How’s the music industry during pandemic

Music industry anxious about massive losses this Eid Season

The entertainment industry like music in Bangladesh is taking a beating from the coronavirus pandemic as all production activities have come to a halt amid the ongoing shutdown. The entire industry is in dire straits and it does not see the light at the end of the tunnel either, industry insiders claim.

The dreaded pandemic is feared to worsen further in the next one month or so – meaning the plague will take a heavy toll on the industry’s business during this Eid-ul-Fitr at the end of this month.
The Covid-19 shutdown has hurt the music industry as well. Live concerts and shows are the main sources of income for most of the musicians, especially seasonal musicians and artists who rely on live shows. The suspension of all live shows and concerts will affect them the most.

Speaking about the current situation, Sheikh Monirul Islam Tipu, general secretary of Bangladesh Musical Bands Association (Bamba), and drummer and band leader of Warfaze, said, “Usually, no live events are held during Ramadan. Normally, we perform at various shows and there are many activities, which help us financially to celebrate Eid.”
“Generally, the period from November to April is the perfect season for concerts and shows. So, all musicians are going through a financial crisis now. We cannot think of live events in this situation. It is alarming for musicians.”
“A number of concerts scheduled for Warfaze were cancelled or postponed. I am sure other artistes are going through a similar situation,” he said. He added he was not sure whether there will be live concerts, phone-in live concerts on TV, or any other events after Eid. He did not disclose the amount of revenue the music industry earned in the last one or two years from live concerts.
Popular musician Raef Al Hasan Rafa said, “I seriously do not know what is going to happen. The problem with the musicians is that we cannot ask for help.
The cultural affairs ministry or any organization should take care of the artistes, especially, of session musicians who live on a day-to-day basis.”
“Even when the shutdown is over, I am not confident enough to perform at concerts which are my or any musician’s main source of income. The government should take this matter into consideration. At least, they can make a list of session musicians and provide them with aid,” he added. Rafa further urged for instrumentalists, who perform on a daily basis at various events and occasions, to be included in aid efforts.