COVID-19: MLJ FDN Raises Funds To Assist Local Musicians
The founder of MLJ FDN, Mpaka LongJohn has continued to assist musicians who have been financially impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic through his MLJ Foundation.
The live sector of the music industry submitted to inactivity during the lockdown, the recording sector resorted to other [digital] means to stay afloat which affected many artistes.
Although, the numbers recorded on digital platforms went up while online shows became a thing, even though they cannot be compared to live performance.
Mpakaboari LongJohn Foundation’s works during the hard time include emergency assistance, work opportunities, and community engagement for hip-hop and Afrobeats musicians.
With his MLJ Foundation, LongJohn has catered for many artistes and other people in the industry in the past to support their career and create a conducive environment for talented young Nigerians.
“The MLJ Foundation deeply appreciates the artists, songwriters, and other teams who have contributed and those who are planning to show their talents with such compassion and generosity,” Ambassador Mpakaboari LongJohn said in a statement.
“As pandemic restrictions continue to lift, we recognize that many musicians especially independent artistes will face a particularly lengthy recovery. They were among the first to be hit by the effects of the crisis and will be among the last to achieve a true sense of normalcy or stability. We and our partners are here for the long haul.”
“It was offsetting and inconveniencing with the protocols surrounding it, but regardless one has to innovate, and with people being at home during the early times of COVID-19 gave more value to the social media platform which is now the leading medium in promoting music,” he added.