Musicians Union of Malawi (Mum) took advantage of Labour Day on Wednesday to call upon event organisers and other service providers to respect artists by paying them better packages for the services they offer.
The music body said artists play a crucial role in the country through their artistry and that it is important to pay them well whenever engaged for performances.
“As a music body, we would like to appreciate the support that various players including companies and Non-governmental organisations offer to the creative sector. They offer services to our musicians and other artists but we would like to appeal to those that do not pay our artists well to change their mindset,” Mum President Vita Chirwa said.
He said much as artists negotiate their costs on their own, there is need to give them proper payments.
“Giving artists better packages and contracts would mean motivating them to create quality works and not compromise in what they serve,” Chirwa, who leads Kalimba Band said.
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He also called upon artists to be part of the union for them to push their affairs with one voice.
“As a union we may act as a link to guide the artists on issues of contracts and other payments when the field is not levelled. Going forward as Mum, we want to take up a leading role to help our artists on issues of contracts and payments and this is why we have been organising some workshops in recent times involving experts,” the Mum leader said.
Despite not having a pavilion at Labour Day celebration at Njamba Freedom Park in Blantyre yesterday which was presided over by President Lazarus Chakwera, Chirwa said artists played their role to spice up the event with musician Saul Chembezi performing live the theme song.
There were also performances from other artistic disciplines such as traditional dances from Chichiri Prison Cultural Troupe.
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Mum has since indicated that it was taking a new course in terms of uplifting the music industry and creative sector as a whole with the latest move being the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bingu School of Culture and Heritage at Malawi University of Science and Technology (Must) in Thyolo.
The MoU between the two parties constitutes a framework for cooperation and further acknowledging their shared interest in promoting and preserving the country’s culture through music.
Must Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Wilson Mandala commended Mum for the work it was doing in the country and that through the MoU they will work together to show the importance of music.
