Obour hot again over cash for Artistes

Though the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA)
has often trumpeted the need for event
organizers to respect performance contracts they
sign with artistes, the Union has committed the
same blunder.
News One has gathered that several of the
artistes MUSIGA contracted to perform at the
2014 Ghana Music Week’s GH All-Star Live
Concert, have not been paid weeks after the
event, though their contract said they would be
paid exactly a week after the concert.
The Union’s President, Bice ‘Obour’ Kuffour, is in
a rather tight corner owing to the development.
Though several of the musicians have expressed
disappointment over the development, only a few
of them have spoken publicly about the matter
for fear of victimization by the Union.
One of the few vocal ones is Karl Gidiglo, manager
of dancehall sensation Stonebwoy, who said
MUSIGA had not paid his artiste.
Stonebwoy earlier threatened to boycott GMW’s
concert because the money MUSIGA offered to
pay him was not enough, but he later agreed to
perform because of the love he has for his fans.
The Union, according to Karl, was expected to pay
Stonebwoy a week after the event but “it has
been two weeks and still MUSIGA hasn’t paid my
artiste.”
“I have called the MUSIGA office twice and each
time I call, they tell me they are holding
meetings… they will get back to us. It is cool, we
are alright. We are fine with no beef, but my
problem is that we shouldn't wait for my
musician to go overboard before they (MUSIGA)
start calling us. We kept our end of the deal and
performed on the night. They don’t have to wait
for my artiste to go on social media again and
tweet about this,” Stonebwoy’s manager told
News One.
He added that he was really disappointed and
wondered how other event organizers should
behave if MUSIGA, which is supposed to
champion the welfare of musicians, acted in that
manner.
“After all this, they don’t have to let me chase
them for the money due my artiste. If the Union,
which is supposed to fight for the interest of
musicians is not paying us to become who they
want us to become, then what are we looking at.
I see MUSIGA as an organization that is supposed
to grow artistes, not to deny them what is
rightfully theirs,” he said.
Daddy Bosco, administrator of MUSIGA, declined
to comment when News One reached him over
the matter. In an uncharacteristic fashion, he said
the paper could go ahead with a one-sided story
if it so wished.
Meanwhile, News One has gathered that MUSIGA
was expecting funds from some of its sponsors to
fulfill its financial obligations to the artistes it
contracted.
The Union, which is said to be in talks with some
of the artistes, has called for calm
.
Source: News-One