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THE media, both print and electronic, is not supporting yester-year musicians, hence most of them are struggling and suspending their careers for other ventures. These are the views of veteran musician, Patrick Mukwamba.
Mukwamba believes the media is giving too much attention to upcoming musicians at the expense of the veterans, a situation which he said had led to some of them taking a back seat in the industry.
The Jonasi Wapenga Nayo Bonasi hit-maker, said he was fully behind the move by another veteran musician, Hosea Chipanga to relocate to Namibia after he found the going tough on the local scene.
“The media is turning its back on yester-year musicians and this has negatively affected us.
“We need the support of the media to remain viable in the industry or to resuscitate our careers.
“Media coverage and air play is now mainly focused on upcoming musicians especially dancehall.
“You (media) have created pages for one type of music, why can’t you also have pages for other genres.
“Yes, dancehall is the genre of the moment and to every journalist it is the in-thing, but this has affected some of us.
“Not many media people want to follow up on yester-year musicians, munotya kunzi makasara ukanyora zvemadhara!
“What Chipanga did is the best decision for his career. You go where you are appreciated.
“I think there is media hype for him in Namibia which he was no longer getting here. This is the same route that Devera Ngwena Jazz Band took and they have settled in South Africa where they are being treated well.
“I once contemplated setting base in Mozambique because we were feted like kings each time we had a tour there in the 80s and 90s and in the situation I am in now I regret why I didn’t set base there,” he said.
Turning to his come-back album, Call me back, the 70-year-old musician, said it was well received and the airplay was fair.
He claimed that his fans from as far as Australia, Canada and Germany were inquiring on how they could access the album.
“Call me back was well received by both the media and fans. I discovered that I was doing a disservice to my followers when I took a break from music. I am working with my studio so that we can make my music available online so that my fans scattered around the world can access it.
“I am getting enquiries from as far as Australia, Canada and Germany,” said Mukwamba.
Online Reporter