COSOMA defends Chinga omission

The Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA) has defended the omission of gospel musician Miracle Chinga from its latest top 10 royalty earners list, saying the selection was not influenced by gender.

The defence comes after Chinga and some music fans questioned why the “Thamanga” hit maker was not among the top earners, with some arguing that her popularity and contribution to Malawi’s gospel music industry deserved recognition.

Chinga reacted to the development through her Facebook page, where she appeared disappointed by the outcome.

“Kaya nde kulimbikirako tizilimbikira motani enafe 🙌🙌🙌mmmmh,” she wrote, suggesting that the decision could discourage artists despite their efforts.

The debate also centred on the gender balance of the list, with some questioning why all the artists who made it into the top 10 were men. Some argued that the absence of female musicians, including Chinga, raised questions about whether women artists were being fairly recognised in the royalty ranking.

Responding to the criticism, COSOMA said royalty distribution is guided by established criteria and not by whether an artist is male or female.

The society said it is responsible for publishing the names of members who make it into the top 10 and that royalties are shared according to the applicable procedures.

The organisation added that there are no rules requiring a specific number of men or women to appear on the top 10 list or receive a particular share of royalties.

“We should also understand that gender and the distribution of these royalties are two different issues,” COSOMA stated. “There are no rules governing the distribution of royalties that state men should receive a certain share, women should receive a certain share, or that the top 10 must include a specific number of women or men.”

COSOMA said stakeholders should not misunderstand the process or assume there was bias, urging artists to continue working hard to improve their performance.

However, the explanation has continued to attract debate, with some music fans calling on COSOMA to provide more details on how the rankings are determined.

Famous Lipenga said the society should clearly explain the criteria used to identify the top artists to improve trust in the process.

“The best thing you can put this to stop is to explain clearly the criteria you use to identify the artists. You should also make sure that there’s transparency and accountability. For example you can do the identification of the top artists on camera. That’s the only way you can achieve credibility in your process of choosing the artists,” he commented on the post.

Steve Premo also called for openness in the royalty distribution process, saying artists deserve transparency and fairness.

“Artists deserve transparency and fairness when it comes to royalties. If there are concerns about how the funds were distributed, Copyright Society of Malawi should clearly explain the criteria and the calculation process used,” he wrote.