Ghanaian musician Nana Yaw Oduro- Agyei, popularly referred to as Trigmatic, has descended heavily on Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO) after they indicated their desire to make churches pay royalties.
According to the Chairman of the organisation, Rex Owusu Marfo (Rex Omar), GHAMRO has in its plans to make churches pay royalties for the music they use.
“Yes, we are considering that. We are putting in place the necessary measures to let churches pay royalties because they also use musicians’ intellectual property,” Rex Omar stated during a workshop last week.
Trigmatic, as a guest on the award-winning Celebrity Fanzone show on GH One last Saturday described the GHAMRO’s decision as an attack on the church insisting that it is an ‘air-headed’, ‘lazy’ and an ‘unthinkable’ decision.
He stated, “I think that it is an air-headed decision, it is something that shouldn’t even be a thought, if Ghana has not been able to successfully collect TV licenses and other things, what shows they would be able to collect royalties? Which systems and mechanisms are they going to use in the first place?”
Trigmatic, who has described himself as a believer and an elder at church also argued that GHAMRO’s decision is simply a lazy way of extorting money from churches and an insult to his faith.
He stated, “I think it is a lazy way wanting to take money or extortion… I even feel and this is with no disrespect or anything to anybody, I feel like it is an attack on the church. What about the other places, you haven’t collected from, the other institutions night clubs, radio stations etc. I know churches even pay gospel musicians more when they are coming to perform in the churches. It shouldn’t have been thought of in the first place. I am a believer as well. It is an insult to my faith.”
It is currently unclear whether GHAMRO will go ahead with their plans and the mechanisms they have put in place for a successful collection of their royalties from the churches.
Celebrity Fanzone airs on Saturdays, 9pm on GH One TV.
