Musicians want more help from ‘toothless’ Nascam

Reactions to the resignation of Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music (Nascam) boss John Max - after more than a decade at the helm - ranged from "he did little" to "he tried his best".

Several musicians who spoke to Namibian Sun yesterday felt Max hasn’t done much to help grow the country’s music industry, while others want Nascam to sharpen its teeth and take businesses that fail to pay royalties to task.

With most of the country’s musicians struggling to make ends meet and living on shoestring budgets, there have been concerns over the years that Nascam was not living up to its mandate, which includes paying royalties to musicians for their work.

The music regulator administers the rights of authors, composers and publishers of music in the country. All fees collected by Nascam are distributed among the authors, composers, lyricists and publishers concerned - in proportion to the use of their works and public performances.

Musicians speak out

Award-winning musician TopCheri said there aren't many accomplishments she can attribute to the work of Nascam under Max's guidance.

Having been actively involved in the music business for the last three years, she said: “I will be honest, though; I miss out a lot on the meetings the institution holds for artists. Maybe this is how I missed out on benefitting from the work of Nascam”.

She added that Max’s successor should focus on identifying musicians with potential and develop their business acumen.

“So many times, musicians have the talent, yet they lack the showbiz knowledge to propel them to the next level.”

Hikwa pioneer Sunny Boy applauded Max, adding that he was a great leader at Nascam.

“He made sure that we got royalties every year. He is also commendable for his work in combatting piracy. I, however, feel that he could have done more if he was not restricted by a lack of funds.”

The ‘Balance’ hitmaker added that he is aware that many people think Max failed, but he believes the former Nascam head did what he could with what he had.

“[Nascam] is nowhere near where it should be, but we salute him for at least keeping it afloat.

“To the future CEO, my only hope and wish is for you to place the artists’ cries above everything else. Because that is [Nascam's] primary aim. He/she must instil strict measures on businesses that fail to pay royalties while they continue to use our music. “General meetings should at least be held twice a year and [Nascam] must look into ways of increasing profits by investing in other ventures,” Sunny Boy advised.

Meanwhile, 2018 Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) artist of the year Kalux advised Max’s successor to “tackle the issue of prioritising local music on local radio stations. If 90% of music played on radio is Namibian, a lot of artists will benefit”.

Efforts to reach Max for comment proved futile as his phone was off.