Tanzania’s top artiste Diamond Platnumz has missed out on the list of highest earners of music royalties released by the government as his longtime nemesis Alikiba topped.
For the first time, Tanzanian artistes received royalties from their music receiving airplay in the country following directives from President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
On Friday, Tanzania Copyright Society COSOTA organised a gala night in Dar-es-Salaam where St Cecilia choir emerged the top earner, taking home Tsh8.7 million (Sh428,000)
Alikiba was second, collecting Tsh7.5 million (Sh369,000). The once a high flying gospel musician Rose Muhando came third to pocket Sh280,000.
The 46 year old Muhando, who recently trended for wanting a rich white man, beat several high flying stars, including legendary rapper Ambwenye Yesaya alias AY, who collected Sh275,000 and gospel singer Christina Shusho who got Sh221,000 same amount received by Ibraah who is signed to Harmonise record label Konde Gang.
Kiza Kinene hit singer Nandy also made to the top ten list and walked away with Sh128,000. Up and coming musician Saraphina Michael was eighth cashing in on Sh88,000. Gifted vocalist Maua Sama concluded the top 10 list with Sh64,000.
Neither Diamond nor any of his artistes signed under his Wasafi Record label made it to the list. There has been claims that Diamond and his Wasafi team deliberately opted not to register with COSATA. However, Diamond manager Babu Tale has denied the claims, saying that Wasafi artistes are registered and will feature next time.
“There is always a first time for everything. This is the first time we witnessing artistes receiving royalties. It’s a good start for us as a country. Wasafi artistes are all registered with COSATA. Not appearing on the top 10 doesn’t mean they were not included. There were so many artistes COSATA couldn’t have mentioned them all in one gala night,” Babu Tale said.
According to COSATA, Tanzanian artistes will be receiving their royalties every six months.
Unlike Tanzania where it is the Copyright body tasked with collecting royalty revenues on behalf of the artistes, in Kenya, that duty falls under three Collective management Organisations (CMOs)
The CMOs; Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) and Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK) undertake the task on behalf of COSATA equivalent Kenya Copyrights Board of Kenya (KECOBO).
However, for more than a decade now, the three CMOs have been at loggerheads with artistes who have accused them of paying them peanuts while they pocket huge sums of their royalties.
For instance in 2019, Kenyan musicians were up in arms after many of them were paid Sh2,530.
Responding to the artistes public outcry, MSCK defended itself stating that Kenya music usually gets little airplay. But even when they receive the airplay, MCSK claimed broadcasters rarely pay for the music.
To date, it is only Sauti Sol who hold the record of highest royalty earners since receiving Sh400,000 from MCSK in 2019.
