There is no doubt that Lucky Mensah is a talented musician. With a strong voice and good songwriting skills, he has managed to churn out several hit songs over the years.
Thus, it goes without saying that Lucky Mensah has paid his dues in the industry so it is a bit baffling he has not given too many live stage performaces like his contemporaries. And for this, he puts the blame squarely at the doorstep of the mafia in the Ghanaian music industry who have consistently sidelined some artistes in this country.
He hit the limelight over a decade but apart from the political platforms he has mounted, his live stage performances can probably be counted only on one hand and still have some fingers left.
“It’s been like that for years. There seems to be this industry mafia who make sure certain artistes never get the chance to perform at big events in this country. They are the ones who recommend artistes to perform and like they say to wit in Akan, ‘if your brother is part of it you are not sidelined’. And since I have no ‘brother’ in the mafia, I have been sidelined over the years,” he tells Showbiz in an interview recently.
For Lucky, it is such acts that are kiling some musicians’ careers in the country. Citing an example, he said a number of years ago, fellow Highlife artiste, Oheneba Kissi was fully booked for a number of shows and knowing he could not meet all his commitments, he called him (Lucky) and said he had told his manager at that time, Mark Okraku Mantey to put him on one of the shows.
“I waited for Mark’s call but it never came. Oheneba Kissi called me about six times asking if the call had come and I said no. Mark never called and I never got to perform at the event. If such things happen, how dow we expect the industry to grow?”, he queried.
According to Lucky, the ‘mafia’ is not the industry’s only problem. Lucky Mensah also blames the DJs and presenters who have a penchant for promoting Nigerian acts and their songs on their platforms to the detriment of Ghanaian music especially Highlife.
“Highlife is struggling because of lack of promotion. Most DJs in the country are interested in playing foreign songs. It’s only a few of them who are trying to support the industry. But we all have to rally together to bring Highlife music back to its glorious days because it is our own,” he said.
Lucky Mensah who is out with a new single Yen Ye Wo Den Nie and its accompanying video tells Showbiz, he intends to increase promotion in the coming days to ensure he has another hit on his hands.
His involvement in politics has seen him receive a lot of criticism from all sides. He has been accused of supporting both political parties for monetary gain but he has rubbished those claims explaining that he is a self made man.
“Music hasn’t disappointed me at all. I have made money through it. I have also travelled and worked in a lot of countries. I had my own houses before I supported the NDC. Those who say that don’t know what they’re saying. I am used to these things now so they don’t bother me much.”
For now, Lucky is focusing on reviving his career again and says he will release his new album very soon. “I have written a lot of songs and I will release them soon for Ghanaians to know that Lucky Mensah has not gone down. I am still very much in the game,” he said.
Some of the songs he has to his credit include Aduu Sumo Akwadu, Come Back To Me, Wo Te Akoma, Bottom of My Heart among others.
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