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By:
Alex Kamau | |||||||||
| Posted:
Feb,27-2021 15:10:14
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The news of Musician Salim's death so soon after that of his elder brother and sister is another reminder of the tragically defining characters of many Gikuyu people - selfishness, greed, hypocrisy and our misplaced BUT selfish love for the dead. We are at our best when those we pretend we love and care for die. Here is a man and his brother who jointly came to define Mugithi as we know it. Their distinctive voices and lyrics are heard and shall continue to be heard for years in entertainment and beer drinking joints across Kenya for years to come. I have watched in disbelief musicians now coming out on radio and TV to say how close they were to Salim as they sung together. When he was looking for money for treatment, they were invisible. I understand a mouthy Central Kenya MP gave him a cheque of 500,000 shillings, which bounced! Such are the pathological liars we call honorable, the worst of whom seem to have been born in Gikuyuland, yes descendants of Mumbi. It's terribly embarrassing. Without doubt Gikuyu politicians will attend Salim's funeral and promise support to his family and musicians all over Kenya. That will be the last they shall be heard from, until the next musician dies, where they shall repeat the same script. Our president gave promises at De-Matthew's death. That was then! As for Gikuyu musicians and artists, they need to put their house in order and patiently lobby for laws that will ensure music royalties go to them. You cannot use Beyonce's or Rihanna's music to advance profitable trades without paying them royalties. Look at Kamaru's music-yet nothing indicates royalties made his life any better in his dying days, for the labor he so painfully worked to make a reality. Singing and entertainment needs to pay owners just as a doctor earns from his or her trade. Recently the American musician Bob Dylan sold his entire music from 1979 for 300 million dollars. Even a modest 50 million shillings for Kamaru's and Salim's music catalogue would be a bargain considering the millions entertainment joints make playing their songs to entertain their revelers. Salim's death is another reminder to us all to care for those we love today when they need us. There is NO need for befitting send offs for parents or loved ones we could not care and support for when they desperately needed it. I have seen children labouring to form WhatsApp Groups/ Committees to raise money to place their dead father on newspaper obituary pages at great cost; a father they could not give 1000 shillings while he lived, lest he uses it to buy alcohol. WE must learn to celebrate life, not glorify and spend lavishly to show love to the dead. It is of NO VALUE TO THEM. May Salim's soul rest in peace. Editor's Note: Alex Kamau is a college lecturer in England. Email: akkamotho@yahoo.co.uk | |||||||||
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