Queen Fyah speaks on Tanzania trip
Female reggae musician, Merrium Pondani, popularly known as Queen Fyah has said her participation in the gender workshop involving different countries in Southern Africa has been an eye opener.
The singer left the country for Tanzania on Saturday with Musicians Union of Malawi (Mum) President Reverend Chimwemwe Mhango to attend a gender workshop.
The two are expected to return home tomorrow.
Queen Fyah, who is part of Mum Women’s Desk said there is a lot she has learnt through attending the workshop.
“It’s been an eye opener, for the first time I stood before various music bodies in this Southern part of Africa making a powerful presentation about the situation in Malawi together with the Mum president,” Queen Fyah said.
She said that through the trip, she has realised that as a country in terms of organisation, Malawi is far much better than many countries.
“Only that our colleagues have record labels that are able to expose them internationally. I have met with some musicians from other countries who are willing to collaborate with me and help promote each other internationally,” the reggae star said.
She also observed that Africa shares some problems as far as gender issues and other challenges like that of copyright are concerned.
“I would like to thank Mum for entrusting me with such a noble task. It has really changed my perspective and I will try to encourage fellow musicians to consider being part of the union because very little can be achieved in isolation,” Queen Fyah said.
The female singer is signed to CoolPro Entertainment.
The team returns home tomorrow.
Mhango said they made a presentation on the plight of women and their participation in the union and music industry.
The Mum leader said Mum has joined the effort to enhance women participation in its everyday activities including the expansion of their presence in its policy making organs.
He said one among them is the establishment of the Women’s Desk headed by Martha Mituka to specifically look at issues to do with women in the union and the whole industry.
In the presentation made on the gender index, it indicates that the majority of choirs in Malawi have always featured more female voices than male while the female participation in secular is low as the genre is erroneously associated with loose morals.
On the challenges faced by women, the presentation says that women’s continued participation in the music industry is largely dependent on the consent of their husbands for those who are married.
“To strike the balance is usually an uphill task even if it meant confining themselves to gospel music,” reads the presentation.
Mhango said there are very few role models that have made it in the music industry without being associated with questionable inclinations and that most of them are victims of rumours or mere speculations.
Mhango said Mum is doing everything on the ground to uplift the industry adding that with funding from Sweden’s union to union programme, the music body has managed to carry out programmes to reach out to all musicians to equip them with different skills.
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