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What a ting JACAP a rob the artists dem.
Jamaican Artistes sing the blues
Published: Monday | December 20, 2010 0 Comments and 0 Reactions
An irate Eustine Derry, an artiste who is disappointed at not getting his royalties, details his grouse to The Gleaner, while Elisa Wong looks on. - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer
Dozens of entertainers are hopping mad over what they say is the failure of the Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers Ltd (JACAP) to pay royalties owed to them.
The JACAP members argued during yesterday's annual general meeting at the Medallion Hall Hotel in St Andrew that the organisation was dragging its feet in disbursing sums yearly.
Before the meeting came to an end, some entertainers had stormed out, displeased with the information they were getting from board members.
"Even the artiste them that voice for me from the country, I took them there and pay my money to register them. That mean them secure and none o' dem nuh get nuh money ..." Trevor Williams, a producer, lamented.
"We getting airplay and them selling them on the Internet, so we want to know how that go, 'cause we keep spending and not receiving anything," he added.
Elisa Wong, who goes by the stage name Muma Slash, said she had received zilch despite registering with the royalty watchdog five years ago and writing 14 [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]songs[/COLOR][/COLOR].
"Them register you and tell you that they are going to find you money, wherever you monies are, when they are being played on the radio, or if they are played in any advertisement, but when you come to collect, them tell you how much money missing and them can't give [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]account[/COLOR][/COLOR] for it," she explained.
"I have two children and I don't have any money, and me a writer and me sing. That no fair! We want intervention, 'cause we no want it to go like Cash Plus," she charged.
Eustine Derry, otherwise called John Fireside, also said he couldn't afford to watch his hard-earned money evaporate.
"Mi want mi money. We pay $1,500 to register with the company and we not collecting we royalties," he said.
A Gleaner reporter was barred from entering the members-only meeting, while two board members attempted, in vain, to calm the irate crowd of entertainers outside.
After the meeting, both the chairman and general manager of JACAP refused to comment on the row.
But board member Bobby Sharpe, upset by the fiasco, said there was an accountability problem among the leadership.
"Persons are unable to account for JACAP's monies. The fraud issue is not about one person, as they said.
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This year's revenue, however, represents a 33 per cent rise over the previous year's $25 million. But 59 per cent of the 2008 amount reportedly went to administrative expenses.
The organisation's annual report for 2009, presented to the members yesterday, showed that the total royalty collections for the year amounted to more than $33 million. Administrative expenses dried up 52 per cent of revenue.
The organisation's annual report for 2009, presented to the members yesterday, showed that the total royalty collections for the year amounted to more than $33 million. Administrative expenses dried up 52 per cent of revenue.
Jamaican Artistes sing the blues
Published: Monday | December 20, 2010 0 Comments and 0 Reactions
An irate Eustine Derry, an artiste who is disappointed at not getting his royalties, details his grouse to The Gleaner, while Elisa Wong looks on. - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer
Dozens of entertainers are hopping mad over what they say is the failure of the Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers Ltd (JACAP) to pay royalties owed to them.
The JACAP members argued during yesterday's annual general meeting at the Medallion Hall Hotel in St Andrew that the organisation was dragging its feet in disbursing sums yearly.
Before the meeting came to an end, some entertainers had stormed out, displeased with the information they were getting from board members.
"Even the artiste them that voice for me from the country, I took them there and pay my money to register them. That mean them secure and none o' dem nuh get nuh money ..." Trevor Williams, a producer, lamented.
"We getting airplay and them selling them on the Internet, so we want to know how that go, 'cause we keep spending and not receiving anything," he added.
Elisa Wong, who goes by the stage name Muma Slash, said she had received zilch despite registering with the royalty watchdog five years ago and writing 14 [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]songs[/COLOR][/COLOR].
"Them register you and tell you that they are going to find you money, wherever you monies are, when they are being played on the radio, or if they are played in any advertisement, but when you come to collect, them tell you how much money missing and them can't give [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]account[/COLOR][/COLOR] for it," she explained.
"I have two children and I don't have any money, and me a writer and me sing. That no fair! We want intervention, 'cause we no want it to go like Cash Plus," she charged.
Eustine Derry, otherwise called John Fireside, also said he couldn't afford to watch his hard-earned money evaporate.
"Mi want mi money. We pay $1,500 to register with the company and we not collecting we royalties," he said.
A Gleaner reporter was barred from entering the members-only meeting, while two board members attempted, in vain, to calm the irate crowd of entertainers outside.
After the meeting, both the chairman and general manager of JACAP refused to comment on the row.
But board member Bobby Sharpe, upset by the fiasco, said there was an accountability problem among the leadership.
"Persons are unable to account for JACAP's monies. The fraud issue is not about one person, as they said.
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