MAM President Gloria Manong'a stated that the Copyright Fund will assist them in facilitating initiatives that will assist us in identifying hidden musical talents in the country.

"We are very grateful for the arrival of the Copyright Fund; it will help us conduct programmes aimed at searching for hidden talents in various parts of the country, particularly in rural areas, because most talented artists who are visible enough in the country are from urban areas," Manong'a said.

"However, when we go deeper into rural areas, we find a lot of youth with special musical talents that need to be promoted; thus, the Copyright Fund will assist us in promoting and searching for new musical talents."

She encouraged other musicians to use the Fund whenever they wanted to work on music-related projects.

"The Copyright Fund was created for various artists, including us, musicians; therefore, my message to my fellow musicians is that when a call for proposals for funding is issued, they should not hesitate to apply - especially if they have projects that they want to pursue," the MAM President said.

Manong'a also urged COSOMA to be transparent and accountable in the Fund's implementation, stating that as artists, they do not expect to be discouraged by the funding programme.

Blessings Botha, COSOMA Copyright Fund Manager, has assured all artists that the Society will issue open calls for proposals to allow artists to access the Fund.

"Through an open call for proposals, the Copyright Fund shall invite proposals for activities and projects from eligible applicants: there shall be at least two calls for proposals every year," Botha stated in a questionnaire.

According to him, the Copyright Fund was created to aid in the promotion of arts and activities aimed at preserving culture in the country.

(By Moses Nyirenda- Africa Brief)