By Tendai Sauta
Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. INFOCUS Business Synergies board chairperson Gerald Dzangare says corporate sponsorship and insurance help in the improvement and viability of the music and arts industry at large.
Dzangare was speaking at the recently held InFocus Artists Wealth Lab Programme hosted at the Zimbabwe College of Music in Harare under the timely theme “From passion to prosperity: Together, let’s build the music industry and make things better, which brought together musicians, industry leaders, financiers and policymakers.
InFocus Business Synergies specialises in unlocking dormant synergies within businesses.
Dzangare called for action by artistes so that they become financially literate, brand-conscious and business-savvy in order to thrive in a rapidly evolving creative economy.
At the same event, Edgars Stores manager Fordson Mabheki handed over clothing gifts to musicians Morgan Tazvivinga (Dembo) and Law Tendai Tazvivinga (Dembo).
The gifts were in recognition of the profound cultural contributions of Zimbabwean music legends, such as the late Leonard Dembo.
In a heartfelt gesture of corporate social responsibility, Edgars gifted the Dembo family with fashion branding and shopping vouchers in acknowledgement of Dembo’s lasting legacy through his timeless hit Chitekete.
This act, facilitated through the InFocus Business Synergies platform, represents a growing movement, where corporates are beginning to support the lifestyle and heritage of artistes.
Dzangare commended such partnerships, emphasising their vital role in professionalising the music industry and embedding it within Zimbabwe’s economic fabric.
He hailed Edgars’ gesture as a shining example of how fashion and music, both key pillars of identity, can help to preserve cultural memory and uplift artistes’ families. Such initiatives underscore a maturing corporate consciousness that values legacy, identity and sustainable support for the arts.
NewsDay Life & Style (ND) had a lengthy chat with Dzangare (GD) to get an insight into the nature of their business.
ND: How did Edgars’ donation impact the Dembo family and what does it signify about corporate social responsibility?
GD: The family was touched by this recognition.
It was surprised at how Leonard Dembo is respected and recognised in the corporate sector.
It was really a touching moment. A completely pleasant surprise for them.
It shows that as a nation we are entering a maturity level where our corporates are now embedding themselves into the social fabric of Zimbabwe through supporting arts and recognising departed music legends.
ND: What role do you think corporates like Edgars can play in supporting the arts industry in Zimbabwe?
GD: Corporates can play a pivotal role in the development of the arts industry because they have the expertise and resources which artistes need to make the music industry prosper thus contributing to economic growth for the nation.
A prosperous and growing arts and music sector is key for sustainable business growth for all corporates and long-term national economic growth.
ND: How important is it to honour the legacies of departed music icons in Zimbabwe, especially during Heroes month?
GD: It is of paramount importance that we honour our own music legends because they give us our identity.
We are identified by our culture and so if we do not honour our music legends it means we have no respect for ourselves or where we came from and hence have no identity and without identity and self-respect no one will take us seriously as a nation.
ND: What message would you like to share with corporates regarding honouring departed music icons and supporting their families?
GD: Our message to corporates is that the market they are tapping into is composed of people who consume music produced by artistes and it also follows that their employees’ welfare is being kept by music that has been produced by artistes.
The upstream and downstream businesses like tourism, fashion industry, music instruments industry, events industry, beverages industry, broadcasting industry, etc, are all benefiting tremendously from music.
The responsible thing to do for any corporate with a strategic mindset is to invest a portion of its budget in the arts and music industry.
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