Entertainment / Music
Zim recording companies not releasing new albums for the festive season
12 Dec 2011 at 12:41hrs | Views
In a bit to fight piracy Zimbabwe's recording industry will not be releasing new albums for the festive season, Gramma Records managing director, Emmanuel Vori told a local newspaper.
This includes subsidiary stables - the Zimbabwe Music Corporation (ZMC) and Ngaavongwe Records.
Emmanuel Vori, Gramma Records managing director confirmed non-release of albums this season.
"We were disappointed last year when most of our hit albums did not do it for us.
"We know that pirates are waiting for us to release so that they can pirate and make a killing. We will only release next year in February."
Vori said in December 2010 Gramma Records released hit album Toita Basa from the late Tongai Moyo and they hoped to sell copies in the region of 50 000 to 100 000 but they only managed to sell 20 000 copies due to piracy.
He described this as a most harrowing experience that have led them reach a decision not to release this Christmas.
Two albums from Josphat Somanje and Sugar Sugar are complete and ready for release but will only be released in February.
"Those two Sungura albums are definite. We also have a number of compilations we are going to roll out. We have early eighties hits from Tinei Chikupo, New black Montana and Ngwaru Mapandu that would be released once piracy is stemmed," said Vori.
The Gramma Records boss said his organisation has an active anti-piracy unit, Music and Visual Anti-Piracy Organisation of Zimbabwe but this is incapacitated due to a smaller composition of staff and finances.
It has proved difficult to enforce anti-piracy because when pirates are arrested they are not handed deterrent sentences.
Vori said they have engaged the Minister of Media, Information and Publicity, Webster Shamu to look at decisive ways to curtail piracy.
"We have engaged the minister to say look we are not getting anything from our work because of piracy. We are hoping that he would help us with a lasting solution but we know piracy will not completely go away. We know that we are putting him in a fix but he can lead to enforcement of anti-piracy laws."
At the moment, said Vori, Gramma Records, the biggest recording company in the country with 360 active recording artist is going 50-50 with the pirates once a new release is put on the market.
"We are going 50-50 with the pirates and they might be selling more units than that. We tried reducing our selling price per unit at one time but this did not help."
Anti-piracy should work with the police and Vori said that is why the recording company is appealing to the minister to ensure police are fully involved.
In an earlier interview with the Daily News, operations' manager of the anti-piracy organisation, Dickson Nhema, said the major chunk of its funding goes to the police that are paid for raids.
The police officers are paid according to rank for their legal duty assistance, Nhema said.
A constable is paid $3, A Sergeant, $4, Assistant Inspector $5, Inspector $6, Chief Inspector $7, Superintendent $8.
A number of raids are required a week to make sure that piracy is done away with.
Nhema said for each of these raids, about 15 police officers are needed for regular busts that take up to four hours.
This requires a total of $180 for the payment of police assuming that they would all be constables.
Nhema said this money was becoming heavy on their purse because they are underfunded.
A number of pirates were arrested last year.
In its mid-term report, the anti-piracy group outlined that a total of seven cases involving piracy were brought before the courts in Mbare in July. Washington Nyoni was found in possession of 140 CDs and sentenced to 16 months in prison of which four months were reduced to 250 hours of community service.
The report also listed Godwell Chimukate, 23, of 2323 Josiah Tongogara, Ruwa, of having committed an offence of being found in possession of infringed music on a USB flash in the course of business.
He was sentenced to a fine of $150 or two months in prison.
The fines are deemed not deterrent enough.
Vori said Shamu should put in his weight to ensure sentences that will force pirates off the streets.
This includes subsidiary stables - the Zimbabwe Music Corporation (ZMC) and Ngaavongwe Records.
Emmanuel Vori, Gramma Records managing director confirmed non-release of albums this season.
"We were disappointed last year when most of our hit albums did not do it for us.
"We know that pirates are waiting for us to release so that they can pirate and make a killing. We will only release next year in February."
Vori said in December 2010 Gramma Records released hit album Toita Basa from the late Tongai Moyo and they hoped to sell copies in the region of 50 000 to 100 000 but they only managed to sell 20 000 copies due to piracy.
He described this as a most harrowing experience that have led them reach a decision not to release this Christmas.
Two albums from Josphat Somanje and Sugar Sugar are complete and ready for release but will only be released in February.
"Those two Sungura albums are definite. We also have a number of compilations we are going to roll out. We have early eighties hits from Tinei Chikupo, New black Montana and Ngwaru Mapandu that would be released once piracy is stemmed," said Vori.
The Gramma Records boss said his organisation has an active anti-piracy unit, Music and Visual Anti-Piracy Organisation of Zimbabwe but this is incapacitated due to a smaller composition of staff and finances.
It has proved difficult to enforce anti-piracy because when pirates are arrested they are not handed deterrent sentences.
Vori said they have engaged the Minister of Media, Information and Publicity, Webster Shamu to look at decisive ways to curtail piracy.
"We have engaged the minister to say look we are not getting anything from our work because of piracy. We are hoping that he would help us with a lasting solution but we know piracy will not completely go away. We know that we are putting him in a fix but he can lead to enforcement of anti-piracy laws."
At the moment, said Vori, Gramma Records, the biggest recording company in the country with 360 active recording artist is going 50-50 with the pirates once a new release is put on the market.
"We are going 50-50 with the pirates and they might be selling more units than that. We tried reducing our selling price per unit at one time but this did not help."
Anti-piracy should work with the police and Vori said that is why the recording company is appealing to the minister to ensure police are fully involved.
In an earlier interview with the Daily News, operations' manager of the anti-piracy organisation, Dickson Nhema, said the major chunk of its funding goes to the police that are paid for raids.
The police officers are paid according to rank for their legal duty assistance, Nhema said.
A constable is paid $3, A Sergeant, $4, Assistant Inspector $5, Inspector $6, Chief Inspector $7, Superintendent $8.
A number of raids are required a week to make sure that piracy is done away with.
Nhema said for each of these raids, about 15 police officers are needed for regular busts that take up to four hours.
This requires a total of $180 for the payment of police assuming that they would all be constables.
Nhema said this money was becoming heavy on their purse because they are underfunded.
A number of pirates were arrested last year.
In its mid-term report, the anti-piracy group outlined that a total of seven cases involving piracy were brought before the courts in Mbare in July. Washington Nyoni was found in possession of 140 CDs and sentenced to 16 months in prison of which four months were reduced to 250 hours of community service.
The report also listed Godwell Chimukate, 23, of 2323 Josiah Tongogara, Ruwa, of having committed an offence of being found in possession of infringed music on a USB flash in the course of business.
He was sentenced to a fine of $150 or two months in prison.
The fines are deemed not deterrent enough.
Vori said Shamu should put in his weight to ensure sentences that will force pirates off the streets.
Source - Daily News
