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Ghanaian Artistes Not Featured In List Of Wealthiest African Musicians?

By Martha Teiko Daitey
Opinion Ghanaian Artistes Not Featured In List Of Wealthiest African Musicians?
JUL 23, 2014 LISTEN

NOT even a single Ghanaian Artiste made it into the recently published list of the Top Ten Wealthiest African Musicians.The list however features four Nigerians, two Congolese, and an artiste each form Uganda, Mali, South Africa and Senegal.

Publishers of the findings used the same parameters as used by Forbes and Channel O in the recent past, endorsement value, popularity, show rates, sales, awards, YouTube views, appearance in newspapers, investment, social media presence, and influence amongst others.

The publications by Forbes and Channel O which were greeted with disbelief and widespread unacceptability had listed Sarkodie at number 8 on the list, published in September 2013.

Does Ghana's fallout in the latest list imply thatthere may be something wrong with the Ghanaian musician or is it the researchers who didn't get it right again this time round?

Have a look at the 'Top Ten Wealthiest African Musicians' while you ponder over that question. You could also compare it with the Forbes list and see which one is nearer the mark:

1. YoussouN'dour-Senegal: The legendary Senegalese singer born in 1959 tops the list. He is a talented percussionist, composer, businessman and politician. He is said to own the biggest media houses in Senegal, including radio and TV stations. He has served as Senegalese cultural ambassador and Culture Minister. Note: not on Forbes list.

2. P-Square- Nigeria: The singing duo of Peter and Paul sit in the second position according to Answers Africa on account of their various endorsements and returns on shows and tours. They are said to make over 150 thousand dollars per show. Their Ikeja crib is valued at 3M dollars and an annual $I Million contract with Globacom as brand ambassadors. The contract is for the next three years.Note: Rated third on Forbes' list with Don Jazzy in their place.

3. D'Banj-Nigeria: The Koko master who has now gone deep into entrepreneurship is rated the third richest in Africa. He charges over 100 thousand dollars per show and he is said to have a house in Atlanta, Georgia, USA worth more than 1.5M dollars.He has received several awards and reached No 2 on the UK R&B Chart in 2012.Note: Forbes rated him fourth in Africa.

4. Kofi Olomide -DR Congo: Real names, Antoine Christophe Mumba, born 1956 is 4th. The DR CongoleseSoukous star rakes in more than 100 thousand dollars per show. Reported charges up to 100,000 Euros per show. He has 7 albums to his credit, with one of them listed as the 1001 'Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'. Note: Not on Forbes list.

5. Salif Keita-Mali: Malian Afro-pop singer, born 1949 is a direct descendant of Emperor Sundiata Keita, founder of Mali Empire. He is known as the 'Golden Voice of Africa. 'Despite his royal heritage, Keita chose to exploit his talents and is well revered in Mali as a humble man. He is said to have a private island and estates in France. Note: Not on Forbes list.

6. FallyIpupa- DR Congo:Fally used to be part of Kofi Olomide's band before branching out on his own. He has several awards to his credit including the Kora and MTV Awards. Fallyis a poster boy for several clothing lines in Paris and is said to be a performer at sold out shows that fetches him a lot of money. He really is immensely rich. Note: Not on Forbes list.

7. 2face Idibia- Nigeria: Has 5 albums to his name while working on the 6th. 2Face has won over 40 awards, probably more decorated than any of his contemporaries. He has vast investment in real estate and earns around 50 to 80 thousand dollars per show. Note: 6th on Forbes list

8. Hugh Masekela- South African: Born 1939, Hugh is one of the most talented jazz artistes in Africa. The South African singer and trumpeter was once nominated for a Grammy award.Masakela owns a professional studio in Botswana and makes good money from his performance at major concerts across the world. Note: Not on Forbes list

9. Banky W: The widely acclaimed king of African RnB has made so much money not only from his musical career, but also via endorsements. He is currently the brand ambassador for Etisalat in Nigeria, Samsung in the West African region, among others. Note: 10th on Forbes list.

10. Jose Chameleone: Joseph Mayanja, popular reggae musician from Uganda is the biggest money-maker in Eastern Africa. He is credited with the awakening of Ugandan folk music in the 21st Century. He is said to have a spectacular fleet of customized exotic cars. Note: Not on Forbes list.

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