RB studios yet to start free recording of musicians

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Wednesday April 21, 2010 00:00

The Director of Information and Broadcasting Services, Mogomotsi Kaboeamodimo, confirmed that the initiative has not taken off pending finalisation of processes, before the department could then announce to musicians to take advantage of the recording studios.

He would not immediately say when the process will take off, but said the studio has been identified.In February last year, Cabinet directed that local musicians should be assisted by government to record their albums free of charge.

The presidential directive also wanted the local musicians assisted to penetrate international markets and this arrangement should continue until musicians are able to sustain themselves. The then minister (Venson-Moitoi) said they were yet to draw up the regulations and guidelines for recording musicians for free. 

'The first thing we are going to do is to set up committees where government officers, musicians, with the Botswana Musician's Union (BOMU) represented, will agree on what is best for them, because we want something that will serve the interests of the music community,' she said at the time.

She also said they were renovating one of the studios at the Mass Media Complex into a full-fledged recording studio, but said whether that idea will be enough will be best decided by committees that will be put in place to look at the implementation of the initiative. 

Venson-Moitoi said the initial thinking was that with those Mass Media Studios, they can help floppers as some established producers do not want to be associated with flops.

Meanwhile, BOMU officials could not be reached for their comment, as their cell phones were unreachable at the time of going to press.