BY PRESTIGE MUNTANGA
BULAWAYO-BASED musician Thamsanqa “Thamu” Moyo has said the music industry has not yet translated into business in many parts of the country which hinders the success of artistes.
Thamu told NewsDay Life & Style that musicians are having to utilise agents to make money out of their music.
“The main problem about artistes is that they want to sing, produce and market their music on their own without any help. This is the reason why our music fails to reach a large audience.
“There are many marketing companies here in Bulawayo that can help artistes sell their music. Music agents know when and where to market music.
“I am certain that in that way music can take a business format like in other countries. We also need to have people who manage our social media accounts,” he said.
Thamu said many local artistes were poor, especially those in Bulawayo because people don’t support them fully.
People need to understand that music was not for free, he added.
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“We have many artistes here in Bulawayo, but you will realise that many do not own a car or a house. If they have those it means that they are probably doing something else,” he said.
“The challenge is also on how we market our music. People in Bulawayo don’t support us. Even if I upload it on digital platforms a few will download and pay for it. That is why we prefer going around selling our music for a dollar.”
“We have to correct that in Bulawayo. Also, as artistes we need to produce quality music, not mediocre.”
Meanwhile, Thamu on Sunday dropped his new single titled Israel.
“My latest song Israel is a portrayal of who we are as Christians. As a Christian I am confident that we are protected by Israel,” he said.
“What inspired me to sing this song is God. I don’t sing mediocre, but quality. I sent my song into many WhatsApp groups without revealing it’s me and surprisingly you will hear people saying South Africans can sing.”
Thamu, who launched his musical career in 2007, released his debut album titled Meme in 2018.
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