As Ghana’s music trade continues to broaden as a result of elevated digital competitors, the demand for streaming, and the demand for originality, a bunch of visually impaired musicians are carving out a singular house for themselves by way of stay efficiency, self-discipline, and artistry targeted on inclusivity.
The Visionary Rhythm Band is made up solely of visually impaired musicians and says its journey started with a easy school-based musical exercise on the College for the Blind in Akropong, which later developed into an expert group.
In an interview at Prekes Studio, Isaac Ansah, the group’s supervisor and pianist, generally referred to as Compa, mentioned the band was fashioned out of a need to rework their pupil expertise right into a structured musical identification.
“All of us went to the college for the blind in Akropong,” Isaac Ansah mentioned after introducing the workforce members.
He defined that the concept got here to him throughout his college days, when music was not handled as a particular exercise, however as an equally necessary a part of schooling and private progress.
“The thought of utilizing our skills to return collectively as a workforce, specific what we have now primarily based on our skills, and promote cross-cultural understanding got here to us in school,” he added.
He mentioned the group’s formation in 2019 was additionally a response to broader challenges within the music trade, the place many rising artists battle with visibility, entry to a platform and competitors from an more and more commercialized mainstream sound.
Isaac identified that whereas the trade is presently pushed by streaming numbers, social media presence and fixed content material manufacturing, bands are targeted on enhancing stay efficiency and musical range as a aggressive benefit.
He additionally mentioned their method is to by no means see incapacity as a limitation, however as half of a bigger dialog about inclusion in leisure.
Visionary Rhythms Band continues to develop its presence whereas championing folks with disabilities, establishing themselves inside an trade the place entry, illustration, and sustainability are ongoing challenges for a lot of musicians.
