adminAuxilia Katongomara Entertainment Correspondent
LOCAL music promoters have been urged to invest in local talent as well as abide by the country’s immigration laws to avoid embarrassment during the course of their business. Addressing promoters and artistes at a stakeholders meeting, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe director Elvas Mari said promoters play an important role in nurturing local talent.
“Promoters are business people, they are established to make money and they make money through local artistes.
“We have so many promoters registered with our organisation, but the majority of them think that promotion is all about bringing a foreign artiste to play into the country,” said Mari.
The arts boss bemoaned the use of local artistes as mere curtain raisers by the promoters.
“We have so many talented artistes in the country, but the problem with promoters in this country is that foreign artistes come first before their own artistes, why must our artistes play second fiddle to foreigners?
“The promoters have a social responsibility to invest in local talent and as the arts council we have noted with great concern this anomaly and we are saying charity begins at home,,” said Mari.
He said the regulation for promoters to work with local acts was a deliberate effort by the arts body to promote local talent.
Some of the promoters present at the meeting were Providence Films and Sounds director Jomo Mhone, Hella Hella Promotions and Possenti Sikhosana.
Mari urged promoters to adhere to the immigration laws to avoid embarrassment in future.
“As the arts council we are working hand in glove with Zimra and there are certain areas where we have managed get duty free agreement on musical instruments, but there are regulations that we cannot change. We have seen some foreign artistes being turned away at the border, due to lack of proper documentation and that is very embarrassing and promoters need to address such issues by acquanting themselves with the regulations of their industry,” said Mari.
He said the immigration laws also affected festival organisers.
“Just last week, we had a number of artistes who were turned away at the border, as the organisers had failed to acquire their permits in time and they had to go back to their country and this embarrasses not only the artiste, but the country as well.
“We have recorded a number of deportations at festivals because some the organisers want to take shortcuts or they are ignorant of what they must do before inviting foreign bands,” he said.
In 2011, South African poet Ntsiki Mazwai was deported after a performance at the Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo as she did not have a work permit.
Botswana artiste Slizer was also deported for the same reasons before a performance in the country.
Online Reporter