The Ghanaian vocalist Wendy Shay has expressed the opinion that winning a Grammy should not be the only factor in determining a musician’s level of achievement.
Wendy Shay, while recognising the prestige that comes with receiving a Grammy, underscored the importance that transcends personal achievement is the transformative power of an artist’s compositions on individuals.
Wendy Shay remarked in an interview with Giovanni Caleb for the TV3 programme 360 that some Ghanaians regard the Grammys as if they were the World Cup, and she advised individuals to control their expectations.
She emphasised the potency of music and provided instances of legendary artists such as Tupac and Bob Marley, who did not receive Grammys but continue to have a significant impact on the annals of music.
“I believe that our Ghanaian brothers should exercise caution in their anticipations when they hear something of this nature, as they tend to perceive it as a world cup.” In my opinion, music transcends each of these matters. This is not being minimised: the Grammy is the preeminent honour in the realm of music.
“It is good to be recognised; we will all be pleased if, God willing, we win one day,” she said in an interview with Giovanni Caleb that broadcast on TV3’s 360 programme. “However, that should not be the end of the world if it does occur.”
“In my opinion, certain legendary musicians who have ever graced the earth, including Bob Marley and Tupac, did not receive Grammy awards; therefore, that should not serve as a benchmark.” Merely put, it should not serve as the criterion by which the accomplishments of a musician are evaluated. Due to its immense potency, music is the sole sustenance for the psyche. “And achieving happiness for even a single soul is the ultimate goal,” Wendy Shay stated.
Wendy Shay advocated against the exclusive reliance on Grammy awards as a metric for assessing an artist’s success among Ghanaians. She emphasised that music fulfils a more profound function by inducing joy in the psyche.
This discourse ensued subsequent to the 2024 Grammy Awards nominations, during which Ghanaian artists were conspicuously absent despite the considerable anticipation of their supporters.
Prominent artists such as Black Sherif and Stonebwoy, whose albums garnered critical acclaim, were conspicuously omitted from the list of nominees.
This omission sparked discontent and deliberations concerning the endorsement, advertising, and acknowledgement of the Ghanaian music sector.
