I haven’t received royalty, still 2012 says S P Balasubrahmanyam

The Indian Singers Rights Association (ISRA) has taken up a membership drive. In this connection a press conference was also organised.

Speaking to the media in Hyderabad on Wednesday, singer S P Balasubrahmanyam, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said though he sang several hundreds of songs till now, he did not make any money through royalties.

He said that earlier to the passing of the Royalty Bill in Parliament in the year 2012, he did not get even a single pie. But now, for every singer, they can demand royalty as a right. For this ISRA is making efforts, he added.

SPB called upon all the eligible singers to take up membership of ISRA. He said that there are 410 members now and expressed the hope that it would grow further in future.

There is no need for the singers to fear the losing of opportunities in taking up membership, he added. If they take membership, the singers would get some money throughout their lives.

Balasubrahmanyam said that singers, whether they sing for movies, folklores, ghazals, classical and devotional songs, irrespective of the language that they belong were eligible.

Sanjay Tandon, one of the ISRA Board Member, lamentedthat even senior singers were not getting royalties properly.

He said that in the year 2016, they distributed cheques worth Rs 51 lakh and Rs 1. 2 crore to the singers in 2017.

Urging them to take up membership, he said that if they take members of ISRA, they would be able to distribute money every year to the singers.