wax Dey,Cameroonian artist
The Buea Djs Association issued a statement, which was communicated via KamerKongossa on the 8th of June, calling on artists and labels to register with them, or face being not played.
In addition, some Djs have been justifying this statement by stating that Wax Dey paid a sum of money to the Buea Djs Association, and in view of his position as a leading artist, they expect others to do the same i.e. Register by paying them.
Wax Dey's publicist just released a statement nullifying that claim. This is what she said:
"On behalf of my client, I wish to clarify this issue and state his position regarding the demands:
1. Wax Dey is unequivocally against the demand made by Buea Djs Association on the basis that it is misplaced.
A Dj's first role is to satisfy clients with good music, but also to promote the musicians of his community - giving them a springboard to be heard beyond their own borders.
With the support of Buea Djs, locals artists such as Mr Leo have been able to transcend the Buea sphere to national and international stardom.
Asking artists to register and pay is akin to shattering the dreams of many young and talented artists who need such exposure and cannot afford to pay Djs.
2. Buea Djs will not ask Nigerian or even Francophone artists such as Lady Ponce or Franko to pay to be played. Making it imperative for local acts to pay to be played is akin to destroying the local industry while giving an unfair advantage to other musicians from outside Buea.
3. Buea Dj's jobs are made possible by Buea clients, who are fans of Buea musicians. Refusing to play their music is shooting themselves in the foot, as it will kill lounges and clubs.
All that artists need to do is come together too and refuse to pay! They will be well within their rights to do so, and the artists WILL win that battle!
It is important to note that Wax Dey was instrumental in the formation of the Buea Djs Association.
During the formation meeting, he called on the Djs to unite and consistently find ways to improve their trade, build their brands and increase income streams, by for example, doing their own Dj remixes of good songs that would not only make the artists more popular, but also enable the Djs themselves to get more bookings.
Wax Dey called on them to recognize and be proud of the important role they played in artist development and to work more together to explore ways of making that role more impactful.
He offered them drinks and at their demand, some money to assist them kickstart the Association. At no point did he call on the Djs to request payment as a prerequisite for playing artists' songs. That is against my client's core principles of putting good music first.
With regard to the above, My client is calling on artists to join him to ignore the call of Buea Djs Association. The music industry can only thrive in circumstances where good music prevails.
Yes, Individual artists and labels can call on Djs services to assist them in promoting a song, but for Djs to collide and place such blanket conditions on artists and record labels will be counterproductive to the development of the music industry.
My client is still willing to continue to support the development of the Buea Djs Association as part of his interest in the overall growth of the entertainment industry in Cameroon - and he will encourage other artists who are willing and able to support them - but he also calls on the Buea Djs Association to reconsider their stance and retract their demands, for the good of the burgeoning Buea music industry."
