GREATER ACCRA, GHANA (www.georgebritton.com) – In recent times, an artiste’s musicianship is determined by how they perform with live musical instruments, this development has garnered a section of entertainment critics talking, including veteran Ghanaian highlife musician Rex Owusu Marfo, professionally known as Rex Omar who has urged professional musicians to buckle up and take their live band performances to a more distinctive level.
According to the legendary recording and performing artiste, real musicians perform with live band to prove and showcase their artistry prowess and vocal dexterity, adding that, performing with the band enhances the artiste’s vocal accuracy. In contrast, live music provides energy and excitement with a visual impact that simply cannot be duplicated with recorded music.
He made this statement on Facebook as an answer to a question – “Must every artist perform with a live band ?” asked by a social media commentator, Eric Toscar. Rex Omar highlighted that, the keys to a memorable event are the sights and sounds generated as the celebration unfolds, explaining that, a live band is stimulating — it is visual, original, active, able to generate energy that the audience can feel, and composed of a group of “real” musicians that your guests can celebrate with.
The “Abiba” hitmaker revealed that, the country has lost it sense of appreciation when it comes to music which makes it look like anything goes. According to him, Live performance is not meant for only the lead artiste, but the interest and fascination is when the entire mechanism as to how the various musicians are able to blend to make patrons hear the song exact as it is on the phone or CD and sometimes with even better arrangements.
Rex Owusu Marfo revealed that, most artistes are not able to achieve a successful live band performance without going off beat or most times off key, adding that, professional musicians will never feel comfortable miming to a CD unless that particular event is just not meant for live performance, but a major platform where you have access to everything live, the artiste is mandated to play with the band.
Rex Omar first rose to prominence in 1989 with the Aware Pa album which also included the track, Wodofo Ne Hwan? Following this, in 1992 he formed the Highlife Supergroup Nakorex together with fellow Highlife artists Nat Brew and Akosua Agyapong, the group’s name being an acronym made up of the first letters of each member’s name. He then pursued a solo career. In 2004 Omar was nominated for a Kora award, and in 2005 he was nominated as Artiste of the Year in the Ghana Music Awards.
Following the break-up of the group he eventually became the head of the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO), and in his role as an advocate for greater copyright protections for Ghanaian musicians successfully lobbied president John Agyekum Kufuor to withhold asset to the new Copyright Bill in order for protections to be strengthened. He has also called for greater protections for the Ghanaian music market from foreign competition.
