Our industry structure doesn’t benefit upcoming gospel artiste – Kuami Eugene

Ghanaian musician Kuami Eugene, also known as the Rockstar, has revealed why he transitioned from gospel to secular music. During a recent interview on Joy Prime’s Changes show, the artist explained that the gospel music scene in Ghana struggles to support emerging talent due to its current structure. "The industry here in Ghana is not structured to benefit an upcoming gospel artiste," he stated.

Despite the challenges, Eugene noted that music genres like Afrobeats and Highlife, which have gained popularity on platforms like TikTok, are more likely to gain traction among younger audiences. He pointed out that Ghanaians often focus more on the outward appearance of gospel musicians rather than the depth of their messages, making it hard for them to make a significant impact.

"It’s difficult to breakthrough with gospel music because of how we’ve been in tuned to listen to gospel music. We judge everything. If a guy is singing gospel right now, instead of us to be socked in the presence of God, our attention is on the fact that he’s wearing a chain, or he’s radical to sing worship," he explained. While Eugene struggled to achieve the breakthrough he desired in gospel music, he found it easier to gain recognition after switching to secular music, where success is largely based on talent.

However, he emphasized that he still contributes to gospel music indirectly by writing and producing songs for other gospel artists. He also mentioned that some of his own tracks carry inspirational messages and retain elements of the gospel music style. Despite this, Eugene intends to include at least one gospel song in each of his projects, catering to his fans who appreciate his gospel-inspired music.

He has recently released a new track called 'Ajei', a lively and upbeat song that has already been well-received by music lovers.