Cheering for a cheque. But is it art?

07 July 2016 - 10:07 By MAJOLA MAJOLA

Once I learned that the SA Music Movement and the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of SA had made a public statement of their support for SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng, US author James Baldwin's words sprang to mind: "The poets (by which I mean all artists) are finally the only people who know the truth about us. Soldiers don't. Statesmen don't. Priests don't. Union leaders don't. Only poets."South African artists have pledged allegiance to the madness of our times - suddenly revealing how they have positioned themselves in close proximity to power.This is the season of political dementia and it seems the entry requirement for those wishing to participate in the games is the suspension of common sense.The level of noise in the land is head splitting because our country now resembles a high school classroom that's missing the teacher's instruction.People are talking at the same time and using a language that is understandable only to their reality. If you ask the poor why they resort to burning property, they will tell you that it's the only language they have learned to make visible their plight.If you ask our leaders why they resort to concealing information, they will say they are trying to maintain stability and order.If you ask our artists why they have resorted to the role of cheerleaders, they will tell you it's a bread-and-butter issue.What was distressing about their pledge on July 4 was its lack of clear observation. When artists fail to tell the truth it means society has failed to progress.The painful truth of our times is that we lack direction and leadership. Had these artists stuck to that truth, they would have risked being censored on the airwaves - and so they resorted to half-truths.The overarching problem in South Africa is the economic oppression of the black majority. The 90% content quota allocated to local artists may lighten that load, but this relief comes at the expense of misinforming the impoverished.The big question is whether the artists' allegiance to the architect of censorship - Hlaudi Motsoeneng - isn't itself an act of self-censorship.Information streams at the broadcaster affect one another - radio effectively mirrors TV. Will this mean artists have no platform to play protest songs, or will they no longer concern themselves with current events?The artists who pledged solidarity with Motsoeneng forgot a fundamental responsibility Baldwin explained:"Most people live in almost total darkness . people, millions of people whom you will never see, who don't know you, never will know you, people who may try to kill you in the morning, live in a darkness which - if you have that funny terrible thing which every artist can recognise and no artist can define - you are responsible to those people to enlighten, and it does not matter what happens to you.""It is impersonal. This force which you didn't ask for, and this destiny which you must accept, is also your responsibility. And if you survive it, if you don't cheat, if you don't lie, it is not only your glory, your achievement, it is almost our only hope - because only an artist can tell, and only artists have told since we have heard of man, what it is like for anyone who gets to this planet to survive it."Media freedom and artistic creativity are inseparable. By defending Motsoeneng my fellow artists are being dishonest to the poor and need to be called out for it. Who or what died on July 4? Is it art? Is it the artist? Is it the truth? Or is it all of the above?Majola is a musician, performer and writer...

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