whiles James Gardiner and a few others showed their support for John Dumelo who was the Parliamentary Candidate for the National Democratic Congress in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency.
These celebrities composed and made songs for the candidates they supported and mounted various platforms during the campaign season.
It is on this background that Arnold Asamoah Baidoo is advising the same celebrities to use the energy they gathered during the campaign era to speak to the progress of the creative industry.
According to Arnold, celebrity endorsements have been with us since 2008 to 2020, and the only sticky circumstance was where a creative artiste who wanted to contest had his colleagues openly campaign against him.
Arnold said many of the celebrities who endorsed the political parties and were outspoken during the campaign had never spoken about core matters that affect the industry. He said most of these celebrities become quiet when their voices need to be heard on matters that bother the industry and that is why he is advising them not to go back to sleep because the elections are over, but rather be vocal and speak about issues that hinder the growth of the creative arts industry.
“One thing I am expecting these four years, you realised how open and vocal some of the celebrities were when campaigning and endorsing these political parties and candidates, for some of them for a period they have always been silent.
"Core matters that bother us in the industry you will not have them come and speak about it. You will actually not see Samini speak out on related issues that bother the industry, Sarkodie will not speak almost all the time about the issues in the industry, they speak one time and go to sleep, you will not see James Gardiner speak about the industry…
"Now they have shown us that they can talk, they can actually speak. Now that the elections are over, any time there is an issue with the industry they should be vocal about it, they can amass some of their colleagues and make a movement, that is what is important. Now they should be vocal, they should not wait for another four years to be given money to endorse people, they should start speaking now. If the royalties are not going well speak, if the Film Bill is not being passed speak, don’t wait for another four years to come and disturb us...” Arnold said on the Entertainment Review Show on Peace FM over the weekend.
