Nigerian Promoters USA Boycotts Nigerian Artists

Nigerian event/concert promoters across the United States have finally come together to form a body known as the “Nigerian Promoters USA”. The body serves as a medium to protect the interest of promoters across North America, and as expected, its first major move is to try to put a lid of the skyrocketing prices Nigerian artists charge for their U.S Tours.

In the last 2 years alone, A-list fees for several acts have gone from $5,000 to over $40,000, and with little or no sponsorship, these promoters find themselves constantly running at a loss. For this reason, they’ve decided to take a stand and boycott any Nigerian artist who quotes an exorbitant fee. To make matters worse, the artists end up doing a “DJ Track 1″ and lip synch all the way. That’s not fair to the promoters or even the fans who come out of their pockets to watch them perform.

Here’s a statement on social media site, InstaGram:

“Over the years, it’s been enthusiastic priority for Nigerian promoters based in the USA and in the “Diaspora” generally to improve, expand and promote Nigerian (African) music to the best of our ability and we have worked very hard over the years. From mixing to producing to waiting outside radio station’ studios for countless hours BECAUSE WE WANTED TO ENTERTAIN FANS OF THE MUSIC as well as get our wonderful music (AFROBEAT) noticed and enjoyed by the world.
We are based in the USA where it’s a third of the price to book a local talent (and by local we also mean internationally known, mainstream artists) than it is the prices being pitched to us by Artists’ Managers and publicists and ex high school buddies and side chicks and present girlfriends and “Outlaws” aka wannabe promoters who throw “good” money at these artists and get them to commit to events that they (AND BY THEY WE MEAN THE ARTIST AND THE WANNABE BOTH) have no idea about.
we would also ask and prefer that our artists concentrate more on improving their acts or performances for their fans cause that’s really what this is all about.
we didn’t become professionals and promote Afrobeat and put together great international events to get these artists to where they are only to be bamboozled by a wannabe or a greedy manager or an artist who just looks at us (and the fact that we live abroad) as mugus!
we no be mugu and this has to stop!
we ask that when artists are putting shows together that they be musically involved and also have a stake in their own show. cause really we are spending blind money on some monstrous atrocities presented as tours and performances.
price quotes are out of this world and in fact have become just really colossal and not in a good way at all. paying more money for artists (who are overpaid in Nigeria and have gotten used to it) than I am able to make has never been good business as it will never be! we do not do this for show, just like our wonderful artists, THIS IS A BUSINESS. Business should make sense.”

Good move? Bad move? Only time will tell. I, for one, support the campaign.#WeNoBeMumuForArtists.