The effects of COVID-19 on the lives of people in the entertainment industry is still being strongly felt across the nation, and there are no signs of it stopping any time soon.
This is why Grammy-award winning vocal group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo teamed up with other Durban-based musicians including Sandy B; Phuzekhemisi, Bongani Shongwe, and others to establish the Backing the Backup Artists (BBA)initiative.
The cause is dedicated to supporting struggling back-up musicians from different groups in KZN, a core part of SA’s music industry that is very often overlooked.
The initiative is being supported by both the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and SA Food Harvest. In total, they have managed to support 551 families with food parcels so far.
Sibongiseni Shabalala of Ladysmith Black Mambazo told SA Music Mag: “This is just a start, from Durban we will go to various other places in the province to help artists there and we hope, with more support, we can reach the rest of the country.”
The initiative comes as the struggling entertainment industry is still battling to recover since events and concerts are under strict COVID-19 protocols.
The on-going artist dispute with government has not been resolved and the latest developments were that the public protector was set to intervene to resolve the matter.
Also read: Public protector to intervene in dispute between artists and government



