SINCE the beginning of the national lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus a few months ago, several local artistes and some based out of the country openly sought bailouts to survive.
NewsDay Comment
Many of the artistes claimed that since they relied on crowds to earn their keep, the lockdown meant that they were now unable to do so as all shows had been put on hold.
It is against this backdrop that we have seen South Africa-based Zimbabwean hip-hop artiste Ngonidzashe “King 98” Dondo and others reaching out to their colleagues with donations to assist.
While we commend such a noble gesture, can it really be said these artistes are a special class that really needs bailout whenever their coffers run dry?
Although this perspective may seem harsh on the surface, it raises the age-old question of the need to invest and make hay while the sun shines.
Life in the entertainment industry is precarious, and this provides more reason why these artistes, just like footballers and other sporting personalities, should capitalise on the time they have in their prime to save and make other investments to hedge themselves against future uncertainties.
This is an indication that our artistes’ managers are short-sighted and thus need to look into this area and assist them to invest. This is important because traditionally an artiste’s job has no security so if the artistes themselves and their management teams do not make the necessary investment then they are going to be in trouble when disaster strikes.
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Lack of forward planning is the reason why many great stars from the past ended up paupers or charity cases after having made lots of money at the peak of their careers. COVID-19 has really shown that artistes need to be futuristic and treat their careers as businesses that should cater for them even after their prime.
