Peace and Love group at a concert in Bujumbura
“From March 2017, local media will only play Burundian songs that will have been approved by the Burundi Musicians Association-AMB”, said Gabriel Bihumugani, Deputy-Chairman and Spokesperson of the National Communication Council – CNC.
He explained that this decision refers to the law on copyright protection.
Bruno Simbavimbere, AMB Chairman, praises the decision saying it will enable Burundian artists to produce good quality music. “This decision comes at the right time, because today Burundian music is gradually losing its culture. There are some artists who produce songs that do not convey any message, “he says.
Simbavimbere goes on to say that the Burundi Musician Association will set up a board of censors that will be composed of music professionals, Burundian artists and music-oriented journalists to monitor the music quality before approving it to help artists promote their craft.
Vianney Nzigamasabo commonly known as ‘Vichou love’, leader of ‘Peace and Love’ group, believes that the CNC measure is a good opportunity for Burundian artists to produce quality music “It’s high time we worked hard. I hope that the government will reward our quality work to encourage us,” he says.
“AMB has no prerogative to authorize a song to be played on a given radio because it does not fall within its missions,” says Samson Maniradukunda, Director of Radio Isanganiro. For him, this measure is illegal because AMB is a non-profit organization whose specific mission is to strengthen the capacity of Burundian musicians.
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