admin Fred Zindi Music Column
Two significant events are taking place this week, both on Wednesday October 29. In Harare, the ZIMA Awards ceremony takes place on this day while the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe is set to hold their annual national arts indaba in Bulawayo from the 29th till the 30th of October. I have not been invited to either of these events although, in my humble opinion, I feel that my contribution would have benefited a significant number of artistes. I am therefore appealing to Cont Mhlanga, the director of Amakhosi Culture Centre and captain of the industry whom I am sure will be present, to speak on my behalf. Cont, I hope you will have time to read my input below. If so, please convey my Zim-Asset message to those attending the Arts indaba.
What Zimbabweans need to realise from the onset is that music is a powerful industry. The Beatles, in their heydays made billions of pounds through record sales and the economy of the United Kingdom experienced a big upward jump as a result. The UK tourism industry also rose because of its music industry.
In Jamaica, a single artiste, Bob Marley bequeathed the sum of US$46 million to the country’s economy in 1981. Imagine what would happen to our GDP if there were 10 Bob Marleys doing the same in Zimbabwe. Imagine how our economy would be boosted if a 100 Oliver Mtukudzis were doing the same. I have witnessed how Oliver Mtukudzi’s music is appreciated in South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Nigeria, UK, USA and so forth, but then, a prophet is not recognised in his own land. Is it not time that we gave priority to our Music industry and the artistes that create it in order to boost our economy?
I have listed below 13 points which I feel will assist the government’s Zim-Asset programme in order to boost the economy through music.
There is need to increase the scope and quality of support for artistes. This can be done in several ways such as:
Maintaining support for the continuing professional development of musicians and increasing funding for recording, creativity and new work.
Continuing to support professional musicians, teachers and organisations to develop and improve their professional practice and ability to deliver high quality music-making activities for the people.
Developing the music industry infrastructure in Zimbabwe, including key promoters, agents, venues and festivals.
Advising on management, publishing and recording contracts;
· maintaining support for our sector forum development programme, now encompassingZimdancehall music, sungura, traditional music, jazz and contemporary popular music and promoting Zimbabwe’s musicians internationally, and at many other national and international symposiums.
Secure the foundation of Zimbabwe’s artistic development.
A strategic review of the music industry should agree on funding in principle on a five year cycle where organisations which have a key role in creating and presenting work of high quality locally and nationally are presented.
A music centre should be created which will form both the major international information hub for the music industry in Zimbabwe and the repository of music created in Zimbabwe with archive and interactive hire facilities available on line. All internal enquiries on Zimbabwean music should be addressed by this centre;
Create flexibility to support the new and innovative efforts of emerging artistes.
An environment where the new and the innovative artistes can flourish should be created. A platform for new artistes to showcase their talents should be created, and a pool of project and programme funding, which will allow more flexible investment should be set up.
The following areas should be targeted.
Key promoters. This is where people like Josh Hozheri, Robert Zhuwao, Biggie Chinoperekwei and Partson Chimbodza together with the rest of music promoters throughout the country, should get together and formulate strategies on how music should be promoted in Zimbabwe.
Festivals and venues. Festivals should be held in all ten provinces where every artiste is given an opportunity to perform in front of thousands of people which will enable him/her to gain confidence while showcasing their new work and creativity.
New recorded works should be encouraged through airplay where radio stations play new weekly releases to show the progress being made in the industry.
Touring musicians through their promoters, should be encouraged to tour every province and showcase their musical skills.
Genre-centred music: Whether it is contemporary popular music, Zim dancehall, sungura, traditional music or jazz each genre should find its audience as the musicians tour around the country venues must be therefore be created for such genres. New pathways and support structures for young musicians, bands and acts who are engaging in music making independently through their own exploration should be developed through funding for all.
National Arts Council, instead of taking money away from artistes, should find alternative ways of supporting the arts. For instance, they could talk to Culture Fund and other non-governmental organisations as well as negotiating with the Government to increase its funding.
Give support for the union of musicians
ZUM aims to represent musicians, negotiate on their behalf and improve their standing within the music industry, and help individual members. They should be committed to trying to improve the “status and remuneration of musicians both absolutely and relatively”. Services to their members should include general benevolent assistance, sickness or accident benefit, legal advice (contracts advisory service), instrument insurance, assistance in recovering unpaid fees from music promoters, a Media Rights collection and distribution service, and regular seminars, clinics and workshops on the Music business. The union will require funding to advance these activities.
Build a culture of co-operation with partners and the arts community
There should be a forum that will continue to support and develop Strategic Music Partnerships in Zimbabwe.
Make the transition to Creative Zimbabwe.
The formal process of merging our roles and responsibilities with those of The National Arts Council should begin with the formation of a new board, whose members are drawn from experienced persons within the music industry.
Attempts to curb piracy should be made.
There is no doubt that music piracy affects record stores, record companies and their artistes. It is reported that online music piracy alone has caused some record stores sales to drop by 20 percent every year. Over 2,6 billion downloads of copyrighted music files have been reported worldwide on a monthly basis. Because music piracy continues to harm the industry, it means that both record stores and record companies have reduced income and the artistes have very little or no royalties at all. Further implications are that record companies begin to reduce their budget expenditures and may even get to the point of retrenching their staff. It also stifles their need to invest in new musicians. Strategies to stop this practice should be formulated.
Ensuring the safeguarding, respect and protection of the moral and professional interests of music industry practitioners through educational programmes.
Engaging in solidarity action financed in various ways to enable certain members, or future members, to have access to modern music management techniques and skills under the most favourable conditions and thus to foster such members’ collaboration with all progressive international music bodies.
Watching over and contributing to the respecting of the economic and legal interests of music industry practitioners and their clients, both in the local and international arena.
Working for the advancement of, and recognition of, the importance of copyright and the value of intellectual property not only in economic terms but also as the protector of culture and of those who create it.
Fostering the awareness of the importance of the rights of artists as the creators of copyright, and therefore of culture, of the essential role which managers play in protecting the rights and role of their clients in this regard, and by extension the essential role of especially featured artists as the generators of musical culture throughout the world.
Creating networking opportunities for music industry practitioners to exchange information and knowledge such that the professionalism and expertise of the community of music managers is enhanced and reinforced. If these suggestions are discussed and implemented many artistes will be happy campers.
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