Flutist calls for repositioning of entertainment industry

iyebiye olawuyi

February 1, 2017 2:08 PM

Tee Mac in Lagos, said that if the sector was not restructured, it would negate creative output and professionalism.

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Renowned Nigerian Flutist, Omatshola Iseli, popularly known as “Tee Mac’’, has called for the restructuring of the entertainment industry, to further sustain its impact globally.

Tee Mac, one time President of the Performing Musician Association of Nigeria (PMAN), recorded his first LP, United, with Polydor International in Germany in the late seventies.

He hit the global music charts with two songs: “Fly Robin Fly”, and “Get Up & Boogie” (owns 50 per cent of the copy right) and toured extensively with his band Silver Convention, in the mid-seventies.

Tee Mac in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos, said that if the sector was not restructured, it would negate creative output and professionalism.

“Things are not going well therefore we have to restructure and refinance our entertainment industry."

“Without a structure there will be no development, or the development will be slow and not coordinated."

“For this reason the Entertainment Foundation of Nigeria, Entertainment Database Nigeria Ltd, Entertainment Cooperative Multi-purpose Society of Nigeria."

"The Entertainment Products Distribution Network of Nigeria have been registered and put in place.”

The music maestro said that he would like to see more music academies and actor training facilities established in the country to boost the capacity of the entertainers.

“Music and acting are professions of great skills and we have too many jokers and one- day flies in the industry,” he said.

Tee Mac added that the entertainment industry had thrived without any funding from banks or financial input from the Federal Government, and added about 1.8 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product of the country.

He decried the harmful effect of piracy which he described as the key issue affecting the growth of the industry, and called on the authorities to deal with the issue decisively.

“The entertainment industry is a reflection of the health of an economy and since we are in a serious recession, this has affected the movie and music industry in Nigeria,” he said.

He called on stakeholders to support the body.

“Unions and associations are very important to regulate, control and assist members unfortunately members don’t pay their fees regularly."

Tee Mac worked with celebrated British-born Nigerian singer Shirley Bassey, as her musical arranger and conductor and also worked as a composer for Cidi Croft Enterprise and later for Universal Films in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

He explained further that he had become more sophisticated in his composition of songs in recent times.

“I spend more time composing symphonies and flute concertos and I enjoy doing that very much," the former PMAN president added.

Though Tee Mac spent a lot of time touring across the globe (Far East, Latin America, Europe, North America and South Africa), he always invested in local Nigerian initiatives.

He became one of the pioneers of the Classical Music Society of Nigeria, which eventually founded the Muson Center, Nigeria’s leading music school.

iyebiye olawuyi