ARTS, CULTURE EVENTS TO PROCURE 70 % LOCAL ARTISTS

MANZINI – The newly launched arts and culture policy expects all arts and culture events to procure at least 70 percent of local artists.

This is a key intervention that is listed among others in the new arts and culture policy. The policy was launched yesterday at Julios Cinelux in Manzini by the Minister of Sports, Culture, and Youth Affairs, Bongani Nzima. When launching the policy, Nzima highlighted that it would allow them to confront key issues in the industry. “The policy will allow us to make our art a source of descent and sustainable livelihoods for artists. There is no doubt that our artists are immensely talented and creative.

Benefit

“However, there is a need for their work to translate into profit, benefit them as well as others around them, thereby assisting the country to alleviate unemployment and poverty. I have been pleased to note that the topics and discussions that will be hosted during the summit will address monetisation issues. “This will include royalties, music distributions, and online facilities accessing funding as well as hosting festivals,” Nzima said.

He further shared that acquiring such knowledge will help them and the council of arts and culture to improve their work in ensuring a sustainable environment for artists. “It is through acquiring such knowledge that we can upscale our work to ensure that our arts are managed as easily as possible. The government heavily invests in such successful arts because we recognise they can be a vehicle for economic empowerment and the alleviation of the many ills facing our people.

“It is for this reason, therefore, that we launch the new arts and culture policy, which will guide the government and stakeholders’ direction and investment in the arts and culture sector over the next five years. “I have been pleased to note that the policy was developed through strong and valuable input from artists as well as other programs such as the National Program Center, the Traditional Pillars Association, and the Events and Promoters Association. “It was important for us to develop a policy that will reflect the views of all stakeholders on the ground,” Nzima said.

Touring

The launch was also attended by South African Kwai-Jazz founder and author Don Laka, who also touched on topics such as the importance of touring, how to be successful in music, and exploring the future of music technology. Worth mentioning is the fact that he brought some of the books he has written as a musician to empower and inspire the creatives that attended the summit.

Some of the key topics that were also highlighted by Don Laka include the challenges and rewards of being a musician. “Being a musician is a dream for many aspiring musicians. It is a career path that offers limitless creativity, self-expression, and opportunities to touch many hearts around the world,” Laka said. He also shared some of the challenges, citing that the most difficult thing is breaking into the music industry. “Today we have democratised the way music is consumed, the way it’s made, and the way it’s disseminated. During my time, there was nothing like that, there was no music being uploaded while in your room.

Music

“When we wanted to make music back then, we would audition in front of musicians, especially the likes of Ray Phiri. They would want to hear you play or sing, and then they would criticise you and decide if they would sign you or not. “Today, you don’t have to do that, you can sit at home and get beats, rap over them, and then upload them to YouTube. The difficulty of it now is that all of you are now doing that, and it is almost impossible to maneuver and get the exposure you need as artists,” he said.

Other speakers that graced the summit include Gospel musician Sipho Makhabane, who spoke on music distribution; Gospel musician Nduduzo Matse, who spoke about royalties; Mmeli Hlanze, who spoke about collecting royalties; and Ziyawa, who spoke about recording and online music. The summit will be continuing today at Julios Cinalux in Manzini.

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