Artiste manager, Okoronkwo has disputed the assertion that artiste managers are just messengers who add no value to the makeup of artists.
According to the Berklee College of Music website, artiste managers guide every aspect of their client’s careers, counseling them on professional decisions and opportunities, overseeing their day-to-day schedules and activities, and representing their interests within larger productions and teams and getting paid for their work.
“As a manager, when you realize your artiste has become big, you need to take some courses to upgrade yourself. When that happens, the artiste sees the manager at a certain high level and accords him maximum respect.
“For a long time, artiste managers have been perceived to be messengers or ‘follow follow’ because they mostly employ their friends who don’t know anything about artiste management to handle their affairs. In such instances, the artiste easily fires them when they don’t see any development.”
Talking about artists parting ways with their managers at the peak of their careers, Okoronkwo whose real name is Ebenezer Adu Boahene said resentment sets in especially when the manager worked hard and made sacrifices when the artiste was not popular.
“Artiste management is a calling and if it’s not your work, you will always find it difficult. There are some artists who are difficult to work with and if you are not able to take charge of affairs, you will feel useless in the camp.
“That’s why it is always important to be a professional and let the artiste, irrespective of the status, appreciate your efforts to their career growth,” he noted.
