This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc globally, the music industry is one of the sectors that has been severely affected. Established music artistes, including Tanzanian musician Mbosso, have been counting their losses due to the cancellation of music performances and tours.
On a Tanzanian Vlog SnS, Mbosso expressed his frustration at losing millions of shillings due to the pandemic. He had scheduled music performances and tours for April, but they were all cancelled indefinitely.
"I had shows that I was supposed to be performing at. I also had a tour in France. All these were supposed to be done in April," Mbosso said.
Unfortunately, the loss struck just as Mbosso was about to get paid by event organizers. "They were almost paying me but right now things are at a standstill. The bookings have been cancelled and I have lost between Tz shillings 80 to 100 million (Ksh 3.6 million to Ksh 4.5 million)," he revealed.
It's not just Mbosso who has been affected. His boss, Diamond Platnumz, has also lost roughly 3 billion Tanzanian shillings, which is equivalent to Ksh 137 million.
"It is but the sad reality," Mbosso said, reflecting on the devastating impact of the pandemic on the music industry.