MUMBAI: It is commonly observed that FM stations don’t announce the names of artistes whose songs are played, and one person who is particularly not happy about this is classical singer Shubha Mudgal.
“This is the least that they can do”, she told RadioandMusic.com. “Radio stations announce the names of sponsors, RJs, station IDs, then why not the people who create music?” she questions.
Mudgal’s major area of concern was the issue of authorship as the people who create music do not get due recognition. “They should actually announce the names of everyone associated with a song, but I understand that it is not feasible every time. It is observed that websites streaming music are also party to this crime which is really unfortunate. “ she avers.
Mudgal started the discussion on Twitter yesterday. “Appeal to music lovers. Please let’s ask FM stations in India to start announcing credits for music they play. They hardly ever do so.”
“They have enough time to babble on about all manner of things, but no time to acknowledge artistes? I’m not asking for a lecture on music, just basic courtesy – who composed, who wrote, who sang, which film,” she tweeted.
Expressing her disappointment on Bollywood musicians not enjoying a celebrity status as compared to international artistes, she says, “When something is cast in metal, it becomes hard to change. But we should have a dialogue. It may lead to a change.”
She stated that the recent amendment to the copyright act is not a magic wand and will not change the current situation of artistes dramatically. “It is a first step in the right direction and will help us gradually,” she adds.