Bebe Cool defends music band
By Drone Staff
Bebe Cool defends bands for performing his music for free
Bebe Cool has said that he has no problem with music bands that are performing his music at their shows.
He said this trend, has instead brought him fame even more because it makes revelers understand his songs.
Recently, NBS Journalist Canary Mugume posted on his Twitter and stated that live bands that perform in bars and restaurants are making more money than recording artistes, yet artistes invest a lot of money and time in recording and promoting their songs.
On this issue Bebe Cool said he doesn’t find any problem in this because the bands that perform other people’s songs cannot bring his brand down despite him being expensive to hire for events.
“The bands that are operating in bars every day have created employment for young people and many other creative artists and instrumentalists. This is a sign of growth because 20 years ago, it was musicians only who were being paid,” he told NBS Amasengejje program on Tuesday 24th-January, 2023.
This issue was also discussed by the stakeholders of the Uganda Performing Rights Society (UPRS) during their annual general meeting recently at the National Theatre in Kampala.
Some artistes that participated in this event asked UPRS to also licence live bands like Abeeka Band, Ivuga Band, Janzi Band and others because they pay them every day to perform in bars.
However, Bebe Cool said that Live Bands do not make lots of money as some people think because most of them have a membership of 10-15 people meaning the cost of hiring all of them for one big jig becomes expensive on the side band manager.
UPRS said that they are still devising means of making sure that all Ugandans with businesses that consume Ugandan music will be licensed to play Ugandan music in their places of work.
However, they said, they are still building capacity to make this collectivity body.