Segment: Take It to the Next Level But Give Credit - Don't Dismiss the Sacrifice That Built Culture

Summary

Konnected Minds Podcast

Episode Segment: Take It to the Next Level But Give Credit - Don't Dismiss the Sacrifice That Built Culture
Host: Derrick Abaitey
Guest: Aquaba
Date: April 6, 2026

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Episode Overview

This segment delves into the history and evolution of the nightlife and music promotion scene in Ghana, focusing particularly on the pivotal December events, the rise of Afrobeat, and the significant—yet often overlooked—contributions of Ghanaian promoters and DJs. Guest Aquaba reflects on decades of dedication, the sacrifices made to pioneer the vibrant December in Ghana festivities, and calls for recognition and respect for the foundational work that has built today’s thriving cultural landscape. The discussion also explores the relationship and sometimes competitive dynamics between Ghanaian and Nigerian promoters, emphasizing the importance of giving credit where it's due as the culture continues to grow.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Growth of December in Ghana

• Foundation of Nightlife Culture

  • Aquaba explains how the Ghana nightlife scene evolved with new clubs appearing alongside older ones like Boomerang and Aphrodisiac.
    [00:00]

    "Whenever you hear Aquaba is coming to Ghana, Most of the DJs here, they want to be on the bill... the nightlife scene kept on growing."

  • Importance of opportunities for DJs and local talent at events, fostering a collaborative environment.
    [00:00]

    "By me booking XYZ DJ and putting them on an Aquaba event, also give them endorsement. As well as giving them endorsement, they also form their fan base."

  • Acknowledges that while he didn’t coin the term "Detty December", his persistent efforts since 1999 laid the foundation for its popularity and significance.
    [00:31]

    "The contributions and the belief and the confidence I had to do it year after year since 1999 without a break has played a major part."

• Evolution of December Culture

  • December now includes a wider, younger generation (Gen Z) and benefits extend to people and industries beyond Ghana.
    [00:31]

    "December again is taking us to the Gen Z situation whereby other countries, other people are benefiting. Ghana is benefiting. Ghana is winning."

2. Struggles for Recognition and Giving Credit

• Lack of Personal Recognition

  • Aquaba laments that his name is often left out of the narrative despite his contributions.
    [01:35]

    "My name has never been in the story. I don't know why... A lot of people don't want to give credit where it's due."

  • Emphasizes the role of predecessors and collaborators, particularly the group 90%.
    [01:45]

    "I prefer the credits to go to 90% and Aquaba, the two. I can never tell my story without mentioning 90%."

• The Necessity of Self-Advocacy

  • Sometimes, those who contribute the most must tell their own stories to ensure the truth is known.
    [02:25]

    "It's life. Sometimes you have to tell your own story. It's up to you to tell your own story."

3. Challenges and Gatekeeping in Music Promotion

• Barriers in Mainstream Acceptance

  • Early on, Afrobeat faced resistance—requirements such as 80% English lyrics for radio play and limited club access. [02:34-03:36]

    "Another challenge we had with Afrobeat music... was a time that 80% of the lyrics in the music has to be English before we could put on mainstream radio."

  • Ghana’s pivotal but under-recognized role in the evolution of Afrobeat. [03:47]

    "Ghana needs to get a credit. Whatever Afrobeat has come from, it's been good for Africa."

  • Recognition of Nigerian artists’ and promoters’ major contributions but stress on the multifaceted, cross-border nature of Afrobeat’s growth. [04:26-04:45]

    "Two Face. That combination... I think that time African was ready. And Nigerian artists played a major role."

4. Rivalry and Collaboration - Ghanaian and Nigerian Promoters

• Response to Nigerian Promoters’ Criticism

  • Guest reacts strongly to a Nigerian promoter’s claim that Ghanaian promoters are “lazy.”
    [05:02]

    "That's very cheap of him. Very, very cheap of him."

  • Praises Nigerian promoters who have worked hard and played major parts, like Solomon Savage, DJ Abbas, Kokobar.
    [05:02-05:53]

    "Solomon Savage, one of the greatest Nigerian promoters... Cocoa played a major part in Factory 78. Fact... These are household Nigerian promoters that were also doing great, great stuff."

  • Pushes back against revisionist history and the erasure of Ghanaian efforts, highlighting personal and collective investment and sacrifice. [05:49-07:54]

    "You just came along, pick up the pieces and you’ve done a good job... Please stop punching Ghanaian promoters because most Ghanaian promoters... majority of our investment is our own private money."

• Call for Unity and Respect

  • While competitive dynamics exist, it’s vital to recognize, not erase, the sacrifices of those who paved the way.
    [08:10]

    "Take it to the next level. Take it to the highest level. I'm happy for that. But when you start to dismiss what is being done, that's a problem."

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Building a Scene Alone:

  "My name has never been in the story. I don't know why... A lot of people don't want to give credit where it's due."
  (Aquaba, 01:35)

• On Cross-National Collaboration:

  "Ghana needs to get a credit. Whatever Afrobeat has come from, it's been good for Africa."
  (Aquaba, 03:47)

• On Dismissing Pioneering Sacrifice:

  "Do not dismiss what has been done before. Take it to the next level. Take it to the highest level. I'm happy for that. But when you start to dismiss what is being done, that's a problem."
  (Aquaba, 08:10)

• On Promoter Rivalry:

  "You just came along, pick up the pieces and you’ve done a good job... But please stop punching Ghanaian promoters because... majority of our investment is our own private money."
  (Aquaba, 07:54)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Origins and Evolution of Nightlife & December Culture: 00:00 – 01:19
• Recognition Struggles & Paving the Way: 01:19 – 02:30
• Afrobeat’s Growth & Mainstream Challenges: 02:30 – 04:45
• Nigerian-Ghanaian Promoter Dynamics & Giving Credit: 05:02 – 07:54
• The Importance of Legacy and Respect: 08:10 (Concludes segment)

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Tone & Takeaway

The conversation is passionate, candid, and sometimes confrontational, reflecting deep pride in the journey and sacrifices made. The episode offers a call to acknowledge those who laid the groundwork, balancing respect for new innovators alongside fierce advocacy for unsung pioneers.

Final message:
Take it to the next level, but always give credit to the sacrifice that built the culture.

Transcript

[Aquaba]

We also gave opportunity to DJs in Ghana. Whenever you hear Aquaba is coming to Ghana, Most of the DJs here, they want to be on the bill. They want to follow where Aquaba. It was cool, you know, before it wasn't, but it was cool. The nightlife scene kept on growing. Nightclubs like Aphrodisiac were coming through. Firefly, I commissioned so many nightclubs, but nightclubs were coming through whereby you still had the old nightclub like Boomerang, you know, some of them I've already mentioned.

[Interviewer]

You genuinely believe that fundamentally your role in December in Ghana has birthed 30 December?

[Aquaba]

Yes. The contribution I made, contribution I made because you got to remember this is something we were doing. We had a nice, we had a nice life. Now in Ghana, I didn't give the birth, the name 30December, didn't give the birthday December in Ghana. The aspirants coming to Ghana was something that I know that the contributions and the belief and the confidence I had to do it year after year since 1999 without a break has played a major part. And I'm happy for the Tthati December as well. December again is taking us to the Gen Z situation whereby other, other countries, other people are benefiting. Ghana is benefiting. Ghana is winning. But other people too also winning. So it comes back to the name of Dirty December. I don't have any problem with the name Dirty December. I still call my event December in Ghana anyway. But I think it's cool, you know, sometimes to, to label things as well. There's nothing wrong with it.

[Interviewer]

This is like the first time I'm hearing this.

[Aquaba]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

But I, I remember times when chartered flights were taken to Ghana.

[Aquaba]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

People were paying into it.

[Aquaba]

Oh yeah.

[Interviewer]

And you know, they'll come to Ghana and I. That I wasn't able to come some because I didn't have.

[Aquaba]

Have the money.

[Interviewer]

But your name is not in the story.

[Aquaba]

My name has never been in the story. I don't know why. You know what, I'll be honest with you. A lot of people don't want to give credit where it's due. A lot of promoters, a lot of DJs. I've come through what I've established. I've come through what I have contributed towards to. I keep saying the word paving the way, you know, by me booking XYZ DJ and putting them on an Akwa by event. Also give them endorsement. As well as giving them endorsement, they also form their fan base. Don't forget they're all good DJs, they are good promoters. We all now all share in the same space. A lot of people don't want to give. This is the guy. I don't even look at it as me. This is the guy. I prefer the credits to go to 90% and Aquaba, the two. I can never tell my story without mentioning 90%. If 90% didn't give me the wisdom, the knowledge, the experience that went through, I wouldn't even think I would have carried on doing Aquaba.

[Interviewer]

Why people struggle to give you their credit.

[Aquaba]

It's life. Sometime you have to tell your own story. It's up to you to tell your own story.

[Interviewer]

Because when we speak about even Afrobeat in the uk, yeah, yeah. Your name doesn't come in the picture.

[Aquaba]

Yeah, you miss with your DJ Benji's name, but not my name. But if I'd not done that demo tape to go on to choice of him, you know, finding the right music to put on choice of fam. Because another challenge we had with Afrobeat music, what people don't to understand is there was a time that 80 of the lyrics in the music has to be English before we could put on mainstream radio. So I had to do my research, you know, listen up to music that could be able to. I think I. I use. One of the music I use at the time I think is Water Sweet Dreams. Okay. If you listen to Water Sweet Dreams, majority of the lyrics in there is mainly English. You know, let's not forget we had a francophone music at the time. We had it well before. We are the magic system. We are the awilo, we are the Apawemba Yusuf Ndo. No, the list goes on. But the francophone music was just, you know, was not being played on mainstream radio at the time. So if I think of all of this in the challenges and has not been accepted. You can't play African music in nightclubs, you know. And I'm like, no.

[Interviewer]

Well, I mean, it's one thing you personally and your group not getting the credit, but it's another thing when the entire Ghana, it doesn't get a credit for its contribution to Afrobeat.

[Aquaba]

Ghana needs to get a credit. Ghana needs to get a credit. Whatever Afrobeat has come. I'm not sitting here saying Afrobeat. No. Wherever Afrobeat has come from, some is being good for. For Africa, whether it's from Nigeria, which we all believe to be. They've played a major part. The Nigerian artists have played a major part. Look, I will sit down and say that song from the Banch Oliver Twist. Okay, Oliver Twist.

[Interviewer]

But even before you talk about Oliver Twist, right?

[Aquaba]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Take it back to Ben TV time when we had Tongolo. Yeah, we had Styles.

[Aquaba]

Class. Yes.

[Interviewer]

Olufumi. We had.

[Aquaba]

We had Tony Tetula.

[Interviewer]

There you go.

[Aquaba]

Yeah. Two Face. Yeah, Two Face. That combination. We are Two Face. Another. You're my African queen again. If you listen to the lyrics, there's a lot of English in there. So I think that time African. African was ready. African was ready. And Nigerian artists played a major role. I'm not gonna sit down here.

[Interviewer]

So recently there was. Before we talk about some of the artists you've worked with and, you know, we'll talk about some of the challenges, the money aspects. There was a Nigerian promoter, okay, who. Who was in Ghana was. Had an interview and said that majority of Ghanaian promoters in the UK are practically. He used the word lazy.

[Aquaba]

That's very cheap of him. Very, very cheap of him. Let me start off by giving some credit to some of the Nigerian promoters I've worked alongside Solomon Savage, one of the greatest Nigerian promoters. Not many people talk about it. Solomon at that time was putting on good R and B shows. All the big artists from Mary J. Blige to Jody C, Keith Sweat favor. MC Solomon as a Nigerian promoter was doing that. Then we had the likes of Abbas, DJ Abbas, DJ Abbas. Then we had the likes of Casey and let me even go further and give Nigerian Corner at a carnival, something which I've wished. If in Ghana we had Nigerian corner, IO and his team, Black Knight, JGC 419. I mean, there's a lot of Nigerian promoters that have worked and they, They've been good. How can I even forget Cocoa? Cocoa played a major part in Factory 78. Fact.

[Interviewer]

There you go, lan, DJ lan.

[Aquaba]

Here we go. You know, you see the roles in which Kokobar is played. I. I don't even hear. I don't hear a lot of credit being given to Cocoa as well. But these are household Nigerian promoters that were also doing great, great stuff. You know, they took it to the next level. You know, they took it to the next level. So to hear a fellow promoter who has not even been through the struggle, he wasn't there. When we're being told, you're Africans, you're not allowed to come to the nightclub African Booboo. Where was he? Did he know the struggle that we had to do to make it fashionable even in the. In the industries, going to some of the record labels? Does he know what it took as 90% as a group to be going to nightclubs, getting turned away to be going to venues, getting turned away to where we are today. So if he's got a platform, instead of giving us credit, which I'm, I'm giving credit to all the Nigerian promoters out there, why come and why come and call a cheap shot and say Ghanaian promoters are lazy?

[Interviewer]

He seems to always be punching you all the time.

[Aquaba]

Every time he gets a chance to give an interview, he has a date. I'm sorry, brother, you didn't go through what we went through. You just came along, pick up the pieces and you've done a good job. All your connections, what you're doing, you've done a good job. But please stop punching Ghanaian promoters because most Ghanaian promoters, I know myself, Alodia west coast and the new ones that are coming through, majority of our investment is our own private. Is our own private money. So whereby you've been gifted with the numbers you've got, with the brilliant artists you've got and you're doing well, encourage the next people rather than saying Ghanaian promoters are lazy. That's a cheap talk. That's for him, just trying to get, get some clout. And he's always been that way, trying to make himself look cool, like he's the one who's giving birth to all this Afrobeats that's going on. He was not there. Was he there when we got turned away from the radio station? Was he there? No. He didn't even know how come Afrobeat music. Did he know the struggle? DJ Brent here had to go and make sure he's playing from playing 4am, 2am 12 and sticking through. Come on, let's give people the credit where it's due. That was just a cheap, cheap comment by him. Very cheap. And I'm, I'm disappointed in him.

[Interviewer]

This promoter works with some of the Ghanaian artists as well.

[Aquaba]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

And when Ghanaian artists work with him, yeah, they tend to break some boundaries compared to when they work with some of the Ghanaian. You agree?

[Aquaba]

I agree. And that's good. That's very good. Again, it's good for the culture. You are taking it to the next level. But don't dismiss what's been done before. You get me? Do not dismiss what has been done before. Take it to the next level. Take it to the highest level. I'm happy for that. But when you start to dismiss what is being done, that's a problem. Connected Minds podcast.