Majimbo Tunes: Is Devolution a risk to the growth of Kenyan Music?

A heated debate ignited by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and the Coastal entertainment industry, against the entire Kenyan showbiz fraternity has been the centre of showbiz controversy this week.

Hundreds of artistes expressed outrage on a new Mombasa County proposed bill that will see artistes get taxed for performing in Mombasa, one of East Africa’s fastest growing entertainment base.

On Monday, after a publication went ahead to report that artistes would be charged Sh200,000 to perform in Mombasa, music forums went ballistic, strongly condemning the news as others even became comical about it.

“This is the biggest joke,” MTV award-winning star Nameless commented.

“Pwani si Kenya (Coast is not in Kenya- a slogan associated with the Mombasa Republican Council, a separatist organisation). I read this and thought I was dreaming,” celebrated DJ KayDee remarked.

“This is just too funny,” Deejay Crème de la Crème joined in.

Predictably, the issue became a leading point of debate as a host of celebrities gave their views in various social media forums, such as the WhatsApp group dubbed Entertainment with Fun for Charity (EFC).

“What if Nairobi takes a similar move, what will happen to other artistes. What if the same be said about music airplay. Will they (Coastal artistes) ever be heard of,” singer Nonini wondered.

“Does this mean he (Governor Joho) only wants to grow Coastal talent?” Bernard Kioko posed.

Rap artiste Hustla Jay called the move selfish, saying it was being propagated by people out to kill the industry.

“The move is ill-advised. Please Governor Joho, let’s support our own artistes through sustainable activities and not ludicrous talk that is making us the laughing stock of the entire East Africa region,” he said.

Refigah, Grandpa Records’ creative director was of the same view, insisting that the Governor must have been misadvised. According to him, the shows will still go on- only that artistes will avoid Mombasa.

“We will still go to the coast, to places like Malindi in Kilifi and Lamu,” opined the director whose label has worked with coast artistes like Kidis.

It was in this heat that the Kenya Musicians’ Union called a meeting and warned that the move by Mombasa County would not be acceptable.

“As much as the new bill has not been tabled yet, we do warn that even the thought of it shows a lot of negativity, a retrogressive move that threatens to divide Kenyan artistes,” said John Katana, the Kenya Musicians’ Union secretary general.

“The new proposed finance bill is against global music practices. It is against fair competition. This should not happen in the modern day. There are better ways of protecting Mombasa artistes and we are willing to help Joho come up with some. He can consult us if he wants,” Katana, a coastal resident himself, added.

The outrage came after the Governor held a public meeting on Sunday as the world marked the International Youth Day.

“Sasa tunatengeneza Finance Bill. Tunataka tuseme wasanii wa Mombasa wakitaka kuimba Mombasa county ita-charge shilingi elfu moja. Wasanii wa kutoka inje, wakitaka kuimba Mombasa county ita-charge elfu laki moja (Now we are formulating the Finance Bill in which we propose to have Mombasa artistes charged Sh1,000 for performing in Mombasa and outsiders Sh100,000),” Joho had said in a recorded speech whose video we have since obtained.

Perhaps due to the resultant outrage, come Monday, the Governor seemed to have softened his stance as his office made some clarifications to calm the situation.

“The governor was misquoted. For starters, he never talked about the Sh200,000 charge. At the same time, the Sh100,000 does not apply to Kenyan artistes but outsiders. This includes musicians from Uganda, Tanzania and all the rest who visit Mombasa,” the Mombasa County executive for Youth, Sports and Gender Mohammed Abbas told Pulse.

Abbas revealed that the Mombasa government had a meeting with MCs, DJs and musicians on the issue.

“We are also meeting local music promoters on Thursday (yesterday) to find the way forward. The truth is that we want to protect our artistes and, at the same time, help them create wealth.

“When you go to Tanzania or Nigeria for example, you don’t find them playing music by our artistes. There is nowhere on earth where you find this kind of thing happening. We have amazing artistes and we want to grow local art, if Kenyan music has to go international,” he added.

These sentiments were echoed by Amoury Beyby, a recording and performing artiste in Mombasa.

“The Governor was not talking about Mombasa but the nation as a whole and he was just giving an example of how the county and country can benefit from international artistes,” said Amoury.

According to Amoury, people are just overreacting as the suggestion is still in the planning phase.

Pulse has since established that a group branded Mombasa Music Promoters had a series of meetings this week trying to push the new agenda.

Hassan Faisal, the Coastal Films CEO, one of the movers and shakers in showbiz at the Coast, explained that such a move cannot work.

“International artistes only come because the terms of the agreement favour them... they cannot come if they know they will have to pay more. The fee will eventually be footed by promoters, which beats the whole idea,” he said, while expressing his regret that local artistes are not appreciated more.

“All these suggestions are because many Bongo artistes come here and are paid hefty amounts for performing yet our artistes cannot get a show. Artistes like Diamond get paid about Sh2 million. Which local artiste makes that? Isn’t this shameful?” he went on.

But opposing the move, Ring Ring Entertainment CEO Dickson Waweru said it is rather regrettable that Mombasa artistes should support such a move as the same will face them once they get invites to perform anywhere else.

“If you treat Tanzania artistes this way, expect them to treat you the same. Expect the same to happen to you when you go to perform in Uganda. This will not look good for artistes,” he told Pulse.

It is not only Mombasa that is contemplating such a move as artistes in Kisumu have also formed a union with similar motives.

The artistes want to have a 20 percent local representation every time an entertainment event is happening within the county. Local promoters in Kisumu city are already working with club owners to lock down all events ensuring that local content gets maximum airplay in clubs and local FM stations.

But the question is, where does one draw the boundary between a Nairobi artiste and those from other towns?

With these proposals that seem to segregate, will the unity that local artistes have been pushing for be achieved?

“Counties should stop dividing Kenyan artistes. I don’t know how I can be termed as a Nairobi, and not a Kenyan artiste, yet my fans are all over,” Jaguar lamented.

“At the end of the day, artistes will be the losers. This should not be allowed,” he added.