FoSMIS National Press Conference

FoSMIS is the Federation of Sierra Leone Music Industry Stakeholders. Our focus is popular music.

The purpose of this press conference is to inform ALL music industry stakeholders about FoSMIS and create general public awareness of the mandate of the Federation in Sierra Leone.

in regard, FoSMIS invites all popular music industry stakeholders based in Sierra Leone to a Press Conference on Monday, April 6th 2009 at 3pm.

Musicians Register

We need to put together a comprehensive register of all the professional artists (popular music) in Sierra Leone.

One of the reasons for this is that it makes it easier to get in touch with artists when you need to. But, it also stops artists from being signed to more than one manager or record label or booking agent when they shouldn't.

So, if you're an artist, get in touch with the relevant authority and get listed.

Contact Lawrence Spencer-Coker via his website - http://www.simplySUPREME.NET - for the latest info on registration.

JamSplash 4 Tribute Concert

May 11 2009 will see the 4th JamSplash Tribute concert in Sierra Leone. What started out in 2006 as a tribute to Bob Marley is now the biggest annual live band concert in Sierra Leone.

With the passing away of Reggae icons like Lucky Dube, Joe Hills and Sierra Leonean born Amara Kabba, JamSplash has now taken a new turn and will continue to pay tribute to all the greats mentioned already. Sierra Leonean favourites like Ebenezzer Calendar and Dr Oloh are all featured now, which makes for a much more enjoyable concert.

In the quest to find the spiritual home of JamSplash, the concert has been hosted at the National Stadium for the past 3 years and it is expected that JamSplash 4 will be hosted there also.

Get ready to jam with bands like the Refugee Allstars, Super Combo, Blind School Band, Ballanta Jazz Band and rock with artists like Slash G, RigiDan, Konflix, Youthman, Xplicit and more.

It should be a great night - Venue will be confirmed later!

Afro Print Exhibition

Afro Print is an exhibition of African Art, Music and Produce. It is taking place at the Afro Print Centre at the junction of Pademba Road and Wellington Street junction.

The Afro Print Exhibition is open from midday to 5 pm daily and is a great place to (a) showcase your African art, music or produce; and (b) buy African art, music and produce, including African fashion.

If you would like to exhibit during the Afro Print Exhibition, send an email to afroprint@simplySUPREME.NET or send an SMS to +232 76 799999.

Featured products include, handmade slippers from Ghana, agbadas from Mali, african print shirts, handmade jewellery, buttons made out of coconut shells by local Sierra Leoneans, plus much, much more.

Be a part of this exciting event with Afro Print!

Morgan Heritage in Sierra Leone?

I hear rumours that Morgan Heritage will be coming to Sierra Leone to play one date on April 21st 2009. This date falls bang in the middle of the Pride Week celebrations, which commemorate the Independence of Sierra Leone from its British captors.

On April 24th, Pride Nite will feature Sierra Leonean artists in concert at the National Stadium Main Bowl. FoSMIS are working in collaboration with the Attitudinal Behaviour and Change Secretariat to make this event a success.

The celebrations during the week, starting April 19th through April 27th, is expected to include all forms of entertainment and events that Sierra Leoneans should be proud of.

Are you going to be a part of Pride Week? Do you think non Sierra Leonean acts should be a part of Pride Week?

Get Sierra Leoneans Reading More Books - 400+

Donating Rules

1. Maximum of 10 titles per member. (Members can donate unlimited copies of each title)

2. Donate Autobiographies and Biographies, Business Development and Personal Development books

3. Deliver your books to our Reading Centres. (Current Reading Centre is located at Supreme House, 43 Big Waterloo Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Donating Tips!

- Remember, you can donate as many copies of each of your titles as you wish. For example, if you choose to donate 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad', you can donate a hundred copies. Our goal is to encourage reading with a Purpose, through wider dialogue on each of the books donated. The more copies we have, the more people can read each title.

- Bring your donations personally. We'd love to meet you!

PS. We are 400 strong so if each member donates 1 copy of each of their 10 titles, we'll have 4,000 (four thousand) titles to Get Sierra Leoneans Reading More Books.

Thanks for your support!

IMC Press Release

Independent Media Commission
23rd March 2009

At the IMC Emergency Board Meeting held today march 23rd 2009 the Board discussed its ongoing investigation on the suspension of the two political party radio stations.

It decided to also consult with other stakeholders with a view to determining the way forward.

The public will be informed of its findings and decisions in due course.

Faithfully submitted
J.P.K. Lamin
Executive Secretary

For and on behalf of Commissioners of the Independent Media Commission

Africa Tops World Rankings

The report by Amnesty International ranks the world’s regions in terms of how many executions they carried out and reveals the top ten countries for executions.

Asia ranked last, with China executing more people than the rest of the world put together – 72 per cent of the total, with 1,718 executions – although the figure is believed to be much higher, as China continues to use the death penalty in secret.

You may find it interesting to note that Africa came top in the ranking as the region with the fewest known executions in the world for 2008. There were only two known executions in sub-Saharan Africa, as opposed to four in Europe, which ranked second.

However, it is important to note that death sentences continued to be handed down in their hundreds in Africa.

Death Penalty: 2,390 executions in 2008 worldwide, 72 per cent in China


Amnesty International today revealed that more people were executed in Asia than in any other part of the world in 2008 because China carried out more executions than the rest of the world put together. By contrast, in Europe only one country continues to use the death penalty: Belarus.

"The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Beheadings, electrocutions, hangings, lethal injections, shootings and stonings have no place in the 21st century," said Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

The report Death Sentences and Executions in 2008, which provides a world overview on the death penalty, found that between January and December 2008 at least 2,390 people were executed in 25 countries around the world with at least 8,864 sentenced to death in 52 states.

Amnesty International also reports on countries that handed down death sentences after unfair trials, like Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen. The report addresses the discriminatory manner with which the death penalty was often applied in 2008, with a disproportionate number of sentences handed down to the poor, minorities and members of racial, ethnic and religious communities, in countries such as Iran, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and USA. And the risk of executing the innocent continues, as highlighted by the four inmates released from death row in the USA on grounds of innocence.

Many death row inmates languish in harsh detention conditions and face psychological hardship. For example, in Japan inmates are typically notified of their hanging only on the morning of their execution and their families are informed only after the execution has taken place.

“Capital punishment is not just an act but a legalized process of physical and psychological terror that culminates in people being killed by the state. It must be brought to an end,” said Irene Khan.

Most of the world is moving a step closer to the abolition of the death penalty, with only 25 out of the 59 countries that retain the death penalty reported to have actually executed in 2008. But Amnesty International warned that, in spite of this trend, death sentences continue to be handed out in their hundreds all over the world.

Progress was undermined, however, in 2008 by countries like St Kitts and Nevis which carried out the first execution in the Americas outside the USA since 2003 and Liberia where the death penalty was introduced for the crimes of robbery, terrorism and hijacking.

“The good news is that executions are only carried out by a small number of countries, which shows that we are moving closer to a death-penalty free world,” said Irene Khan. “By contrast, the bad news is that hundreds of people continue to be sentenced to death and suffer in the many countries that have not yet formally abolished the death penalty.”

Regional summaries:

Most of the executions in 2008 were carried out in Asia where 11 countries continue to practise the death penalty: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Singapore, and Viet Nam. China alone accounted for almost three quarters of the world's executions, carrying out at least 1,718 executions - although the figure is believed to be much higher as statistics on death sentences and executions remain state secrets.

The Middle East and North Africa was the region with the second highest number of executions (508). In Iran, stoning and hanging were among the cruel and inhumane methods used with at least 346 people put to death, including eight juvenile offenders. In Saudi Arabia, where execution is usually by public beheading and is, in some cases, followed by crucifixion, at least 102 people were executed.

In the Americas, only the United States of America consistently executes, with 37 executions carried out in 2008 including more in Texas than in any other state. The release of four men from death row in the USA on grounds of innocence brings to more than 120 the number of such cases released since 1975. The only other country in the Americas to execute in 2008 was St Kitts and Nevis, the first Caribbean state to carry out an execution since 2003.

Europe would be a ‘death penalty free zone’ if it were not for Belarus where the death penalty is shrouded in secrecy: execution by a gunshot to the back of the head and no official information given relatives about the date of the execution or where the body is buried. The former Soviet country carried out four executions in 2008 and remains the only country in Europe to retain the death penalty.

Only two officially recorded executions were carried out in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2008 but at least 362 people were sentenced to death. 2008 also saw a regressive development in Liberia where the death penalty was reintroduced for the crimes of robbery, terrorism and hijacking.


A copy of Amnesty International’s report Death Sentences and Executions in 2008 will be available from 24 March 2009 00:01 GMT on www.amnesty.org

Also available are a number of case studies of people who were executed during 2008 or who are currently on death row.

Amnesty International’s Secretary General Irene Khan and other experts will be available for interviews in Arabic, English, French, Italian and Spanish.

A copy of Amnesty International's report, Ending executions in Europe: Towards abolition of the death penalty in Belarus, calling on the Belarusian authorities to abolish the death penalty will also be available from 24 March 2009 00:01 GMT on http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/EUR49/001/2009/en.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Josefina Salomón P:+44 207 413 5562, M:+44 7778 472 116, jsalomon@amnesty.org
Tom Mackey P:+44 207 413 5810, M: +44 7793 902 348 tom.mackey@amnesty.org

Obama Reprieve for Liberians

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama has signed an executive order allowing roughly 3,600 Liberians living in the United States to stay in the country for an additional 12 months.

The White House told members of Congress of the decision on Friday.

An 18-month extension issued by President George W. Bush was set to expire March 31. Advocates for the Liberians, who are staying in the U.S. under "deferred enforced departure status," are hopeful that a solution can be reached with Congress to allow them to stay permanently.

Liberians "have contributed to our society for more than a decade, becoming active members of our communities and providing for their families," Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I. said in a statement. "I am pleased that the president has acted to preserve their status here, preventing a grave injustice."

More than 250,000 Liberians live in the United States, with large enclaves in the Carolinas, Georgia, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island.

"The Liberian community has become an important part of the social fabric of Minnesota - they are our neighbors and our coworkers," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. "While Liberia continues to be unstable, it is important that Liberians who are here legally are able to continue to call Minnesota home. This extension will allow us to continue our pursuit of a more permanent solution."

Advocates maintain that a disproportionate number of the 3,600 Liberians under protected status are heads of households whose income helps provide for their families in both the U.S. and Liberia.

The Bush administration had called its 2007 extension the last one for Liberia, where years of civil war have given way to a fledgling democracy.

Supporters of the Liberians' right to stay in the United States have said that though the quality of life in Liberia has improved, it is still a perilous environment with high unemployment and inadequate infrastructure and electricity, among other problems.

"Without an extension, families would have been torn apart, businesses would have closed and communities would have suffered," said Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn. "Additionally, Liberia remains a country scarred by civil war and is simply not ready to absorb thousands of new residents."

There are currently six countries with temporary protected status: Burundi, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Somalia and Sudan.

Temporary protected status is an immigration status given to nationals of countries or parts of countries that are deemed by the U.S. government to be too unsafe for nationals to return. That status can be granted for reasons like an armed conflict or environmental disaster.


(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) For more info, visit www.TheLiberianJournal.com

What is the status of Sierra Leoneans similarly affected? Do you know?

Africa Tops Rankings

You may find it interesting to note that Africa came top in the ranking as the region with the fewest known executions in the world for 2008.

There were only two known executions in sub-Saharan Africa, as opposed to four in Europe, which ranked second.

Full report coming soon!

Press Release: Independent Media Commission

Independent Media Commission
16th March 2009

THE IMC'S POSITION ON THE SUSPENSION OF THE TWO POLITICAL RADIO STATIONS BY THE VICE PRESIDENT H E SAMUEL SAM-SUMANA

The Board of the IMC met at its premises, Monday 16th March 2009 on the above subject and decided as follows:

Mindful that the state has the responsibility to maintain law and order throughout the country,

Recognising that the IMC was created by Parliament to regulate the media in Sierra Leone;

Recognising also the crucial role played by SLAJ (Sierra Leone Association of Journalists) in the country's media landscape;

Noting the general reaction of the publc to the temporary suspension of the two political radio stations

The IMC realises that the government's action in suspending the radio stations stems from the powers of the Executive as stipulated in Sections 25 and 26 of the Constitution.

The IMC however strongly advises the government to speedily conclude arrangement for the Corporation of the SLBS, so that the new Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation can come into being as a national public broadcaster within the shortest possible time.

In this situation the SLBS will be accessible to all political parties and all shades of opinions which may render political party radio stations unnecessary.

In the meantime, the IMC calls on the government to work with the Commission to address the current situation.

Faithfully submitted
J.P.K. Lamin
For and on behalf of the Chairman and Commissioners of the Independent Media Commission

Musicians getting paid

Piracy is a big problem in Sierra Leone. Go by most main streets in Sierra Leone and you see young boys clutching a collection of home made CDs, mostly compilations, including music by both foreign and Sierra Leonean musicians.

Problem is, the real investors in the music are not getting their return. The musicians, producers, record labels and all those who depend on music - well, depend on it legally, that is - are being shafted by the pirates.

FoSMIS was formed to handle such issues and seem to be making much progress on the piracy front. The government of the day are keen to bring the intellectual property laws into the 21st century and that's a good thing. However, no one seems to be focused on the thing that will bring the real cash to the musicians, government and all relevant stakeholers.

How do you enforce anti-piracy laws on the streets of Sierra Leone? That's the billion dollar question.

I have been working on a system for enforcing anti-piracy measures for quite a few years now - since 2005 - after seeing the damage that piracy did to Emmerson's Borbor Bele album.

The system, which incorporates a security seal, enforcers and a helpline, has been piloted and it works. The focus now is to bring it into effect in the Sierra Leone marketplace as soon as possible.

Partners have been identified and we are very optimistic that the system will yeild great dividends.

Volunteer Soliciting Anyone?

INVITATION TO JOIN FoSMIS AS A VOLUNTEER SOLICITOR

FoSMIS writes to officially request your professional legal services be rendered for the development of the Sierra Leone music industry on a voluntary basis.

The agenda of FoSMIS is to organise and manage the development of the music industry in Sierra Leone in partnership with other stakeholders. Our immediate focus is championing the anti-piracy campaign. We aim to create the legal foundation upon which the music industry will flourish. We have the mandate of the Office of the President and we work closely with the Attitudinal Change Unit in close collaboration with its incumbent Director, Mr Phillip Conteh.

The Interim Executive of FoSMIS, all volunteers, look forward to a positive and speedy response from you. Our aim is to have this issue concluded swiftly as we take steps to ensure that the movement against piracy is not derailed to the detriment of the music industry at large.

Sincerely,
Lawrence Spencer-Coker Abubakarr Kamara


Interim Public Relations Officer Interim Secretary General
FoSMIS FoSMIS

FoSMIS - Striving for Excellence in Music

Your chance to shape the debate

DFID is working on a new White Paper that will be published in July 2009. As DFID develops a new narrative to explain how their approach is changing, DFID wants to hear your views.

Please join DFID at one of their regional consultation events to share your ideas. You’ll have the chance to ask questions and debate a focus topic.

At these events you will hear from:
- a DFID Minister
- a speaker from one of the many organisations that work hard to help eliminate global poverty
- volunteers who have worked on international development projects, and who have stories to tell about their experiences.

There are 12 events being held around the UK between 18th March and 18th May.

Register now (http://email.cogdesign.com/t/r/l/jkntu/yuudjlld/j)! Or, become part of the conversation by having your say online (http://email.cogdesign.com/t/r/l/jkntu/yuudjlld/t) - even if you don't live in the UK.

On 2 April 2009, world leaders from the G20 countries – representing 85% of the world’s output – will meet in London. They will meet against the backdrop of the worst international banking crisis in generations.

Speaking at a UK-led conference ahead of the Summit, British Secretary of State Douglas Alexander said:

“The global community faces enormous challenges. The economic crisis, food security, climate change, energy insecurity, conflict, rising population - these are challenges of unprecedented magnitude which affect us all, and in particular the world's poorest and most vulnerable. The nature of this interdependence means that it has never been so important to invest in our common future.”

Returnees Career Fair

My company was approached to come up with some ideas for a Career Fair for people returning to Sierra Leone from the Diaspora.

We recommend hosting the event in the central part of town which is most easily accessible during working hours. The Miatta Conference Centre will make a fantastic venue. It is in a central location, has ample parking and the indoor layout can facilitate both performances and stalls setup for exhibitors.

A segment called ‘Careers in Entertainment’ was proposed to showcase career opportunities that exist in the entertainment industry, a sector which Returnees, especially from countries such as the UK and USA, will find most appealing. The segment offers the chance to create some additional excitement around the Fair and should also prove attractive to the principal sponsors and organisers of the event, because they can make statements to the general public at the live event.

Given that time is of the essence, a Corporate Networking event to market the Career Fair to a strictly corporate audience, soliciting their participation, is highly recommended.

We propose the series of events take place as follows:
• March 13th – Corporate Networking Event
• March 27th to 28th – Returnees Career Fair (with Careers in Entertainment segment between 9pm and midnight on March 27th 2009)

Instead of focusing all attention on the corporate employers, we should definitely also focus on returnees who are coming to invest in their own businesses by showcasing opportunities for consultanciies and investment into their own staff also.

Let's discuss your ideas!

FoSMIS Music Awards

FoSMIS MUSIC AWARDS
Brief prepared by the Organising Secretary (FoSMIS)

The FoSMIS Music Awards is planned as the leading awards event recognizing the accomplishments of practitioners in the music industry in Sierra Leone.

It is also expected that the event will be used to raise funds for the general administration of FoSMIS. To this end, sponsorship will be solicited from key public and private stakeholders

ADMINISTRATION OF EVENT
• Executive Board of FoSMIS has the responsibility of creating a master list of nominees in each category
• The master list will be converted into a voting slip containing each category and the names of nominees
• The voting slip will be circulated to the entire registered membership of FoSMIS for voting
• Each member of FoSMIS has one (1) voting right per category
• The votes for each nominee in each category will be tallied and the winner being the person with the highest votes

REQUIREMENTS
1. Each nominee must be a registered member of a FoSMIS accredited organisation
2. It is the responsibility of each accredited organisation to forward their complete membership list to FoSMIS for the purpose of preparing the voting forms and for general administration of the voting system

EVENT PLAN
• The event will be organised as an A-List/VIP event
• Attendance will be strictly by invitation
• Donations will be solicited from key invitees
• Nominated musicians are not expected to perform just because they are nominated for an award
• Performers will be selected by the Executive Board of FoSMIS

Let's discuss this event to make it better!
Organising Secretary
FoSMIS

FoSMIS Q2 2009

FoSMIS will promote the following Manifesto:
1. Pursue the creation of a national Desk that will act as an intermediary between music industry practitioners and all arms of the State, on matters of daily administration of the industry as opposed to policy related issues, for which existing arms of government are already positioned to administer and oversee.
2. Lobby for the ratification of the new anti-piracy laws to minimise piracy.
3. Develop and adopt an effective system of authenticating music products in the Sierra Leone marketplace.
4. Commissioning of a trained Anti-Piracy unit mandated to enforce the existing laws and enforcement systems at points of customs entry and exit, and within the marketplace of Sierra Leone. The benefits of any effective system include; quantification of sales volumes and increase in royalty and tax revenues for government generated directly from the distribution of music related products, such as cassettes and CDs
5. Create national public awareness about the effects of piracy to change attitudes relating to handling pirated goods.
6. Champion the accreditation of industry professionals so that the music industry can be more professionally managed.
7. Offer advice and assistance to accredited music industry professionals.
8. Promotion of the annual FoSMIS Music Awards
9. Manage fundraising initiatives where proceeds are to be used for direct investment into the promotion of Sierra Leone music and musicians
10. Any other social, educational or cultural pursuit as the Federation deems appropriate
PR Forums

1. Press Conference with the Executive Board of FoSMIS – Old School
2. FoSMIS Radio – regular syndicated radio show
3. FoSMIS TV – regular television talk show
4. Monthly editorial for newsprint
5. Online promotion of the activities of FoSMIS

Sponsor Dance Xplosion

Do you wanna dance? Dancing as an art-form is prevalent in Sierra Leone. Recreationally, dancing is even more popular with Sierra Leoneans across the whole country. Dancing is fun! Dancing is emotional! Dancing is exciting!

Introducing ‘Dance Xplosion’ – the inter-group dancing competition.

Our aim is to unearth and promote the best dance troupes of Sierra Leonean origin.

The competitions are live events, but are also produced for television with global distribution possibilities.

Audience participation adds to the excitement of Dance Xplosion

Sponsorship is set at $700 per show
The schedule for shows is as follows:

22nd February 2009 – Promotional staged performance at Lumley Beach presents an opportunity for sales and promotions – completed. Report available

1st March 2009 – Promotional performances at Lumley Beach – completed. Report availeble

8th March 2009 – Promotional performances at Shain Foundation Concert at Lumley Beach

15th March 2009 – 1st full competition performance at Silver Wings – Daily Winner by audience applause ($400) – SMS voting to determine who performs next week plus wildcard entries!

On every Sunday from 6pm


Kindly contact the event organizer if you are interested in sponsoring Dance Xplosion or if you have a dance group to enter into the contest.
Published by Lawrence Spencer-Coker
Entertainment Consultant
Email: Lawrence@simplySUPREME.NET Website: www.simplySUPREME.NET

This info is subject to change!