Hon Ngumuya Pushing For Legislation For More Local Music Airplay In TV, Radios

Allan Ngumuya

Blantyre City North legislator, also veteran musician, Allan Ngumuya says is bringing again in the National Assembly a motion which seeks development of policy that will require all Malawi media broadcasting houses play more local music in order to enable home artists collect enough proceeds from Copy Right Society of Malawi (CoSoMa).

Honourable Ngumuya brought the motion in the house on Thursday evening but was rejected and sent back following observation from the leader of Peoples Party, Uladi Mussa who also sits in the Business Committee of the House when he said it was un-procedural to discuss on the motion brought by interested party and in this case,.

Speaking in an interview, Hon. Ngumuya who insist the Business Committee should have advised him earlier before publishing the motion on the Order Paper said the motion is coming back through Tholo Thava legislator honourable Mary Navicha.

Some of Malawi artists to reap from the motion 

The motion reads “That considering how Malawian artists, especially musicians have been suffering and are still suffering, this House resolves that, there should be a deliberate Government policy to empower the musicians by among others, providing that all Television and Radio Broadcasting Houses in the country, especially the public owned broadcasting houses, should be airing a big portion of the Malawian music in order to enable our musicians collect enough proceeds from the Copyright Society of Malawi.”

Ngumuya explained that the motion is very important to the economic status of the local artists and the growth of music industry.

He said this will give hope to local artists including upcoming young musicians that they can make a living through their work of which is not the case at the moment where a lot of artists die poor and emphasised “without anything” adding that himself who has been in the industry for 32 years with sixteen albums “but am nobody.”

“Now proposing this motion it was going to help economic situation of the artists because the more the music is played in radio stations and televisions the more money for them [artists].” He said

“And there is a tendency of favouring international music in Malawi which also put life of artists in danger because those who have money they bribe DJ’s in radio stations” he said but expressed hope that once the House agrees to his motion and develop the policy, all local artists will have opportunity to have their music played more as well put to an end bribery tendency to radio DJ’s.

However, Hon. Ngumuya admitted that standards and quality in the production of music has gone down in the country and has since called upon fellow musicians to improve in order to make the future policy more relevant.

“[Due to bribery to radion DJ’s] most radio stations play trash music. So, this time if they want more of Malawian music quality staff has to be there. So, am encouraging fellow artists to come up with good staff to our radios.”

But he assured that when artists begin to get more royalties from CoSoMa with the aid of the proposed policy, there will be improvement in the quality of Malawi music because artists will be able to afford to pay for best studios that can help them make good music productions.

But he maintained that “First we have to enforce on how Malawian music is played on radio stations.” and “If we make our music popular among ourselves then we will make our music popular in other countries.”