Invariably the musicians never get paid. And when they are paid, they are paid far less than is reflected in the agreement between the promoters and the sponsors. That is not the only problem.
• Promoters organise music events and that is what they get paid for. They have no right to hold money for the payment of musicians or other artists.
• Sponsors give money for the promotion of their own products. The sponsors have the right to hold money for the payment of the promoters, the musicians and other artists.
• In the event that the sponsors appoint a promoter to facilitate the marketing of their product, the promoter should be compelled to show a signed contract between himself and the sponsor indicating that he or she is also employed to sign contracts on behalf of the sponsor. The sponsor should then demand contracts signed between the appointed promoter and each musician who will play, or a representative of the band that he is expected to perform with.
• The sponsor will pay money directly to the band or its members as may be agreed on fulfilment of the conditions of the contract.
This argument is predicated on the right of every person to work and to earn money for work done. Promoters do not play music. They organise events where music is played. They have a right to receive money only for their part in organising the events where music is played.
Musicians play music. They have a right to be paid in their own name for work done. It is understood that in the music business that the musician may demand a deposit to protect himself against the incidence of failure on the part of the promoter to do his job properly. Or against bad weather.
That is fair because the sponsor withholds the rest of the payment that is due to the performer until he or she has completed the work that has been agreed on. The punishment is that the musicians will not get his full day’s pay if he fails to perform as agreed, and in addition, he may be sued.
The argument is made because many musicians suffer as a result of promoters who spend the money that should go to the musicians on their own cars and houses. In the case of Botswana, they spend the money that should be paid to local artists on their friends from abroad. And then keep the change.
The promoters have perfected the art. Now, they keep the money from the sponsors in their own accounts so that it gathers interest. It is not unimaginable that a promoter may pay musicians at Festival X with interest accumulated from money that should have been paid to musicians at Festival Z.
Otherwise the promoter may claim that ‘the concert did not make money, so the musicians do not get paid’. This happens even when the event has been fully paid for by the sponsor.
As a result, brands like St Louis, Black Label, Old Buck, Lion, Mascom, KBL, Sukiri Monate and others suffer. They suffer because the promoters take short cuts to the sponsor’s money without working for it. The brands also suffer because unhappy musicians pass on their negative experiences with the promoters on to the wider market. ‘St Louis does not pay,’ they might tell other workers who drink that blend. “That is a cheap beer. That is why it has no kick”.
This is only the tip of the beer head. Some promoters organise to be robbed. They are not any worse than ‘band managers’ or ‘group leaders’ who take money that never reaches the artists.
As a rule of thumb, every effort should be made to ensure that every man is paid in his own name for work done. The musicians must demand it. BTV should be told the same.
