Music is important to our lives, I personally would not function well if all the music in the world is quietened. Actually it’s naturally impossible to stop all music playing. Have you ever walked into a thick forest alone. An unknown bird will volunteer to entertain you. Maybe the ability to choose the music you prefer is what can be affected but otherwise music will always play, no one can ever stop music.
Singers and musicians get inspired by a lot of societal happenings, with the intention to inform, tell a story and entertain musicians reveal complicated issues that are not easily communicable in public. They make songs out of unpalatable subjects and mitigate their effects to the society in the process.
Oliver Mtukudzi sang Tozeza Baba. The song is a narration of children’s perception of their abusive father who beats up their mother. The children express how this vacuums out their happiness. Weather the song has been played at home or not, the message will certainly get into the abusive father’s mind. Certainly he will realise his bad conduct.
This was just a small example, so many songs have helped our society realise how bad others feel because of of their actions. Paul Matavire's Mwana Wangu, is a song pleading with God to spare a parent so that his children take chance to be provided for and be protected. The song is still touching lives even long after Matavire's death in October 2005.
Musicians are like journalists who take time to investigate issues so that they can publish for the benefit of the society. There are so many challenges that have been lessened through music. The liberation struggle benefitted from music, many cadres were recruited through the message that musicians sang. The list of musicians who participated is very long, their works were published to benefit the liberation struggle.
Away from the war other family and love songs continued to dominate record sales, radio requests and public disco play. The Juke Box Company provided pay per play machines throughout the country. The Juke Box added revenue to musicians.
The income streams for musicians were many and very lucrative. During that time from the 70s to 2008 a new musician could easily be noticed if he/she had a good song. There was a very skilled personnel that made sure good songs get to the market. The first port of call was the Artistic & Repertoire Manager. This officer studied the market and also sourced songs that matched what was happening in the society. The A & R Manager would also identify talent that could carry the task accordingly.
The A & R manager would bring a good songwriter, a talented singer together for an attractive market opportunity. Songs were well schemed before for the market. Record labels never made songs on the intuition of the singer but on the need of the society. Unlike these days when music is now self sponsored, the music is not reproved in time before it gets to the market. The chances of such songs to make the grade or become commercial is random.
The established musicians have one way or the other learnt the tricks of the trade hence they continue to churn out hit after hit, they are also aware of demand before them. The upcoming musicians have talent but they lack funding and teamwork which is important in screening ready the music for the market. A lot of upcoming musicians are misled by some of their counterparts who make it to the top with one or two songs. Such rise is necessitated by chance and a lot believe music success is a gamble.
In the music, sport and entertainment in general stars are made. Its never the other way that a musician rises by his own making. A musician’s duty is to perfect his/her artistic skills. The commerce of the music industry is done by others who are full skilled to perform the duties of analysts, producers, event managers, promoters, marketers and influencers. The list is not conclusive but these are some of the people that make stars because of the roles that bring society respect. A star starts to earn respect soon after the society has known and accepted him.
An official music has all the opportunity to introduce a musician through the distribution, merchandise and display of the musician’s music in record bars, online/digital platforms and any public accessed shopping areas. The public does not consume names but music. The needs of each and every member of the society varies but in the end these needs group and fans and a following is made.
The current scenario is like that of African politicians who impose themselves unto the public and promise they will deliver. The absence of an official distribution network and system sprouts musicians who buy their way up through unscrupulous means setting a wrong precedence for upcoming musicians. The urge for creating monopolies is easily facilitated because there aren’t any start ups for the budding musicians so competition is unbalanced.
Recording labels pay upcoming musicians advances for their potential hence the insistence in total talent. This is a norm worldwide that has kept other countries' music industries intact. After a recording label has invested in a musician there is no way it will allow music to be distributed for free.
In a way untalented musicians who failed the grade at established record labels coupled with the love of money by bedroom studio owners has contributed to the collapse of the official distribution system Gramma Records built. This has created chaos in the Zimbabwean music industry that has rendered many musicians upcoming because they are yet to find a professional team that believes them to stardom.
Our government should seriously consider policies that invite and protect investors in the music industry. In return our government will benefit in taxes from an orderly system. The government also could come up with a parastatal that deals with the making, distribution and marketing of music.
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