It’s no secret that most artists and their managers mostly end their working relationship on a bad note with the exception of a few who pathways amicably. In current times, we have heard of Kwesi Ernest, the C.E.O of Media Excel Production and Zylofon signee Joyce blessing.
Speaking to a comment made by Kwesi Ernest about how managers do all the “dirty” jobs for their artiste on radio XYZ’s E-xtra show, Frank Ntiamoah Williams (Frank 360), a celebrity broker, brands and a communications person who was once manager for Bisa Kdei, Actor Edward Agyekum Kufuor (Son of former President Kufuor) and Communications Manager for Abraham Attah vented his spleen on some industry people who only wait for others to toil and bring up artistes just for them to come and whisk them away when it’s time for them to enjoy the fruit of their labor.
He first fumed at the behavior of some artistes as to how they pathways with their management, “The behavior of some artists when they become famous has made it difficult for people to want to manage or help unknown ones. When they are hungry to be at the top, they will be there, listen and take all the advice. They will follow the laid down plan but when they get to the top and become famous; start seeing money, they begin to act differently. Some easily forget what got them to the top is the laid down plan.”
Frank Wills after dishing out the artistes dose went onto some media persons who perpetuate the act, “The sad thing is some of our friends on Radio and TV who claim they are “celebrities”. Some will start calling your artiste and telling the artistes they can manage them better compared to what you who started the job can do and that they have friends here and there.”
He went on to question, “If you can do it better, why don’t you go in for an unknown artiste and make that person if you have the links?”.
He diagnosed the occurrence as a problem in the industry saying, “This is a problem, these people are career destroyers, they come and deceive these young talents. And the artistes too, as silly and ignorant as some are, they will allow themselves to be misled into it and that is the beginning of their failure” he stressed.
Speaking further, he said, “You work hard on an artiste, it’s time to reap your hard work and some so called Radio and TV personality comes to lie to the artiste. Go and check the number of artiste who have gone under the management of this so called Radio and TV presenters and check their progress, most of them have failed flat. This is because the person does not know anything about talent management. They only want you as access for them to travel and many reasons best known to them”.
In admonishing artistes, he said, “some of them are using you for visa acquisition; just to travel around whiles some of them are just using you to be famous. Others are just in because of your money, they don’t care about you. l repeat, They dont care about you.” He ended.
He therefore urged artistes, “If you are an artiste and you feel your manager is not that good, please have a sit down talk with him or her and get to an understanding of the issues or his reasons, don’t just break away. Even if you want to break away, do your best in a nice way so you depart with his blessings if possible”.
Frank 360 who on many occasions meet young talents and support them in the area of branding, had this to say in conclusion.
“Let me add that, this is not to say everyone who comes in to manage an artiste after the one who started is always not good. At a point, you need to move on to the next stage and every good manager who have you at heart will understand and let you go when you get to that stage. Don’t be deceived because arts is more spiritual than one can imagine”.
