Featuring secular musicians on gospel songs is just ‘noise’ – Mavis Asante
If collaborating with secular artistes was the only way to win souls for the Kingdom of God, gospel musician Mavis Asante says she would not take that path. She holds strong reservations about such collaborations, insisting they are fundamentally wrong and amount to nothing more than “noise.”
Firm Stance on Divine Calling
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Monday, April 28, Mavis Asante—who recently made a comeback with a new single—was clear about her position. She emphasized that gospel musicians have a divine calling that should not be mixed with secular pursuits.
“First and foremost, what is the purpose and reason behind such a collaboration? Is it for fame? To win souls? For the hype and recognition or what?” she questioned.
Using a vivid analogy, she explained, “Just as a lawyer can’t be called to perform surgery, no matter how intelligent or famous he might be—and vice versa—a surgeon cannot defend anyone in court. That is my thought and belief.”
Popular Secular-Gospel Collaborations Not Enough to Convince Her
Ghana’s music scene has seen successful collaborations between gospel and secular artistes, resulting in memorable hits. Songs like Herty Borngreat featuring Sarkodie, Joyce Blessing featuring AB Crentsil, Yaw Sarpong and the Asomafo featuring Sarkodie, Lady Prempeh featuring Richie and Asem, and Nacee with Guru have all enjoyed wide appeal.
However, Mavis Asante remains unconvinced. She insists such partnerships are inappropriate because the mission of secular artistes does not align with that of gospel musicians, whose purpose is to focus on God, salvation, and spiritual matters.
Collaborations Dilute the Gospel Message
According to her, collaborations between gospel and secular artistes only create confusion and dilute the core message of the gospel.
“I believe it does nothing to the gospel message. I’ll term it as ‘noise’ in Mass Communication,” she stated.
Advice to Gospel Artistes: Stay Within the Fold
Mavis further advised gospel artistes who wish to reach a broader audience to collaborate within the gospel fraternity instead of looking outside.
“I think there are so many gospel artistes available for this purpose. I believe that before any collaboration, a gospel artiste must pray, fast and discern very seriously. Sometimes, saying no to certain desires—like the urge to have a secular artiste on your song—honours God more than any big-name collaboration could ever do,” she concluded.
