Pirated Solomons music selling like ‘hot cakes’

SOME Asian shops around Papua New Guinea are reportedly making money out of pirated music and video clips from the Solomon Islands, reports the Solomon Star.
In an email to the Solomon Star, East New Britain radio announcer, Misiel Jonah, said a lot of Solomon Islands pirated music is now on the shelves in ENB, selling like “hot cakes”.
When asked how the shops got the pirated music and clips, Mr Jonah said he has yet to find out but he suspected that it was smuggled through Bougainville.
He added that what the Asians did was collect various hit songs from artists from Solomon Islands and compiled them into audio and DVD clips which were then sold for K30 (about S$70).
“These people are making money out of your music because they know people in PNG love your music but the problem is I don’t know how and where they got the songs.
“Whether they have an agent, I don’t know,” the radio announcer said.
Mr Jonah said he had also learned from some of his colleagues that some Solomons students studying in PNG are claimed to have been selling Solomons music to their friends and people there also.
Currently in PNG, top local bands such as Sisiva, 1tox, Pagasa, Third World Crew, Sharzy and DMP are in high demand.
Third World Productions producer Schulte Maetoloa described his disappointment over the claims that the Asians were making money out of Solomons artists’ sweat.
“This is outrageous and disappointing but we cannot do much,” he said.
He added that piracy is a major crime in big countries around the world and such actions could result in very hefty fines.
He said the selling of pirated copies of Solomons bands’ music, without their consent, was spreading like wild fire but was not benefiting the bands “Artists’ work must be respected for their hard work in producing their products.
“Selling pirated CDs and DVDs, with the musicians getting no money, is robbing Solomon Islands musicians,” Mr Maetoloa said.
The selling of Solomons artists’ pirated music and DVD’s is an ongoing problem which also occurred in Vanuatu in 2008.  – www.solomonstarnews.com