A Cuban musician and composer is demanding a response from the State, because he is paying royalties for interpreting his own songs.
Pedro Lázaro Ordoñez, alias Papucho, director of the Papucho salsa orchestra and Manana Club, decided to post his complaint on his wall of Facebookbecause it has been neglected or ignored by the governing bodies of culture in the country.
As he recounted, almost three months ago he sent a letter to the president of the Institute of Music because since January of this year he is being discounted four percent in his activities in EGREM premises, a company to which he belongs, due to rights of author.
“In other words, as a composer of my works, which I play with my orchestra, I am paying a percentage to interpret them. I myself do not understand anything,” he said.
Papucho assured that the only answer that the company gave him is that it is a resolution of the Institute. When he addressed the body, they told him that there is no face-to-face meeting without a letter explaining the concern and the reason.
“In other words, more bureaucratism and waste of ink and paper for something as simple as giving an answer to an artist,” he questioned.
Despite the absurdity, he fulfilled all the steps, but still no response. And although he has also called on the phone, they don’t even pick up his calls.
“Anyway, I would like someone to answer me if it makes sense that an artist has to pay to play their songs. On what planet is this practiced?” he asked.
“I think they are forcing us not to compose anything anymore, hehe, because at this rate we are going there is no longer business or sitting down to compose songs to try to forget the problems,” he concluded.
Last year the government approved new copyright laws to the self-employed and to small and medium-sized companies in the non-state sector, but the EGREM premises belong to the State.
Resolution 5 of the Ministry of Culture (MINCULT) approved the collection of copyright taxes from private businesses such as bars, discos, cafeterias and restaurants for the use of musical and audiovisual works.
The standard, published in the Official Gazette No. 17 Extraordinary of 2022, specifies that the measure applies to “self-employed workers, non-agricultural cooperatives and micro, small and medium-sized companies in the non-state sector”, and that payment will be through the Cuban Copyright Agency Musical (ACDAM).
From then on, nightclubs, discos and other establishments for night activities and matinees will pay four percent of their gross monthly income.
In July 2021, the agency issued Resolution No. 71, which updated the rates for the collection of copyright after the Ordering Task.
The new provision, published in the Ordinary Official Gazette No. 80 of that year, provided that in popular music concerts, the collection of copyrights through the ACDAM for the use of musical works will be from four to six percent of the income.
