UPCOMING ARTISTS BARELY COPING WITH COVID-19 EFFECTS

MBABANE – More artists continue to suffer the wrath of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given a serious challenge to sporting and arts associations, as well as many event organisers to think of creative ways to keep their sectors alive during the pandemic. At first it was just a few displaced shows overseas which was experienced by giant events such as the Coachella, Ultra Music Festival and then it suddenly hit locals, when some of South Africa’s events organisers called for a postponement of their scheduled events, which included the Castle Lite Unlocked show.
The crisis continues to spill over into the operations of record labels, venues, streaming services, booking agencies, tech start-ups and other companies in the various corners of the entertainment industry. Amid major festival cancellations and hundreds of tours and concerts getting the chopping block due to COVID-19, artists and their teams are scrambling for new ways forward; and because waiting isn’t much of an option for those who need the income or can’t afford to cancel, the fledgling live streaming industry is finding itself in the spotlight.

Tricky

Some of the local upcoming artists are barely coping as they try to penetrate the industry. Sindiswa Dube, who is an upcoming gospel musician, shared his plight. He said he had to do hard labour for him to accumulate money for studio expenses. “Some of us are not having it easy; trying to penetrate the industry is very tricky, especially because of the current pandemic. I sometimes feel like giving up, but I know I was called to this. There is light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. Craze, whose real name is Similole- sihle Hlatshwayo, also shared his struggles. He said he sold plastics to make ends meet.

Nightmare

“I am still new, but I had hopes that I would be able to put food on the table through my talent. The current pandemic is still a nightmare, it is crazy. I think what kills me the most is that we do not know when this end will, will we still have upcoming artists? Dropping a song these days is not that easy; you need resources to pull through,” he explained. It is worth noting that some of the well-established entertainers have ventured into business for them to survive the wrath of COVID-19. This includes the likes of Dr Shakes, a local comedian who started a landscaping business. Welz Wethu, who is also a local entertainer, is currently selling a vegetable relish. Nicky, who also has a food parlor, mentioned that the second wave was scary because they thought the industry was slowly getting back to normal. “When the current pandemic started last year, we lost hope, but we managed and pulled through and made it to 2021. I managed to start my pizza and food business.

Eased

“Towards the end of the year, when regulations were eased, I managed to bag a few performances in South Africa. The second wave is scary and we do not know when it will end,” she said. While some of the artists were sharing their concerns, Artist Manager of Kingdom Tales ‘Zox’ Dlamini urged artists to take care of themselves and put their health first. He said they must look into diversifying their talents as well as to look around doing other things such as agriculture while they wait for the industry to get back to normal. “The pandemic has also helped us embrace the digital era more than ever before, this being part of our strategies of 2021. Streaming is the future and digital is the new normal.” he mentioned.

Emphasised

In an interview with the Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture Chief Executive Officer, Stanley Dlamini; he emphasised the importance of safety. He went on to encourage local artists to venture into the digital world. “Before focusing on the negatives, we want to acknowledge that the current COVID-19 pandemic has birthed a new window of opportunities in the digital world. Local artists can use that aspect to their advantage to help keep the entertainment sector alive,” he said.
He went on to invite artists to share their challenges as they were willing to assist. “Artists can file their challenges so we can see how best we can assist. We have an open door policy, they can come and share their challenges and solutions,” he added.
It is worth noting that the Council will be sharing their goals and suggestions in this publication.

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