It also boasts a superstar-producer, Mdu, whose Y U 4 Me went platinum last year, and who has brought in a stable of young acts to complement the Sony lineup of the likes of Hugh Masekela and Sibongile Khumalo. However, according to Gallo Group MD Alan Cherry, the upheavals have had a very positive spin-off for Gallo. Besides a one-third interest in Polygram, Gallo has also retained the manufacturing and distribution rights for Sony, Polygram and BMG Africa, which returned to South Africa in 1992. BMG Africa have developed a very powerful local roster very quickly, especially considering that many of their major artists were not signed to major labels before. It's a matter of economics - not talent.
Talent is proflific and diverse.
But we have to fight to earn revenue from sources other than record sales in a domestic market that has been devastated by piracy. If we don't, we'll never get our domestic industry to where it should be. We need income from radio play, from public performance and from a blank tape levy in order to recoup the cost of making quality recordings. We need government to drop ad valorem tax on the factory transfer of cost of cassettes. As things stand, we are giving our industry away on a plate to pirates and radio stations.