Charma Gal bemoans Zim piracy
Thato Kala | Thursday November 13, 2014 10:53
Charma Gal signed a management deal with Diamond Studios, the Harare-based marketing management company, earlier this year to take care of her affairs in Zimbabwe, but after her recent visit to the neighbouring country, she fears their efforts may be made futile by piracy.
“I was in Zimbabwe recently, but I didn’t have much time to sit down (with Diamond Studios Management) and talk about my music.
“But they have started selling and, without a doubt, Zimbabweans love Botswana music. But the guys selling on the streets are the ones killing us,” she told Showbiz.
She added: “The company is trying its best to market my music there, but those who sell my pirated CDs in Zimbabwe are making it difficult.”
A top entertainment journalist in Zimbabwe, Lesley Zibonele Moyo, said he has seen Botswana music being sold by pirates for as little as US$1 (P8,50).
Moyo said: “I have seen music by foreign artists who are popular in Zimbabwe being heavily pirated on the streets. They sell each copy for as little as $1. Piracy is quite prevalent in our country and does not only affect foreign musicians, but also local artists. There is a huge syndicate running piracy in the country and involves a lot of players, and police officers are alleged to be part of it.” According to Moyo, Charma Gal, Slizer (Naledi Kaisara) and Vee (Odirile Sento) are some of the Botswana musicians whose music sells on the streets.
Moyo believes the Zimbabwean government has to enact stiffer laws that will deter these people from taking away the livelihood of the artists.
“The Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture in collaboration with other government agencies like the police; immigration must stamp out piracy and protect the interests of artists. Artists must also be innovative and come up with ways of making money through their art,” he said.
Meanwhile, Charma Gal said her focus is presently on the Culture Spears’ DVD for the album, Kulanche.
“We are working on our DVD and we should be done by end of this month. We are just coming from Tswapong where part of the shoot was done, some of it was shot in the Kopong area and in Mahalapye,” she said.
The Gaborone-based group, which was formed in Kasane almost a decade ago, has enjoyed a lot of success both locally and internationally.
They burst onto the music scene in 2005 with the much-loved album, Korone, which had trending tracks like Selonyane and Mmadikokwana.
They followed that up with Kulenyane, arguably one of the highest selling local albums in the country and made good sales in neighbouring South Africa.
Their third and fourth albums were Khudu and Kuweletsana respectively.