LAWYERS WILL BE BETTER AS ARTISTE MANAGERS

Artiste management, an adopted western showbiz orientation has come to stay in Ghanaian showbiz. However, the failure of most artiste managers to pay attention to details as well as indiscipline attitude of artistes; makes it expedient for lawyers as better alternatives as far as artiste management is concerned.

As of now, the relationship between artiste-management has not been well defined. While some propose artiste management should be like an employer-employee affair, others postulate it should be a servant-servant affair. Other schools of thought also argue out that artiste management should be like a partnership business.
Whatever the theory is, our crawling industry has not well defined what artiste management is and the relationship it must create between the artiste and the posited managers. As to who must call the other’s service first to create a relationship is still left to the discretion of both parties.

From my observation, most artiste managers in Ghana are “big boys” who have been in showbiz for a long time, have network with most of the mass media, event organizers, corporate bodies and influential people and thus; simply take advantage of artistes as their managers. For over a decade since the intensity of artiste management in Ghana, issues of artiste and managers misunderstanding and break up occurs every year. Some of the reasons we’ve been made to know includes; absence of contractual agreement, less-detailed out contract provisions, conflicts of interest, insubordination, poor negotiation on the part of managers, amongst other concealed reasons.

Having analyzed the causes of artiste-management thoroughly, I believe and propose that; lawyers will be better artiste managers. First, lawyers are trained in such a way that, contract agreement is the first thing most lawyers will call for before he/she manages an artiste. Any lawyer be it practicing or not, before accepting to be a manager of an artiste would insist a contract is signed. Contrast that with the current situation on the ground where artiste management is born out of friend and relative ties. No contract agreement is signed to bind the two parties. Even those who sign contract agreements do not have well detailed out provisions on all issues covering the artiste-management relationship. That can never happen if a lawyer is an artiste manager.

Secondly, most lawyers are good negotiators and eristic arguers. That is why most shareholders and investors go along with their lawyers during AGM’s and business negotiations because, lawyers can argue out well on the negotiation table for a good deal to be secured. Contrast that with some of our artiste managers. They are not good negotiators hence; their inability to get better deals for our artistes. Thirdly, lawyers are good communicators. They know how to trade words cautiously at most times. Lawyers rarely flop in communication. Good communication is one of the strongest arms of most lawyers. Contrast that with most of the artiste managers we have. On several attempts, in their bid to save the faces of their artistes or speak on their behalf, ends up muddying the waters and complicating matters. Lawyers will be better in this regard-communication.

Fourthly, lawyers per their brand as “lawyers” or legal brains commands more respect, “fear” and attention. Lawyers are perceived to be independent minded, objective and more serious minded so anybody who deals with a lawyer does so with high sense of seriousness and tutelage. Most of our artiste managers per their status do not command the aforementioned aura that surrounds lawyers. Indeed, some of them are not taken serious by some sponsors because of their body-carriage.

Lastly, most lawyers are good, administratively. Safeguarding of documents, writing of winning proposals, drafting of professional contract agreement, providing legal advice, registration of documents and analyzing of contract documents come easy for lawyers. Contrast that with our current artiste managers who end up hiring lawyers or legal brains to analyze contract agreements, proposals and other forms of administrative works. The sense then is, if you’re an artiste, why don’t you kill two birds with one stone by hiring a lawyer as your manager rather than hire a manager, pay him and when it is time for legal issues engage a lawyer and incur additional cost? How much at all is your money?

On the part of the indiscipline artiste, hiring a lawyer will help you become more mortified and regimented. With the better deals a lawyer will give you as an artiste, you will not even backstair him/her for any down deal from third-parties. I am not in any sense down-grading the efforts our artiste managers are putting up for our artiste, neither am I exacting that lawyers are perfect creatures. But, comparing our current artiste managers and lawyers, I believe and convinced that, the latter’s professional values and worth, will make them better artiste managers. Until then......MOTWUM!!


Osarfo Anthony

STORY: flexghana.com