Nkasa and the Catholic Song

I think there is something terribly wrong with Joseph Nkasa in trying to demonstrate that he is making enviable effort to increase whatever windfalls that happens whenever he sings praise songs for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) or the President, Peter Mutharika.

My take is that when one decides to play puppetry for whatever reasons there should be a restraint not to go in whole hog. Or if one decides to jump in nonetheless it is better to avoid stepping on a few fingers along the way.  

But in his latest toils, Nkasa has decided to pinch a tune or a chorus from a Catholic Church hymn song 'Tinene Zaiye'. However where the church song mentions Jesus, Nkasa has replaced him with Peter Mutharika.

Depending on one's religious standing, others might feel offended while others will take it on the chin for various reasons.

This is however a tendency of DPP zealots when they are drunk with power.

In 2012 when Peter Mutharika, at that time Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, was burying his elder brother Bingu wa Mutharika at Ndata Farm, just as he took to the podium to speak on behalf of the bereaved family, the DPP Youth Cadets started singing: "Tiyeni tinene za Bingu ngakhale ena sanena, tiyeni tinene za Bingu". They ruffled some devout feathers at the time.

Now Nkasa has decided to even put it in a recorded form in the hope that it will equally have a rallying influence as was the case with 'Mose wa Lero'. He now sings "Tinene za Peter ngakhale ena sanena, tiyeni tinene za Peter".

Which brings me to his adaptation of anything religious to create his political praise songs.

Nkasa hovers above politicians like a vulture waiting to pounce on a carcass. He showed exactly this tendency when composed a song for former minister of agriculture, irrigation and water development George Chaponda to douse fires that eventually burnt his political career to the ground.

In the song Nkasa equates Chaponda to Joseph, one of the 12 sons of the Biblical Jacob who became a ruler in Egypt after being sold there by his brothers due to his closeness to their father.

Like I said before Nkasa is always on the lookout for any political developments to jump on the perceived opportunity and compose a song. Before his latest which is full spewing vitriol towards Vice President Saulos Chilima, it looks like a sequel whose prelude was a track he called Absalom.

I know that past between 20 and 25 years, copyright issues over artistic works stop to matter. But if laws are made to take care about this it can still matter.

There is an interesting write-up jointly produced by The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS).

It is titled the 'Music Copyright Guide for Churches: A practical copyright guide to using music to its full potential'

Right from its introduction the write-up acknowledges that 'just like other organisations that use music, churches need to be aware of their copyright obligations'.

It then further stare that 'there are a number of licences and processes they need to explore to ensure that their music use both in services of worship and other church-related activities are covered'.

This is the only way to stop any would be abuse to the kind of work, like music belonging to the churches.

Career wise, I have discussed the pitfalls that lay on the way of someone who still thinks has some remnants in his musical professional if they decided to become political puppets. But Nkasa has wholly taken the road that only shows he has stopped caring.