Treat poets the same way you treat musicians – Nana Asaase

 Renowned poet, Nana Asaase has expressed utmost displeasure about how poets are unfairly treated by event organisers.

According to him, most event organisers take people in that sector of the arts are taken advantage of as they give them meagre amount of money or sometimes no gratification after performing at their events.

In a lengthy post on Facebook, Nana Asaase stated that poets should be paid accordingly because they are equally important as musicians.

“On no account should anyone disrespect another, especially, an artist, in this case. It irks me to observe how other young professionals tend to attempt and sometimes succeed in taking artists for granted. Never in the name of “Dumsor” would I countenance any such display of arrant disregard for our sacred art forms, one for poetry, in this specific case. Every worker deserves his wages, so does every artist and as a matter of specifice, every poet.

You might also have noticed how Poetry as an art form, is beginning to lend its various malleabitilies to various events and purposes in the country and beyond. From Weddings, through state banquets, to technology and agric events. It is refreshing to note that most event organisers in these spheres happen to be youthful…” portions of his post read.

Nana Asaase was unhappy that their craft is belittled by some event organisers to the extent to making it seem as though platforms given poets were in the interest of the poets.

“I have ever heard, ‘But is is “just” poetry’ on the other end of the call. Another one is, ‘It is just for five minutes’. That is the turning point in the action. If it is just poetry, just do it and just keep your money. Did I say money? Change. There is no calculator at the Ghana Stock Exchange that can quantify the components that go into “Just Poetry for Just five minutes”” he noted.

Adding that event organisers should, “Treat artists (poets) with that same careful detail you would treat the music names. Changing rooms, sound, communication, etc.”

Nana however commended all who are doing their best to keep the arts growing.