Invest in and support music, food of love
“IF MUSIC be the food of love, play on,” says Orsino to Curio in William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
Indeed, music is the food of love. Music excites the body. Music nourishes the soul. Music expands the brain. Music heals the sick. Music breeds and keeps together families, friends and communities. Music buries the dead. Music brings hope, peace and reconciliation in times of wars.
Music does all of these things, and more, in conditions of peace, tranquility and plenty. But, is music capable of doing these in South Africa, considered the most unequal society in the world?
How is it possible for music to do all these things if artists themselves die of hunger from exploitation – only to be remembered and celebrated by those supposed to care for them, government in particular, when they are dead and given glowing obituaries?
How are music lovers supposed to buy the music when they are unemployed? How do those fortunate to buy music contribute to the welfare of musicians when they purchase counterfeits in the streets? Where is the law enforcement on this?
Recently, the SABC announced back payment of needle-time play of music on its channels to 2014.
This is welcomed, but raises further questions like: Is it not too late for musicians who were exploited throughout their careers and died before the cut-off period to enjoy the fruits of their craft?
Why the cut-off date? What informs it? What’s going to happen to the royalties of the period before?
How much are musicians likely to make, since the broadcaster and all other media outlets in the country are obsessed with playing overseas music? Just switch on the TV or radio and you will think you are in the US or Europe.
While we recognise that we are part of a global society of nations, we must also be proud of our own local arts productions. The local music fraternity temporarily tasted a bit of Africa’s musical cake with the 90% local content playing quota.
Now we are back to Western cultural imposition, which indoctrinates the nation to doubt or despise itself. To its credit, though, the SABC has called for public submissions on its editorial policy review.
Do we as musicians, music lovers, and academia – particularly musicbased faculties or departments – take time to make submissions in this regard to turn things around?
Similarly, what is the take of the White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage, as the national cultural policy, on this matter and many others relevant to the livelihood of musicians?
Frankly, South Africa’s cultural policy is an idealistic one-size-fits-all for the arts. Yet for some considerable time several African countries regarded music as the preferred cultural policy transmitter.
Music is a courier or source of other artistic genres in that it inspires, shapes and broadcasts their formations.
Furthermore, music’s reach is wide, its transmission quick and economic incentives viable. It is also as entertaining as it is educational, especially for the youth, who are lazy to spend time on other artistic genres like literature, drama and the fine arts.
The insight above indeed proves that Shakespeare was correct when he wrote: “If music be the food of love, play on.” Musicians can only cook, dish and enjoy this food if given genuine opportunities when those who have the means can put their money where their mouths are.
I call upon all South Africans, in the form of citizens, government, academia and business, to invest in and support the arts in sustained, tangible and substantive manner.