He rose from South Africa’s poorest province to become one of the world’s most successful DJs, entertaining millions in dance clubs all over the globe, but the COVID-19 lockdown has got DJ Black Coffee wondering about the future of the music business.
Like most artists, the 44-year-old’s income depends on live gigs because the digital age has killed revenue streams from recorded music. Under lockdowns and air travel bans, the money has dried up.
“Regardless of what revenue you were making before, you are gonna to get to a point where you are making zero, it’s gonna affect all of us,” Black Coffee, whose real name is Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo, told Reuters in a video interview on Friday.
“We perform for crowds and crowds is a ‘no-no’ … A thousand people in the room means good business. If you say 80 people in the room, no one is going to
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