Argus Mepo, Entertainment Reporter
This new normal has brought many lessons to the arts and entertainment industry as a whole.
Personally I have learnt that content has become more relevant than context and many artists are yet to realise that.
Back then context (events and live shows) were a very big platform for artists to market their songs and to measure the relevance of their works.
We had very big songs that were made as a result of a very specific context.
Soul Jah Love gave us Ndakamukwapaidza a follow up to the sting, Killer T also came through with City Sports, to mention just a few.
The contemporary times are challenging especially for artists who made it through as a result of specific contexts.
We are in the digital ages were people are hungry for content thereby overshadowing the relevance of contexts.
There is now need for quality content responsive to the needs on the market.
Artists like Poptain, Anita Jaxson, Nutty O, Holy Ten, Tamy Moyo, among others have packaged their brands well by giving the market the best out of themselves.
Gone are the days when fans and artists would wait to perform at Stodart, City Sports or Harare Gardens to measure the relevance of their works.
These days its now a matter of well thought content which answers the How and Why questions of the day.
It is the reason why some artists have been releasing projects that have flopped it is because such content suits a particular context that has been affected by the lockdown.
That is why debates like haa mirai City Sports ivhurwe or haaa ku Stodart kana ku Harare Gardens chete kukavhurwa mangoma aya achajambisa.
These are some of the fault lines within the artists who were merely relying on context.
We are now in an era of streams and plays, fans need guarantee of their data and money in exchange for the streams and plays.
In making good content artists must:
1) Master the art of perfection.
2) Have a clear workout plan for distributing and marketing their music.
3) Include a grand strategy that accommodates other stakeholders like graphic designers, videographers and PR agents so that they can make superb content.
4) Diversify their craft to tap into different markets.
