Ghanaian music duo Lali X Lola are set to release a new single titled “Mad Over Me” soon, marking their first single of the year ahead of their much-anticipated Fire and Flow 4: The Kamakazi Edition concert slated for 1 August at Alliance Française Accra.
Speaking in an interview with Elvis Crystal on Asaase Radio’s Rush Hour show, the duo — Patricia Delali Dake and Trysha Wolali Dake — disclosed that the upcoming song was produced by their younger brother, Rappidd.
According to the duo, they traditionally release a project ahead of their annual concert, and “Mad Over Me” is expected to set the tone for this year’s edition of Fire and Flow.
Beyond their upcoming release, Lali X Lola also revealed growing concerns about what they describe as huge financial losses suffered by Ghanaian artistes due to foreign withholding tax systems tied to international music streaming platforms.
The duo disclosed that they have published an open letter addressed to John Dramani Mahama, urging government intervention to help recover what they estimate to be “hundreds of millions of dollars” lost over the years through withholding taxes imposed by countries such as the United States.
Speaking on the same programme, they explained that Ghanaian musicians earning revenue from major digital streaming platforms could lose as much as 30% of their income because Ghana lacks protective tax agreements or frameworks for creatives operating internationally.
They further estimated that over US$100 million may have been withheld from Ghanaian artistes over the decades.
“We don’t have to borrow from any other sector, let’s go for the money which is already there and we are talking about 30% which has been accumulating over the span of 10 years and I’m talking about hundreds and millions of dollars and it comes back to our industry.
“And we’re able to put it into funding certain things to improve our structure and even export our sound so these are the things we think our President should know about,” Lali said.
The duo added that they have already written to institutions including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Clerk of Parliament but are yet to receive any response.
Despite the setback, Lali X Lola say they remain committed to educating industry players on the issue and advocating reforms that could protect Ghanaian creatives from losing substantial earnings abroad.
The pair are also nominees in the Best Group of the Year and Music for Good categories at this year’s Telecel Ghana Music Awards.
Reporting by Elliot Selorm Agbedor for Asaase News in Greater Accra
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