Mali Music - When Mali K7 and Seydoni close

March 25, 2005

WHEN MALI K7 AND SEYDONI CLOSE

Wednesday March 16, 2005, Mali K7 and Seydoni-Mali took the resolution to close their units of tape duplication. The Reason: suspension of payment. "We are victims of unfair competition and piracy. Today, a cassette is pirated only 24 hours after it’s put on sale. The fraudulent importation, the existence of small units of clandestine duplications, the craftman’s copy of the musical works …etc. are some of its causes ", specified the persons in charge for two companies. It was during a declaration made to the press and the young artists came to express their support to them.

Many partners of the music had massively made the displacement to give their moral support to the cultural companies in prey to piracy. "We offer more than one hundred permanent posts and more than one thousand of work related to the musical production; without counting the sixty employees who depend of us. We say without any risk to be mistaken that we have an active part in the cultural radiation of our dear Mali " they continue in a Joint Declaration made public for the circumstance.

We know that since a few times, the phenomenon of piracy had taken a worrying proportion in Mali. A situation which led the cultural companies to compress a part of their personnel in order to not fold under the cost of the enormous charges of the musical production and to be able to respect the taxes, the social security and the Malian Office of the authors’ rights.

Today neither Mali K7 SA nor Seydoni-Mali is able to face the current charges (expenses of electricity and telephone, lease, wages of the personnel, purchase of raw materials, expenses of promotion…). This meeting with the press was thus welcome inasmuch as it allowed to convey broad information about the cultural production and sensitize all and sundry on to the gangrene which undermines the musical production.

The reaction of the Artists was not long to come since the next morning; they met at the head office of Mali K7 SA to release the strategies of fights against piracy. The first act resulted in a walk of protest on the Boulevard du peuple. They were about sixty artists to survey the streets of the capital to disencumber it of the pirate cassettes, CD, DVD. One hour was enough to get back a few thousands of cassettes which took the direction of the ministry for the Culture to be destroyed in the presence of the general Secretary and of the Principal Private Secretary of the department.

Friday, March 18, 2005, the representatives of the Artists were received by the Minister for the Culture. This meeting allowed to make the review of the situation. All the essential questions were approached without roundabout, even the multiples and abusive injections of the agents of the National Management of the Trade and Competition. According to the persons in charge of these companies, the agents of the DNACC do not do anything against the unfair competition of which they are victims. On the contrary the companies which work in legality and transparency are badgered. They are victims of all the annoyances on behalf of this direction and of the services of taxes. This situation can not continue. The State cannot ask for its rights to those who contribute to the blooming of a key sector of development like culture and create at the same time conditions favourable to their bankruptcy. It must assume its protection duty of the citizens and companies installed on its territory.

On the level of the ministry for the Culture, they ensure that things will move. The minister evoked the multiplication of the operations "blow" to stop piracy. These operations will be unexpected. Its department would have managed an agreement with that of interior Safety to mobilize agents which are necessary for this kind of operations. But, Mali K7 and Seydoni SA do not want to be satisfied any more with promises or declarations without a future.

They want concrete and perennial actions allowing to cleanse definitively the Malian musical market. They thus wait palpable signs of this engagement of the minister to decide action to be taken for their movement of protest. It is obvious that nobody has interest in seeing this situation continuing; because the social consequences of the closing of Mali K7 and Seydoni will be dramatic for their employees. And the economic and cultural impact of such a decision, if things reach there, will be priceless for Mali. So let each one assumes and faces his responsibilities! The Malian music, the musical industries, the artists… will then be very well protected.


March 25, 2005 WHEN MALI K7 AND SEYDONI CLOSE Wednesday March 16, 2005, Mali K7 and Seydoni-Mali took the resolution to close their units of tape duplication. The Reason: suspension of payment. "We are victims of unfair competition and piracy. Today, a cassette is pirated only 24 hours after it’s put on sale. The fraudulent importation, the existence of small units of clandestine duplications, the craftman’s copy of the musical works …etc. are some of its causes ", specified the persons in charge for two companies. It was during a declaration made to the press and the young artists came to express their support to them. Many partners of the music had massively made the displacement to give their moral support to the cultural companies in prey to piracy. "We offer more than one hundred permanent posts and more than one thousand of work related to the musical production; without counting the sixty employees who depend of us. We say without any risk to be mistaken that we have an active part in the cultural radiation of our dear Mali " they continue in a Joint Declaration made public for the circumstance. We know that since a few times, the phenomenon of piracy had taken a worrying proportion in Mali. A situation which led the cultural companies to compress a part of their personnel in order to not fold under the cost of the enormous charges of the musical production and to be able to respect the taxes, the social security and the Malian Office of the authors’ rights. Today neither Mali K7 SA nor Seydoni-Mali is able to face the current charges (expenses of electricity and telephone, lease, wages of the personnel, purchase of raw materials, expenses of promotion…). This meeting with the press was thus welcome inasmuch as it allowed to convey broad information about the cultural production and sensitize all and sundry on to the gangrene which undermines the musical production. The reaction of the Artists was not long to come since the next morning; they met at the head office of Mali K7 SA to release the strategies of fights against piracy. The first act resulted in a walk of protest on the Boulevard du peuple. They were about sixty artists to survey the streets of the capital to disencumber it of the pirate cassettes, CD, DVD. One hour was enough to get back a few thousands of cassettes which took the direction of the ministry for the Culture to be destroyed in the presence of the general Secretary and of the Principal Private Secretary of the department. Friday, March 18, 2005, the representatives of the Artists were received by the Minister for the Culture. This meeting allowed to make the review of the situation. All the essential questions were approached without roundabout, even the multiples and abusive injections of the agents of the National Management of the Trade and Competition. According to the persons in charge of these companies, the agents of the DNACC do not do anything against the unfair competition of which they are victims. On the contrary the companies which work in legality and transparency are badgered. They are victims of all the annoyances on behalf of this direction and of the services of taxes. This situation can not continue. The State cannot ask for its rights to those who contribute to the blooming of a key sector of development like culture and create at the same time conditions favourable to their bankruptcy. It must assume its protection duty of the citizens and companies installed on its territory. On the level of the ministry for the Culture, they ensure that things will move. The minister evoked the multiplication of the operations "blow" to stop piracy. These operations will be unexpected. Its department would have managed an agreement with that of interior Safety to mobilize agents which are necessary for this kind of operations. But, Mali K7 and Seydoni SA do not want to be satisfied any more with promises or declarations without a future. They want concrete and perennial actions allowing to cleanse definitively the Malian musical market. They thus wait palpable signs of this engagement of the minister to decide action to be taken for their movement of protest. It is obvious that nobody has interest in seeing this situation continuing; because the social consequences of the closing of Mali K7 and Seydoni will be dramatic for their employees. And the economic and cultural impact of such a decision, if things reach there, will be priceless for Mali. So let each one assumes and faces his responsibilities! The Malian music, the musical industries, the artists… will then be very well protected.