Gasmilla: It’s wrong to categorise musicians by music genres

GHANAIAN musician Gasmilla has issued a strong caution to music enthusiasts and industry players against the practice of categorising artistes into specific music genres or styles.

Gasmilla strongly held that this rigid practice of assigning artistes to specific musical spaces hampered their ability to evolve and innovate and similarly limited their potential for artistic growth.

Speaking in a recent interview with Graphic Showbiz, he pointed out that creativity thrives when artistes are free to explore and adapt to various music genres, instead of being confined to a particular category.

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"I don’t think people should box artistes into one style of music. That singular act kills creativity. I, for instance, may have the skills to explore other areas and put my artistic prowess to the test.

“Putting me in one style of music will kill my creativity. In fact, this act of saying this artiste belongs to this space or that space alone kills creativity, and we must put a stop to it," Gasmilla said.

“I believe there are musicians who can fit perfectly into different genres or styles and still deliver perfectly. Let us not harbour the mentality that a musician has to chart just one path. What if exploring other genres is what will work for them?” he asked.

According to the Telemo singer, most musicians are at their best when they're free to express themselves across a spectrum of styles and genres. He emphasised the need for a more open and inclusive approach to music that allows artistes to explore their full creative potential.

He explained that creativity thrives on versatility, and artistes should be encouraged to break free from the confines of a single genre.