BSCAP, Artists Say Pay to Play our Music!
Shyne Barrow
The Belizean Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, BSCAP, is stepping up the ante and bringing down the hammer on broadcasters, radio stations and businesses who, according to the organization, have been violating the rights of artists. Under the copyright law, anyone who plays music in public should pay a royalty fee to the creator or publisher of that song. So playing song by a Belizean artist in a nightclub, store, or on the radio requires that the artist should get a small percentage every time it plays. The new C.E.O. of BSCAP is Belize’s Musical Ambassador Shyne Barrow, who has been on a campaign to get local businesses to sign license agreements with BSCAP to pay a monthly user fee. According to Barrow, a proposal to amend the Broadcasting Act will allow for broadcasters to be copyright compliant.
Shyne Barrow, C.E.O., BSCAP
“The economic ramifications of this…When you pay an artist, the artist can contribute to the economy. So it is not a matter of taking from the broadcasters or the businesses that are using music; we are just sharing the wealth. Again, nowhere, if I go ina wah pharmacy; if I take a halls, I have to pay for it. I can’t take it and say, “Bwai well the economy bad.” That is not an excuse. The artist spends so much time creating the products and there are so much intensive labor that they deserve to be paid.”
Ernestine Carballo
Ernestine Carballo, Artist
“Like what BSCAP and all of us are plea-ing and asking everyone is just make we just come together and sign and make everybody feel good and happy. Because we don’t have no social security right; when we get old and grey, weh we wah lean up pan? Some of us look towards this as our life, as our eight to five, as our bread and butter. So make we just come together rand make the thing nice and we noh have to knock out about how we wah pay wi rent and how we wah do this and how we wah do that, knowing that we can come back to BSCAP and know that yo got wah lee something deh fi we cause things kinda low.”
Jason Guerrero
Jason Guerrero, Former Chair, BSCAP
“We in effect protect your music, not only in this territory, but in many other territories. BSCAP is affiliated right now with about nineteen different territories. We had a release several years ago where one of our members, Lloyd Augustine is now receiving, on a regular basis he’s receiving royalties from Japan. I think he is the first Belizean artist who is actually receiving from airplay in Japan and they are playing his music regularly. There are other territories where Belizeans are receiving royalties not only through BSCAP, but Ivan Duran is responsible for a number of artists also receiving royalties in other territories.”
Shyne Barrow
“The music business is not a favor business, it is a business. So if these artists are good enough for you to use their music, then you need the permission to use their music.”
