The music sector is an overall term to describe everything involved in music creation, distribution and performance. For a larger population, music has occupied a constant part of everyday living; either while driving or at the workplace. The music industry has recently been a source of income for many artists, which has linked their professionalism to this industry. It has become a business opportunity for most artists in recent years due to technological evolution, which has diminished the analogue regime by the digital era. This has allowed more careers in the music sector to upgrade and align with the new generation of recording music. Major artists have been working with dozens of partners as they explore around the globe releasing singles, albums and videos which help promote their music and shows. Therefore, this essay seeks to oversee the music sector in Kenya and South Africa. It intends to discuss these two countries’ events, cultures and performances. It will also highlight the opportunities, issues, policies and solutions to these issues.
Kenyan music is very diverse, consisting of multiple kinds of folk music, which are based on over 50 varieties of regional languages.[1]. Among the most popular music in Kenya is the Zanzibar taarab, which comprises Reggae, hip-hop, rock and roll and soul, among other versions. Moreover, there has been growing interest in western classical music scenes in Kenya, leading to the establishment of music colleges and schools. Other popular music found in Kenya also includes Benga music which has been popular for decades since 1960. However, several styles which predominate music in Kenya comprise benga and Reggae, which consist of separate categories and has resulted in many Kenyan artists winning various awards each year[2].
Moreover, South African music reflects a history of both western andand African cultures and perseverance and conflict. There are a variety of cultures in South Africa, consisting of KwaXhosa, which comprise ethnic groups with a strong oral musical tradition, having women perform dances and songs, especially at ceremonies. Another musical culture so the Zulu, which uses Capella singing. Nevertheless, most of these musical cultures use a variety of instruments, such as rattles and drums.[3]. Furthermore, South Africa consists of internationally celebrated musicians of different genres, such as hip-hop icons Die Antwoord and jazz legend Hugh Masekela.
Nonetheless, as the music sector becomes more diverse due to the evolution of technology and digitalization of production in this industry, it has created various opportunities, especially in Kenya and South Africa. These opportunities comprise the following. Becoming a music producer in the music business, recording engineer, session musician, artist manager, tour manager for the artists, music teacher and music publisher, among other opportunities in this sector.[4].
Although there are various opportunities in the music sector in Kenya and South Africa, this industry faces numerous issues. In Kenya, for instance, issues include increased piracy, lack of support for our artists, the locals being enemies of their local music, which may taint the music a downgrade, their lack of legacy musicians in this sector, lack of support from the institutions, poor management of distribution companies which means that the local artistes lack a place to take their music.[5]. Moreover, in South Africa, their issues are more similar to those experienced in Kenya. One of the issues is that although the music industry creates a lot of money, the artists do not receive the money from the music. The sector has been dominated by corruption where those who control the money also control the industry[6].
There are various policies governing the music industry in Kenya, one of them being the Kenya National Music Policy, which is mandated to streamline the music industry in Kenya. The government poised this policy in 2007 to allow public participation in their opinions to bring improvements to the industry. This policy also ensures that there is copyright protection of the rights of the artist against piracy. Another policy in th music sector is the Music Industry Development fund, which aims to offer funds to various music industries in Kenya.[7]. In South Africa, Music In Africa Foundation is one of the policies in the music industry. Its main concern is to issue support to the African music sector through knowledge exchange promotion and creating opportunities for music professionals through training programs, workshops, conferences, and concerts, among other initiatives. [8]
Furthermore, for the music industry to excel and be beneficial to music professionals, there are various solutions that, if considered and established, can help uplift the morale of local and international musicians. These solutions include government intervention through related authorities in the music industry to limit piracy issues by passing tough laws to govern music copyrights. There should also be increased transparency in the industry running, ensuring that each artist is satisfied with the money allocated to them regarding their music. There should be a need to create awareness among the local and international public to show love for local music. There also should be increased distribution companies in this sector. This will ensure that an artist does not solely rely on his own to produce the music, which is a bit expensive and unaffordable.
References
Asante, Godfried A., and Gloria Nziba Pindi. “(Re)Imagining African Futures: Wakanda and the Politics of Transnational Blackness.” Review of Communication 20, no. 3 (July 2, 2020): 220–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/15358593.2020.1778072.
Music In Africa. “Call for Applications: SA Music Industry Policies Auditor,” December 6, 2021. https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/call-applications-sa-music-industry-policies-auditor.
De Beukelaer, Christiaan, and Andrew J. Eisenberg. “Mobilizing African Music: How Mobile Telecommunications and Technology Firms Are Transforming African Music Sectors.” Journal of African Cultural Studies, November 26, 2018, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/13696815.2018.1546569.
Hracs, Brian J., Roberta Comunian, and Lauren England. Developing Creative Economies in Africa: Spaces and Working Practices. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2022.
Nassenstein, Nico, and Andrea Hollington, eds. Youth Language Practices in Africa and Beyond. DE GRUYTER, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781614518525.
Nkosi, A. David. “Improving Professional Working Relations between Musicians, Musician Managers and Music Promoters in the Developing South African Music Industry.” SAMUS: South African Music Studies 40, no. 1 (July 1, 2020): 125–55. https://doi.org/10.10520/ejc-samus1-v40-n1-a8.
Nzuki, Winfred K. “Challenges of Globalization Affecting Music Copyright Society of Kenya.” repository.on.ac.ke, October 1, 2011. http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/95801.
Popular Music, Ethnicity and Politics in the Kenya of the 1990s: Okatch Biggy Live at “the Junction.” Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2019.
[1] Nico Nassenstein and Andrea Hollington, eds., Youth Language Practices in Africa and Beyond (DE GRUYTER, 2015), https://doi.org/10.1515/9781614518525.
[2]Popular Music, Ethnicity and Politics in the Kenya of the 1990s: Okatch Biggy Live at “the Junction” (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2019
[3] Godfried A. Asante and Gloria Nziba Pindi, “(Re)Imagining African Futures: Wakanda and the Politics of Transnational Blackness,” Review of Communication 20, no. 3 (July 2, 2020): 220–28, https://doi.org/10.1080/15358593.2020.1778072.
[4] Christiaan De Beukelaer and Andrew J. Eisenberg, “Mobilizing African Music: How Mobile Telecommunications and Technology Firms Are Transforming African Music Sectors,” Journal of African Cultural Studies, November 26, 2018, 1–17, https://doi.org/10.1080/13696815.2018.1546569.
[5] Winfred K. Nzuki, “Challenges of Globalization Affecting Music Copyright Society of Kenya,” repository.on.ac.ke, October 1, 2011, http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/95801.
[6] A. David Nkosi, “Improving Professional Working Relations between Musicians, Musician Managers and Music Promoters in the Developing South African Music Industry,” SAMUS: South African Music Studies 40, no. 1 (July 1, 2020): 125–55, https://doi.org/10.10520/ejc-samus1-v40-n1-a8.
[7] Brian J. Hracs, Roberta Community, and Lauren England Developing Creative Economies in Africa: Spaces and Working Practices (Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2022).
[8] “Call for Applications: SA Music Industry Policies Auditor,” Music In Africa, December 6, 2021, https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/call-applications-sa-music-industry-policies-auditor.
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