Renowned Ghanaian music producer, Appietus, has made a bold statement predicting that Ghanaians will soon engage in a battle with South Africans over ownership of the popular music genre, Amapiano.
Amapiano, a genre of house music with roots in South Africa dating back to 2010, has gained popularity and has been adopted by some Ghanaian musicians.
During an appearance as a special guest on The Chat, a show hosted by Ekow Koomson on Channel One TV, Appietus expressed his concern about Ghanaian artists imitating music from other countries instead of focusing on creating a unique musical identity.
Appietus, whose real name is Appiah Dankwah, pointed out that Ghana is known for its Highlife music but has seemingly abandoned it in favor of genres like Dancehall and Reggae, which are being contested with Jamaican artists, and Afrobeat, which is in competition with Nigerian musicians.
This lack of a distinct musical identity has left Ghanaians scrambling to claim ownership of Amapiano from South Africa, according to Appietus.
With frustration in his tone, the veteran sound engineer highlighted the issue by saying, “We have nothing so we keep fighting over what others have coined.
Yes, soon Ghanaians will start claiming ownership of Amapiano from South Africans.”
Appietus, who has produced numerous hit songs throughout his career, is well-known for his signature phrase “Appietus in the mix,” derived from the phrase “Appiahs’ Tools.”
