Is President George Weah good for Liberian music?

Writing for the Liberian Observer, a reporter noted that though the former football star was supported by “several famous A-list local artists”, these same artists were set to be “pushed to the back for foreign artists”.

Through unnamed sources, the report speculated that Nigeria’s Chidinma was holding out for $10 000 to perform at the inauguration while local acts would receive much less.

Unhappy with the situation, the source told the publication that the proposed invitation of artists from other countries “sends a message to the high profile international guests that we lack good musicians in our country”, adding that “this is a clear devaluation of the talent of Liberian artists as they are only allowed to perform at the inaugural ball”.

A few days after the report by the Liberian Observer, Front Page Africa produced a breakdown of the budget for the inauguration ceremony, which took place at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Monrovia. In a report titled “Liberia’s US$900K Presidential Inauguration Budget: What’s In It?”, the piece claims entertainment, at $278 250, received the highest allocation for Weah’s inauguration.

For local musicians, other entertainers and their supporters, the manner in which that part of the budget was shared might have been unsatisfactory. As the Liberian Observer source said: “Such an occasion [as the inauguration ceremony] is the best medium to sell the talent of Liberian artists to potential investors ... It is frustrating that Liberian artists are being pushed aside by some selfish people who do not care to see growth in the industry.”  

This complaint recalls the recent outcry from some quarters in the Ghanaian music industry after the recent 2017 Confederation of African Football Awards ceremony, in which Ghanaian artists were underrepresented at an event that took place in their capital city Accra.

In a message aimed at correcting what some deemed disrespectful, Ghanaian dancehall artist Samini tweeted that he was "starting a campaign today and I hope it gets to the lawmakers. Ghanaians want 70 percent of local content on our airwaves and 50:50 share of performance time on any international platform mounted here on our soil. This is to help us also sell to the world 'our own' craft".

While it remains to be seen what becomes of Samini’s campaign, the resort to a legal framework by musicians might mean a better relationship between African entertainers and authorised bodies, as before Weah’s inauguration, the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) embarked on a 12-day field trip.

According to a report, the field trip was intended to produce a “national strategic intellectual property plan”, coming as it did just as stakeholders were demanding that the Liberian government assists the music, film and other creative industries.

“The goal of this national IP strategy is the creation, ownership, and management of artists and inventors’ rights to increase economic growth,” said LIPO Director General Roosevelt Gould. “The world is now being controlled by IP, and if other countries are benefiting from this, it is about time Liberia starts to benefit as well.”

Addressing the people in his first speech as president, Weah promised benefits of his own, saying his government "will make steady and deliberate progress towards achieving the hopes and aspirations that you cherish in your heart for Mama Liberia".

Many sectors will make demands on the president's promise, but the music industry might believe it has a stronger claim: Not only did local artists contribute to the Weah campaign, but also only a few days ago, popular musician DenG released a single that should find favour with the new government.

In what could be said to be a clever move, DenG titled the song ‘President Weah’.