Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has ordered the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports to make a thorough follow-up on artistic loyalties system to enable them benefit from their works. He also ordered the minister to provide to the ministry’s Principal Secretary a detailed report on the matter.
The PM issued the order on Saturday during his talks with top officials from the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Natural Resources and Tourism as well as musicians from Tanzania Rumba Music Association (CHAMURUTA) at his office at Mlimwa in Dodoma.
The meeting, according to the report from the PM Office aimed at finding ways to use music and arts in promoting tourism and touristic attractions in Tanzania.
“I order you directors to make a thorough follow-up to ensure the justice is done. I don’t get the answer why a Tanzania musician gets nothing while his works are widely aired worldwide?” wondered the PM.
Adding he said:”I have heard in other countries that a musician gets his or her loyalties even after his or her death. Why don’t we have the same system in Tanzania? We must know what they have and what we don’t have to see what makes a difference.”
Citing an example, the PM said he has several time overheard Bongo Flava megastars; Harmonise, Diamond and Ali Kiba saying they are paid handsomely when they register they work in the YouTube Channel.
The PM said would prefer to see musicians who play traditional rumba also benefit from the new system as he hasn’t seen their works in that globally viewed system.
Adding on how music loyalty woes affect musicians, the PM said there was a time when Mbaraka Mwinshehe widow had approached the government for a financial and legal assistance to enable her get the loyalties deservedly for her dead husband’s widely played music.
“Why should this woman become penniless while her husband’s songs are aired globally?,” the PM wondered. “Work effectively on the matter and bring the detailed reports to your Principal Secretaries who will then hand over to the ministers.
We have to work on this to ensure our artists and musicians do benefit from their works.”
In supporting the PM, the Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Costantine Kanyasu said his minister is ready to work with artistes and musicians to incorporate rumba music in promoting tourism, but wanted the genre’s practitioners to make reforms that will make them acceptable in the modern day music and arts systems.
“Our dance music needs reforms that can make them conquer the modern-day generation of high-tech,” he explained.
