A  Port Harcourt based artiste  and song writer Reginald  Bekinbo  popularly known as JahReigns has lamented the high cost of music production in Rivers State.
Bekinbo who  is also the acting chairman of  the Performing Musicians Employers Association  Of Nigeria (PMAN) Rivers Chapter made this known in an interview with The Tide Entertainment yesterday.
According to him, the cost of music production in the State is becoming alarming.
He explained that  for one to get a music done you will have to pay twenty-five thousand naira (#25,000) for a track and pay an extra amount for fuel where there is  no power, saying  that   this does not get the work done, as  the 25,000  fee covers the voiceover only.
“ It is quite disheartening  that  you pay such an amount for just a track’s voiceover, then you take to another Studio for the Mix and master of the song, which would cost you not less than #20’000 for upcoming artistes at my level. It does not end there each time you go for mixing you have to buy fuel for the mixer which does not include promotion and videoing of the song,”  he  lamented.
He said that as an artiste, he also has a clothing store just to support his career, saying most singers have chosen the brain drain for themselves and you can not blame them because it is difficult to excel as an Artiste here in the State.
“ It is clear why people go to Lagos to establish their career. Just imagine a situation where someone heard my song and wanted to meet me and some other person told him that if he wanted to see me he should come to Victoria Street, the young man said he thought l should be in Lagos and they eventually found me at Victoria Street in Port Harcourt. Where l have my clothing  store. What could be more degrading? Situation like that devalues your person  as an Artiste, l mean, it depreciates your worth,” he added.
Bekinbo who recently released a video on one of his singles titled “Ngwanu”  said that though the video has not been played in a cable station,  could be downloaded from the internet, noting that the cost of shooting and promoting a video or song is alarming.
“ It is not easy at all,, I met the cable guy and he said that for  International and Local  promo for the video  is eight hundred and fifty naira(850,000) while for local, here   would cost me four hundred and fifty naira(450.000).
I am yet to afford the fee. If you go to Redem  Station to play your audio you will pay not less than two hundred naira, so what we do is to befriend DJ’s and in a studio you have up to three DJ’s you will give them  #20,000 and then,  make sure to send them callcard at least three times in a month.
He said that if well-meaning individuals in the State would do well to extend helping hand or support the music industry it will go a long way to motivating Artistes in the State.
He however mentioned king of Okochiri, Kingdom, His Royal Father Ateke Tom as an individual and Gravings Records as  an organization that have been supportive, saying that each time they to perform for them they made sure to at least take care of them.
“ If the needed motivation is given l tell you, with a million naira we could realize five Million in three months,”  he assured.

By: Nancy  Briggs