Media and fashion star Kofi Okyere Darko (KOD) has argued, "It is not all our musicians that must be on stage" to perform live versions of their studio songs.

A singer may be "amazing in the [recording] booth" and amass multiple hits "but you're probably not meant to be on stage," he doubled down.

The 1957 fashion brand creator bemoaned how "we force" numerous stars, local and international, on stage "because there's an audience," waiting, his point being it should not be so.

As support, he cited Daddy Lumba. Noting that the Highlife veteran is a "great musician, probably with the biggest repertoire in the whole of Ghana," he added, "but he's never done well on stage before".

"Lumba's never had a good day on stage," KOD stressed, revealing, also, he knew this for a fact because "I live with him. He won't get on the road and run ahead of an event. He won't go for rehearsals. Probably not even sound check."  

"There's an audience there that wants to see him," the radio DJ contended. "So we force him on stage, not because he wants to be there."

| Daddy Lumba 

Meanwhile, vocal coach Freeman Daniel Ame pushed back positing that for singers, just like other players of the performing arts, "the office is the stage, you must train for the stage". He added his point is proven by the fact that singers are not paid in the studio but rather "they pay you on stage". 

He said there was a price to pay. 

Noting Lumba's approach to live gigs, as reported by KOD, he said: "If he is not willing to pay the price, he's not going to look good on stage."

Coach Freeman encouraged singers to put in hours of practice, taking their craft as seriously as celebrated sportsmen do.

The conversation was had with Kwame Dadzie on Accra-based Joy FM's Showbiz A-Z programme.