Popular Ghanaian musician, Odartey Milla Lamptey, popularly known as Gasmilla, expressed his disagreement with Azonto being just dancing on 3FM Urban Blend. He opined that it is time popular dance is turned into a genre and adds that, just like Hip Hop and Highlife were once dance moves and now have become music genres. Azonto should also be made a music genre.
Gasmilla said: “…like “hipidipop” that is now Hip Hop. “Hipidipop” was a dance that went through a movement phase and is now a genre. Every genre goes through a phase. Azonto, as we have it, has gone through the dance phase, we have created sounds for the dance, and it has gone through a movement phase, so now all we need to do is to give it a chair. I remember in 2011 or 2012, Nigerians were awarded Azonto. They made it part of their awards schemes. I stand to be correct, but I think Highlife was a dance and a sound, so it always comes in that form, one takes the lead, and the other follows. So now I think Azonto has gone through the phases, so my question is, why are we not making it a genre?”
The “Telemo” hitmaker also believes that, despite the fading out of Azonto from the Ghanaian entertainment scene, the popular dance is not dead but is just not the focus at the moment.
“Azonto never died. It is like every product. It has a maturity stage where it is big and goes down a bit, then pops up again. So it is not dead, but rather it is making moves everywhere. It is growing,” he continued. “So azonto has never been dead, it has never gone anywhere, but it is not the focus at the moment, as everybody is into the afrobeat vibe. Also, now highlife is coming back.”
The musician also disputed claims that describe Azonto as a form of Hip Life. “Once we make Azonto a genre, dancers are going to eat, musicians are going to eat, DJs, everybody!”
Gasmilla explained his motivation for embarking on cleaning up campaigns as a Ga indigene’s responsibility to keep the land clean. He announced the release of his new single titled “Odo Nyom” which will be released on Friday, 7th of October, 2022.
Source | 3news.com
