KENYA: Elani Expose MCSK For Attempting to Rob them Blind
13 January 2016
Elani are one of the biggest names in Kenya’s music industry today having given us hits like ‘KooKoo’, ‘Milele’, ‘Barua Ya Dunia’ among others from their debut album titled ‘Barua Ya Dunia’, all songs that had major circulation on radio and television stations in 2014, the year the released the album.
After that we knew for sure they had a bright future in music and we could not wait to watch them grow. That’s why for many of their fans, it did not make sense that they remained quiet throughout 2015 with no new music, shows or concerts.
Now the year is 2016 and the Elani has finally decided to break the silence. But no, it’s not with new music as you would usually expect. They’ve come out to explain to their fans why they were quiet throughout 2015 in a new video they posted yesterday dubbed ‘Where we have been’.
In the video they explain how great 2014 was for them, finally getting the biggest achievement of their lives, but despite that having nothing to show for it.
Late in 2014, the group organized their own concert, inviting some of the biggest names in Kenya to perform, but even despite the huge turnout this only managed to leave them in debt. A debt they took a while to clear.
This they blame on the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), the body responsible for paying out royalties to artists all over Kenya.
They literally say MCSK attempted to rob them blind, saying despite the good year they had reaching millions of Kenyans through radio and tv stations, their total royalty earnings in 2014 (according to MCSK) amounted to a meager Sh. 31,000.
But after realizing how ludicrous that amount was they decided to investigate on their own. Turns out the records MCSK had shown them and what various media outlets showed them were completely different.
MCSK allegedly accused media outlets for lying to them but media outlets claimed to have shared the correct logs. That prompted MCSK to pay Elani ten times the amount they had previously been paid (Sh. 300,000) as compensation.
MCSK has in the past been accused of not being transparent by many artists before Elani, but despite that there has been no change.
Now the ‘Kookoo’ hit makers only ask that the body changes from its ways and be honest with artists about their earnings.
Check out the full video below;
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