Ghanaian Afro-pop artiste Wiyaala has revealed that she lost some international gigs a few times in the past.
According to her, some negative publications about her caused her some gigs she was looking forward to play.
Speaking at a master class for members of Arts & Tourism Writers Association of Ghana (ATWAG) on Thursday, December 6, 2018, she disclosed that international music fans read about what local media reports say about artistes before attending their concerts.
She pleaded with the media to focus on the positive sides of stories about artistes than the negatives.
“There’s so much about Wiyaala that the media can explore, apart from the ‘who are you dating’?” she said.
At the master class, John Sherren, manager of Wiyaala, also stated that it is necessary for every serious artiste to get a publicist who can push their agenda.
After sharing their experience with the media at the programme held at the Accra Tourist Information Centre, they also admonished genuine bloggers to make their work visible so they could silence the bad bloggers in the system.
The master class was held on the theme: ‘The Arts Writer & Artiste Relationship In The Media Era’.
This was part of the association’s efforts to build the capacity of its members and also gain knowledge of various fields and players in the arts, tourism and culture industry.
It was meant to offer the art writers an opportunity to understand the work of artistes, their perception of the media, their challenges with the media, their experiences with the media in other countries, among others.
