MUSIGA pays royalties to composers

Tamale, July 12, GNA - The Musician Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) on Saturday paid 6.8 million cedis as royalties to 28 Composers in Tamale, the second of its kind in the region.

Alhaji Sidiku Buari, President of the MUSIGA who announced this after the election of a seven- member Northern Regional Executive of the Union said MUSIGA paid four million cedis to 20 Composers in the area as royalties last year.

Mr Delali Alormenu was elected Chairman of the Northern Region Branch of the Union with Mr Prince Mahama as his Vice and Mr Ali B. Konlan Secretary.

The President's visit was also to enable him to supervise the composers who were not getting their royalties to get their share. He urged composers to come out with indigenous music that would portray the Ghanaian culture and stop imitating other composers from outside. Alhaji Buari urged composers in the region to use their songs to effect a change in the minds of the people to maintain peace in Dagbon in particular and the country as a whole.

He explained that composers from Ghana were unable to sell their works on the world market because there had been too much adulteration in them.

He urged them not to allow producers to sell their works without gamorgramme on them, explaining that it was to protect them from being pirated.

The MUSIGA President appealed to Parliament to enact a law to regulate composers whose music tends to bring immorality in the society. He announced that MUSIGA had appointed a five- member committee to sanction members whose music was profane and urged radio stations and studio proprietors to cooperate.

Mr Prince Osei Kofi, National Welfare Officer of MUSIGA said the Union had appointed a seven-member Committee to take care of the welfare of members.

He said the committee was negotiating with medical doctors in the various regions and districts to give free treatment to members and their families.

He urged them to pay their monthly dues of 5,000 cedis regularly to enable the Union to meet their welfare needs.

Mr Alormenu called on the national executives of the Union to collaborate with stakeholders in Dagbon to allow musicians in the region to embark on "peace concerts campaigns" to complement government efforts.

Mr Sheriff Ghale, a renounced musician in Tamale, appealed to the government to relax taxes on musicians to enable them to develop the music industry.