BOMU keen to better artists' welfare - Ntsie

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Wednesday September 7, 2011 00:00

BOMU spokesman, Pagson Ntsie, told Showbiz that they are determined to address the plight of local artists.

Top of the agenda is the issue of local musicians' welfare.  The outspoken official said one of the issues that they were concerned with was that of the burial of musicians.  

Ntsie decried that some musicians could have been given pauper burials if it were not for the intervention of the association and other sympathisers.  He spoke about some instances when the families of the deceased artists appealed to BOMU to assist them to bury their departed ones.

'We are concerned about the manner in which artists are buried.  In the past, we were forced to help families of artists who died,' the BOMU official said.  As a result of this development, they want to set up a task force, which will look at the social welfare of artists.  Such a task force could even encourage artists to take insurance funeral covers.

In addition, they are also going to conduct workshops to educate artists about their rights.   They are intending to rope in financial and other experts at the workshops, who will teach artists on how to operate as professionals.  Artists will also be drilled on the importance of hiring managers and other professionals to run the business side of their musical careers. 'We will teach them how to conduct business.  We have realised that some artists do not conduct themselves in a professional manner.  Nobody will respect us if we do not respect ourselves,' Ntsie stressed.Another issue that they will put emphasis on is that of behavioural change.  'We are going to request professional counsellors to address the issue of drug and alcohol abuse as well as sexual behaviour.' Ntsie said; adding: 'artists should be leading by example; they are considered to be role models for the youth.' 

The BOMU official said they are planning a number of workshops; revealing that some of the workshops would be sponsored by the Department of Arts and Culture.

Another area of concern to BOMU is that of music piracy.  Ntsie said even though there was a law that dealt with piracy, the police did not seem to be doing much.  'This is just a law like any other but the police are not implementing it.  Artists are going to die poor because of piracy,' he lamented. 

He threatened that they were going to initiate another task force to tackle piracy.  The task force would embark on a 'clean up' campaign against piracys. 'But it will be peaceful.  We are going to stage peaceful demonstrations,' said the BOMU official. 

Ntsie said even though the law stipulated stiff fines for the offenders they were only given light fines.  He said first offenders were only fined P100 for admission of guilt. 

'But this is contrary to what is stipulated by the Copyright Act.  Piracy is killing our music.  We want to be called to a panel discussion with the police to discuss this matter.' He said they had reported so many such cases, but the police were not doing much to assist them. 

Ntsie said they were going to lobby government on a number of issues, including the laws that impinged on the lives of the artists like the Liquor Trade Act regulations.  

The BOMU official said the cut in liquor trading hours had impacted negatively on artists who used to stage shows at nightclubs.  He noted that some of the nightclubs were no longer engaging artists since the stringent regulations were put into place.  Ntsie questioned why they were supposed to close their shows as stipulated by the regulations while the Liquor Trade Act did not cover musicians. He said they once raised up this matter with former minister of Trade and Industry, Neo Moroka.  He recalled that Moroka concurred that he had not come across a piece of legislation, which stipulated that shows should close at a specific time. 

Another issue that BOMU would like to raise with the authorities is the issuance of permits to foreign artists.   The music association wants these permits to be channelled through the organisation.

Ntsie said they were concerned by a situation where a South African artist would be paid P50,000 while a local musician would receive a paltry P1, 000.

BOMU is also intending to set up standards for performing artists.  'We are going to stipulate that an artist with a live band should be paid so much.  There is so much that is happening.  The music industry is in a shambles.'

Ntsie said they are also intending to benchmark with the South African and Namibian music associations.