Ghanaian musicians D-Black and E.L. have identified branding and the lack of a coordinated industry strategy as major challenges standing in the way of efforts to restore Azonto to the global music scene.
The two artistes believe the genre still has the potential to become a major Ghanaian musical export but say its revival will require musicians and other industry stakeholders to take collective ownership of the sound.
Speaking on Asaase Rush Hour with Elvis Crystal on Wednesday, September 23, D-Black said the international popularity Azonto enjoyed, particularly among Ghanaians living abroad, showed that the genre had the potential to reach a much wider audience.
He argued that Azonto could have developed further if artistes and industry players had worked together to promote and protect the genre when it was at its peak.
According to him, the absence of a common industry agenda contributed to the decline in the prominence of Azonto.
D-Black said musicians must therefore move beyond individual efforts and invest collectively in promoting Azonto as a distinct Ghanaian sound.
E.L., who also appeared on the programme, agreed but pointed to another obstacle: the perception attached to the word “Azonto”.
He said the name had, in some circles, acquired associations with being “ghetto”, “crass” and “street”, or with people of a lower social standing.
Those perceptions, he explained, could make the genre more difficult to market internationally, particularly where audiences were hesitant to associate themselves with the image attached to its name.
E.L. said he was not convinced that simply changing the name or deliberately rebranding Azonto would solve the problem, arguing that the music itself should be allowed to drive the revival.
He noted that he had previously attempted to reignite interest in the genre through a project known as Azonto Revival, but the initiative did not produce the expected results.
For E.L., a sustainable revival would require artistes to consistently create quality Azonto music and present it positively to audiences, alongside coordinated support from other players within the industry.
The renewed discussion comes as D-Black and E.L. prepare to release a five-track collaborative album titled Dancing Machine on September 30, 2026.
