{UAH} Is entertainment industry ready for laws and regulations?
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Written by NATHAN ATILUK
Coronavirus has brought the arts industry, in particular, to its knees. No more live gigs as we knew them, no album launches at sold-out concert venues, no more comedy nights and no fashion shows.
Months ago, all that preoccupied different personalities in the arts was how to make it into the mainstream, or how to go international for the more established ones. The Covid-19 pandemic changed all that; discussion now is on how to stay afloat. How to stay relevant. How to have a working business model without being under a thick government thumb.
The pandemic has provided the needed hiatus for artistes to reassess their direction, but also for Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to come up with a plan that left the industry reeling. Government, after a series of meetings with artistes and other stakeholders, recently called off proposed laws that included a requirement for artistes to have their creative content approved by UCC before production.
It also proposed permits from UCC before performances, as well as having written application/approval before advertising any gigs, among other requirements. But the call-off will not crop up in the future.
"The music industry is not ready for the new laws, because it's badly hit by Covid-19 and the new laws will completely kill it," James Propa said.
Propa is a radio and TV host, with experience of close to 15 years. He is also one of the local contacts for music streaming app, Tidal. According to Propa, however, coronavirus has exposed the loopholes in the industry. As business on stage screeched to a halt, many musicians had absolutely no alternative means to survive.
Many have thrown their hats into the political ring, but Propa wishes musicians and entertainers could distance themselves from politics, because "music, like media, holds politicians accountable. When you take it closer to politics, it gets corrupted or oppressed".
And how do you hold those politicians accountable when they are the same people tasked with regulating and passing laws that govern the industry?
Musicians Bebe Cool and Bobi WinePropa acknowledges it may be too late to separate music from politics. Dozens of renowned artistes are currently running for elective office, right from presidential level. Just last month, Uganda Musicians Association (UMA) president Sophie Gombya resigned to seek elective office in Kampala.
As the more vocal artistes got preoccupied with politics, a law almost sneaked into place, to forever change the industry. Singer Ykee Benda is acting UMA president and said: "The laws are unwanted but the regulations are wanted. But UCC must seek guidance from the stakeholders in the creative art industry."
According to the Singa singer, what the industry needs most now is empowerment before anyone even thinks of regulating it.
"Even before coronavirus, many were discussing the need to stop and reevaluate. But nobody was voluntarily going to stop, because it's business. But [Covid-19] has forced us to stop," Benda said. "What does the creative arts industry actually mean now?"
In a phone interview with Emma Carlos, the publicist for National Culture Forum (NCF), he said the industry needs regulation, but UCC should have consulted artistes. Carlos, who has also managed acts including Coco Finger and Khalifah Aganaga, among others, said there is still room for consultation and proper regulation to happen.
"By UCC coming in to regulate artistes at the level of production, they overstepped their mandate and [tried to] stifle creativity," he said. "I hope young and emerging talents have a voice in the room when big decisions are being made about the industry. Coronavirus is pushing everything online and online platforms are giving people who potentially wouldn't have had much of a say before, a massive say."
For now, artistes are learning the culture of having one voice – thanks to Covid-19, according to Carlos.
"It affected everyone, regardless of status in the sector."
Through active engagement of the authorities by different players in the arts as one strong voice, they managed to put on hold UCC's "harsh" laws, and also secure the Creative Stimulus Fund from government. The artistes also remarkably rallied together, when singer Gerald Kiwewa and satirical comedy outfit Bizonto were recently arrested in connection to their creative content. The industry is finally getting noticed and organized.
"Unfortunately, it took a shock like this for us to open our eyes and see that the systems we have built around profit and growth can crumble easily; there isn't any resilience, and retail is being hit really hard," he said.
Hannington Bugingo, the president of The Uganda Comedians Association (TUCA), was instrumental in pushing back UCC's proposed laws. He said, however, they are ready for fair regulation through Uganda National Cultural Center (UNCC), which is supposed to be advocating for them but is currently doing nothing to help the industry.
As for what UCC was suggesting in its set of laws, Bugingo said they were "fake, useless and they should not be anywhere in the world".
He said the creative arts industry is another sector that can contribute so much to development, but harsh regulation will kill talent and many will lose jobs.
"Everyone becomes an expert after the FACT"
Allan
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