Adwoa Saah, former Ghana’s Most Beautiful contestant turned media personality, has alleged that African musicians — Ghanaians in particular — often need powerful connections in the United Kingdom just to land an interview on BBC 1Xtra.
Speaking on Entertainment Review on Peace FM with Ola Michael on Saturday, March 21, Adwoa claimed that many African artists are forced to rely on “big people” and industry insiders to lobby on their behalf before the platform will grant them airtime.
By contrast, she argued, international acts from other regions are sometimes invited directly by the station and subsequently featured prominently across its main channels — a courtesy she says African stars are rarely extended.
The remarks have reignited conversation within Ghana’s entertainment industry about the barriers African musicians face when trying to access major international media platforms, and whether those platforms should be doing more to create direct pathways for African talent.
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This is not the first time Saah has weighed in on the subject. She has previously been outspoken about what she sees as a misplaced fixation among Ghanaian artists on chasing flagship outlets like BBC 1Xtra while neglecting the UK-based Ghanaian and African diaspora media — community radio stations, TV channels and online platforms — that are more readily accessible and arguably more impactful for building grassroots support.
In past interviews, she has been blunt in her assessment, warning that BBC neither knows nor particularly concerns itself with artists who haven’t first done the groundwork closer to home.
Her latest comments suggest that frustration remains, and that the conversation about how African artists navigate the international media landscape is far from settled.