adminBongani Ndlovu Entertainment Reporter
PIRACY seems to be rife among artistes themselves. South African house music sensation, DJ Ganyani said they always sample each other’s tracks and use them with the producer knowing but it would have been done professionally. Responding to questions during a press conference held yesterday at Queens Sports Club, in Bulawayo, DJ Ganyani of Xigubhu fame, said piracy was a global problem that needed innovation to curb.
The press conference was for the Delta Beverages sponsored Woza 2014 Tight Party headlined by DJ Ganyani and 13 other local DJs. The local DJs include Mzoe, Black Cee, Mpho and Sibago.
DJ Ganyani tried to be diplomatic about the whole issue but what seems to be clear was that DJs take each other’s products, change them a bit and churn out hits.
“In all honesty there is nothing called an original. We take from each other and ‘chop’ the track in a way that even the producer will not know that we did,” he said.
Ganyani said the chopping should be done professionally and it has to be acknowledged.
“The problem is when people do not acknowledge that you have used another person’s track. But personally I have seen it happening,” said the DJ.
He said piracy was a global problem that could be curbed if pricing of CDs was pegged at the same level as pirated copies.
“Sony tried to come up with software that could stop people from burning CDs. They spent three months developing it but it took hackers a day to crack it.
“When you have a CD album costing 99 rands, but of that the artiste only gets 20 rands where does the rest go? So it is better for us to reduce the price to compete with the pirates,” said Ganyani.
He said last year people from his neighbourhood wanted to chop Mafikizolo’s Khona and put it on his album. “They chopped Khona and wanted to release it on my album and I said guys I don’t want problems with Oskido. I don’t want to be involved in this thing. However, if one tweaks the track in a certain way that even Oskido will say ah ntwana ungikhaphile. Then he will never say anything to you. He will know that you have copied him in a professional way,” he said drawing laughter from the crowd.
Winners of tickets: 1. Blessing Sibanda; 2. Athanasuis Ngano; 3. Maxwell Nyoni; 4. Kenneth Mkosi; 5. Hilda Tlou; 6. Tanyaradzwa Man’ozho; 7. Thabisa Dube; 8. Chiedza Mlingwa; 9. Spencer Biningu; 10. Thembi Ndlovu; 11. Bongiwe Ntuli; 12. Lucy Chivhorise; 13. Melody Ndlovu.
Online Reporter