UP-COMING music producers in Masvingo have raised concern over the licensing system of players in the art industry by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) and called for a review of the whole system.
Speaking to TellZimbabwe , Mapro Entertainment producers director Wilson Maposa said most upcoming producers were unfairly treated by NAC especially when it comes to licensing.
“We are getting a raw deal as upcoming film and music producers, from NAC. The council should draw a line between upcoming producers and those that are established like Gramma Records or Metro Studios. We are paying the same license fees paid by big companies and that does not promote our growth as producers in Masvingo,” said Maposa.
He said it was not fair for the responsible council to charge producers on pro-rata bases yet they were differently managed.
“As you can see we are struggling as a new organisation and we are failing to even pay rentals that we have decided to do some of our work from home. I have turned one of our rooms at Rhodene into a
studio because office space in town is expensive.
“It is against that background that NAC should treat us differently and by so doing they will be promoting our existence in this industry,” he said.
Maposa said NAC was treating all producers the same way they do to promoters and yet the two were different.
“We are producers and not promoters and thus we expect to be treated differently. While our work is to promote the artiste through marketing their work, we are not into music or film promotion per se
but production that if we are also looking forward for a marketing partner who would market what we produce. Sometimes the artiste would market his products in his own way and leave us concentrating on production only,” he said.
Coming to the growth of music and film production in Masvingo, Maposa said, “Music or film production in Masvingo is still at its infancy stage and many artiste are still skeptical of what we do because all things have been done in Harare. Most of them think that we do shoddy jobs and they are hesitant in giving us jobs. However, the truth is that we are also competitive even if we are still learning the ropes in the industry. Basing on what we have done before, we are heading somewhere and very soon, we would be a household name in the province and country at large,” he said.
Maposa works with Esau Chimbuya and Tinashe Mutoti who specialise in photography and the trio has produced films and music videos that include the hilarious comedy, Vharazipi, Drama series, Dziva Rerudo and Paumire, all done by a group called Wastuk.

It’s here; the Thursday Night Live is finally here! The Charles Austin Theatre in response to the ever-increasing arts popularity in the Province are planning to launch the Thursday Night Live aka TNL on the 5th September 2013 at 7pm.
The Thursday Night Live is an open mic session for artists that features live performances in spoken word, dance, stand-up comedy, dj slam and music. Once the TNL is launched it will take place every Thursday at the Charles Austin Theatre. The management of the Charles Austin Theatre said that this was a two-way pronged approach in realizing and showcasing talents and also providing entertainment for the local people.
What it virtually means is that the TNL provides a platform for upcoming artists to improve their skills and facilitate grooming as well as providing space for professionals to increase their market base and do what they love best.
With the help of the Resident Artistic Director, the upcoming artists are able to make use of the Theatre for rehearsals and perfect their skill for an audience at the TNL. The lack of entertainment will now be a thing of the past.
The aim is to identify, nurture and expose the talent that is in our City. If you think or you know you have one ounce of talent in your veins, this is the place for you – the TNL. Masvingo will never be the same again!
Everyone is welcome to the Launch of the TNL, we have so much to be proud of as a Province. Some of the acts lined up for the launch include poetry, music, stand-up comedy, dance and disk joking.
The Theatre has been underutilized and yet there is so much abundant talent in Masvingo. In line with making the Charles Austin Theatre a provincial hub of cultural activities, the TNL will certainly go a long way in providing a platform for artists to showcase their talents.