African Musicians Rise Up Against Piracy

MUSICIAN Unions in Africa have called on African states to ratify, transpose and enforce international treaties in order to harmonize and globalize the

This is contained in a communiqué adopted at a regional seminar on contractual arrangements and musicians rights in Dakar Senegal. The three-day meeting attracted participants from 15 African countries including Ghana.

The meeting denounced acts of piracy on music networks and their largely cross border characteristic governmental and non-governmental organizations should implement joint strategies with the aim of dismantling the manufacturing, importation and distribution of cassettes, pirated CDs, VCR and DVDs.

In addition, they recalled that national measures arising from public authority prerogatives are of exclusive responsibility and competence of the state.

Therefore, they have to ensure the proper application of the law, notably that which guarantees the economical and social interests of music professionals.

The communiqué called on states to go beyond the political will of defending culture. This they strongly expressed in adopting the convention of the protection and promotion of diversity of cultural expressions, through concrete measures of fighting against piracy in co-operation with concerned professional organizations.

The President of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Alhaji Sidiku Buari, who represented Ghana at the meeting noted that, lack of appropriate cultural strategies, training and funding opportunities have undermined human and institutional capacity to enable musicians and artistes to exploit to the fullest the cultural industry in Africa.

Alhaji Sidiku Buari, who is also the Vice president of the International Federation of Musicians (FIM) said for a long time, musicians and artistes in Africa have not been regarded as serious entrepreneurs whose industry needed the kind of incentives accorded other professionals.

He pointed out that, in most African countries, if not all, musicians do not enjoy social security benefits, insurance or pension. Some have no union representation, protection of their property rights and collection of their mechanical royalties and their works are constantly pirated.

He said the status of African artistes has further been undermined by copying of western culture a habit that is primarily a consequence of the colonial past.

The MUSIGA President called for the reintroduction of live band music.
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