Ghanaian musician Gasmilla has questioned why Azonto has not yet been formally recognised as a music genre, despite the style travelling well beyond the country and influencing sounds and dance movements around the world.
He believes Azonto already meets the defining characteristics of a genre through its distinctive sound, movement and development over time. In his view, its impact on the global music scene demonstrates that it should be treated as more than a temporary trend.
Gasmilla pointed to MTV’s former music-video classifications as evidence that the style had already gained international recognition. Those categories included Highlife, hip-life and Azonto from Ghana, placing the sound alongside established musical identities.
Speaking on TV3’s The Afternoon Show on Thursday, October 8, 2026, he said Ghana needed to claim ownership of Azonto and play a leading role in its future development.
“Why is Azonto still not a genre of music recognized by the people that it came from?” he asked.
Gasmilla argued that formally defining the style would protect its origins while giving musicians in Ghana a clear foundation on which to build. He said the country should develop Azonto rather than allow other music cultures to draw from it without acknowledging where it began.
He cited Amapiano as an example of how a sound can develop into a recognised genre. In his view, Azonto could follow a similar path, creating opportunities for younger musicians to reinterpret and expand its musical identity.
The musician also said several sounds emerging outside Ghana appeared to have taken inspiration from Azonto. That influence, he argued, made it increasingly important for Ghana to identify, preserve and develop the elements that originated there.
For Gasmilla, recognition would involve more than assigning Azonto an official label. He sees it as a way to establish a lasting platform for future generations, allowing them to build on the style and carry it further onto the global stage.
