To those who wanted to chop off my head for writing in Flex newspaper
last two weeks that beleaguered musician Jerry John Anaba aka Kwadee
should quit music if he sought not to revert to his former mentally
challenged state, his mother has said on Peace fm in Accra last week
that she wanted her son to bail out of music.
Maybe, I was wrong for writing that he should quit music. Maybe the
mother was also wrong for saying so. Maybe we both just wish to
asphyxiate the talent of Kwadee because we hate him.
Sometimes, I get flummoxed by the fact that some people would want to
wax hypocritical about certain issues when in fact they know it bodes
ill for whom it may concern. I am not a doctor and haven't done any
medical test to ascertain the fact that Kwadee is mentally ill at
present but we are all privy to information that he has been mentally
sick before and was even admitted at a mental hospital.
It was said in the news that followed his ill-health that the young
man's state was as a result of smoking 'weed.' Marijuana is a
contributory causality to mental disorders like schizophrenia (a mental
illness in which a person becomes unable to link thought, emotion and
behaviour, leading to withdrawal from reality and personal
relationships), scientists say.
I am not a relative of Kwadee. I am not his friend. I have not met him
before so what is my problem? You are stranger in the world of showbiz
if you don't know that a majority of people in the industry, especially
the musicians smoke marijuana and use other drugs. If you happen to go
to shows especially at back stages, you will realize that they smoke
chimneys to 'high' themselves before going on stage.
This is one practice that can make it dangerous for Kwadee to get back
into music. Yes, I accept that he can as well be influenced even outside
music but let us face fact; he will be greatly predisposed to 'wee'
should he get back to music because he will be found in the midst of a
lot of his friends who smoke.
I have spoken so much about Kwadee's situation since it started but I
don't want to be seen as a prophet of doom. However, to prove the verity
in the basis of my proposition of him quitting music, I would wish we
intentionally do an experiment of cause and effect on Kwadee: He should
be allowed to do music for one year, so we all RECORD our conclusions as
to how his mental health will be affected.
After that, I am sure those badmouthing me will realize that it is
better for Kwadee to be out of music and be mentally healthy than be in
music and be mentally derailed. For if Kwadee does music and loses his
mind, what will he gain?
He cannot have a successful career if he is not well. There is a cause
to every effect and it will be advisable that we all help find solutions
to Kwadee's problem and make sure he is well than force him to do music
and predispose him to unfavorable conditions that will make him go back
to his former mentally derailed state.
Now to those who say, I wish to see Kwadee's talent die out, hence my
write ups enjoining his family to pull the reins on his music career, I
thank you so much. I guess you are right. I really wish that Kwadee get
out of music, otherwise my employers will not pay me again.
I am saying Kwadee should quit music because, if he doesn't, he may be
predisposed to marijuana which when he smokes will make him very fit and
healthy than he is now. He will then be able to churn out great hits
that will place him on higher pedestals and that will disable me from
writing articles again in my life.
Similarly, Kwadee's mum, I guess, per people's comments, doesn't wish
her son well by saying he should not do music again. Ironically, when it
happens that Kwadee still stays in music, it will make her mum poorer
that is why she wants him out of the music trade.
Have those insulting the woman thought of why she doesn't want the son
to do music again now and not earlier? Did anyone hear her say that
Kwadee should quit music when he was in his insouciant stage at the
beginning of his career?
While some of us are saying he should stop doing music, others think we
will be killing his talent if he does, and he will have no other source
of livelihood. They claim Kwadee is very strong and sound now and don't
believe that someone who has been on and off a couple of times anytime
he stepped the threshold of music can veer off again. So which of us
love Kwadee the most?
Dear reader, let us all pray for our brother Kwadee and let any other
musician who does drugs take lessons from Jerry Anaba's situation. It
can happen to anybody so let's us show true love when it happens and
stop being mischievous.
