My Music Career Was Killed After I Endorsed One Political Party – George Jahraa [Video]
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Ghanaian highlife legend George Jahraa has urged musicians to think carefully before endorsing political parties, citing his own experience as a cautionary tale. In an interview with Mike 2 on Adom FM’s ‘Entertainment Hall’ show, Jahraa reflected on the challenges he faced after showing support for an opposition party during former President Jerry John Rawlings’ regime.
“Every musician is a Ghanaian, and the constitution provides that everyone has the right to support a political party,” he said. However, he warned that aligning with a political party can lead to long-term consequences. Recounting his personal ordeal, Jahraa revealed that after performing for the opposition in 1992, his music career was significantly affected. “Since then, every song I did was not to be aired… I stayed home until Kufour came to power before my songs came out,” he recalled.
Jahraa explained that the endorsement hurt his music career, preventing his songs from being aired and limiting his international opportunities. “If not that, I would have been on the international scene. I was all over Africa… but it didn’t happen,” he lamented.
Reflecting on Ghana’s political landscape, the “Ashikele” hit singer highlighted the impact of the “winner takes all” mentality, cautioning artists to be aware of the political environment before engaging in endorsements. “Anyone in power can fight you, a musician,” he added, emphasizing the risks involved in mixing politics with a music career in Ghana. Watch the video below
Jahraa’s experience serves as a reminder to musicians of the potential professional risks tied to political endorsements.