HE might enjoy all the attention that comes with being in the public eye but Highlife musician, Kumi Guitar's time in the spotlight has not been without its bumps which have sometimes been discouraging.

In a recent chat with Graphic Showbiz, Kumi Guitar admitted that he had had to double his patience and be more tolerant in order to deal with the negative stories he reads about himself.  

According to him, there have many times he has been disheartened by some of the stories about his person and brand but he ignored them because of the passion he has for what he does.

“People see you and think all is well with you because you are popular but the truth is that it is not easy. There have been many times that I have been devastated and hurt about stories and even comments about my person that I know weren’t true.

“However, it is difficult to stop them because you are a popular figure and everyone feels they have a stake in your life. It can be really frustrating but this is what we have signed ourselves up for so you need to brace yourself and move forward when it happens,” he stated.

Apart from that, Kumi Guitar also mentioned that losing out on awards has always been heartbreaking.

“I can’t imagine another song beating Dream in a category but that has happened many times. All this gets frustrating for me and then I ask myself, ‘how can Dream lose?’ Dream is a classic Highlife song so I expect it to beat all other competitors but when that doesn’t happen, I feel my efforts are not being appreciated.

“For instance, in our cultural setting, we wear white outfits for naming ceremonies yet, someone in black attire at the same ceremony is given the best dressed. That obviously is not right but that has been the situation with the various award schemes,” he stated.

With the current challenges of his record label, Zylofon, Kumi Guitar indicated that he was with new management who are working hard to grow his brand.

“Now, I am with new management but I’m still with Zylofon and the arrangement is fine with all the parties. We have two singles to release before the year ends and we are working towards releasing an album either this year or early next year,” he stated.

The Break Into Two artiste said he would love to work with Highlife veterans such as Pat Thomas, Gyedu Blay Ambolley and Nana Ampadu adding, “I will learn a lot from them."

Apart from music, Kumi Guitar disclosed that fashion designing is one area he would love to explore in the future.

“Fashion is a noble job because, without it, we will not be stylish so if given the chance, I would not hesitate to go into it. However, I would like to do it part time because music will always be a part of me,” he said.