The CEO of the EIB Network Nathan Kwabena Adisi has called on people in the entertainment industry on the continent to push their respective governments to give their industry the support it requires to grow.
He is also urging industry players to strive to build structures that ensure sustainability, so as to safeguard countries’ collective legacies, which he says, are at stake in the push for African music’s survival.
“Every Cedi, Naira and Rand matters. Survival is key if we are to safeguard our collective legacies, which are at stake in this push for African music’s survival. To everyone seated in this room, you have contributed one way or the other in telling what has become a successful African music story. If we fail, the story will be told years to come, of how we got an opportunity and blew it away.
“As Victor AD (anyway Victor is coming for the #SConcert here on December 7) rightly puts it, if we don’t make money weytin we gain? He is right: this message directly speaks to us. If we don’t build structures that ensure sustainability, weytin we gain? If we don ‘t fight piracy head-on, weytin we gain?,” Bola Ray quizzed while speaking at the launch of the 5th edition of All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) in Accra
He further noted: “If we don’t push our respective governments to show interest in the Arts and Entertainment industry here in Africa, weytin we gain? If we don’t speak truth to power about Payola (which hinders the promotion of good music and talents), weytin we gain? I can continue: If we don’t pay talents (Dancers, choreographers, instrumentalists, PR persons, road managers and the lists goes on) what is rightfully due them, weytin we gain? If we don’t push for tighter intellectual theft laws, weytin we gain? If we don’t build strong distribution networks, weytin we gain?
“If we don‘t fight piracy head-on, weytin we gain. If we don’t speak truth to power about Payola (which hinders the promotion of good music and talents), weytin we gain? I can continue: If we don’t pay talents (Dancers, choreographers, instrumentalists, PR persons, road managers and the lists goes on) what is rightfully due them, weytin we gain? If we don’t push for tighter intellectual theft laws, weytin we gain? If we don’t build strong distribution networks, weytin we gain?”
He added: “It is only when we have been candid about these that we will secure the needed stock to go to market with. As an industry, we have the numbers on our side. We have every motivation to succeed.
“In their 2018 to 2022 Entertainment and Media Outlook: An African Perspective report, PricewaterhouseCoopers projected that total revenue in this sector in South Africa alone, is expected to reach some 177.2 billion Rand (That is about 12 billion dollars). And just to reiterate, this is just for South Africa.”
This is the first time Ghana is hosting the prestigious AFRIMA Awards which is on from November 22 to 24 under the theme “Africa is Gold”.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/Senanu Damilola Wemakor
