MOSHITO MAY IT BE A FANTASTIC CONFERENCE

Comment from Martin Myers, Music Exchange:  “It is satisfying and reassuring to see music industry personnel getting involved in the business of music at Moshito this year. Many of the speakers spoke at Music Exchange in March in Cape Town and we can vouch that the quality, knowledge and expertise of the likes of Nick Matzukis, Yoel Kenan, Gillian Ezra and Brian Currin, to name a few, is unsurpassed. These are the people we need to get the music industry back on its feet and we gladly support and back Moshito in its efforts as a cog in a bigger wheel that aims to drive the empowerment of people in the South African music business.”

Music Exchange speaker sets up amazing show for 21 Aug in Cape Town (via Martin Myers)

Andrew Mac one of the fantastic speakers at this years Music Exchange and also the leader of the band Flat Stanley has set up an amazing show called Symphonic Rocks featuring amongst others Just Jinjer, Louise Carver and a host of other top SA acts backed by a full 65 piece symphony orchestra. On August 21st, the Grand Arena at Grandwest Casino, Cape Town, will play host to an evening of epic musical entertainment; Symphonic Rocks. The all-star l … Read More

via Martin Myers

“SYMPHONIC ROCKS” presented by Heineken(R) in association with 5FM (via Symphonic Rocks)

On Saturday 21st August the Grand Arena at Grandwest Casino will play host to South Africa’s top pop & rock bands performing all their best known songs alongside a full Symphony Orchestra for one spectacular night. South African music heavyweights Just Jinjer, Flat Stanley, Louise Carver, Watershed, Gang of Instrumentals and aKing will be backed by the epic power of a full 65 piece symphony orchestra as they perform their way through some of … Read More

via Symphonic Rocks

PRESS RELEASE: Musicians tune in to new publicity consultancy (via Brian Currin)

MUSICIANS TUNE IN TO NEW PUBLICITY CONSULTANCY Cape Town, 16 June 2010: Cape Town’s latest public relations consultancy Tuned In Publicity has opened its doors to the music and entertainment industry. Built on a passion for music and a respect for the importance of building and maintaining relationships, Tuned In Publicity is the brainchild of industry publicists Martin Myers, Charise Matthews and Tim Hill. The consultancy will offer publicity se … Read More

via Brian Currin

Bring The Glory Home – Free Download (via Brian Currin)

Goodluck featuring Gang of Instrumentals and AmaAmbushed – Get into the soccer fever and put your voice behind Bafana Bafana! Download this track for FREE, put in your car stereo, roll down the windows and BLAST your message to Bafana… WOZA BAFANA!! … Read More

via Brian Currin

Talent Search

Is the Local music industry a sink or swim market

From Tim and a Fish Blog

‘Breaking international’ is at the forefront of local musicians’ minds but in order to navigate the ocean you must first conquer the pond. Many musicians struggle to survive the South African music industry. With so many fish in the sea, it helps to understand just how deep the local water is. Music exchange, which took place at the Victoria Junction Hotel in Green Point Cape Town on from 22-24 March 2010, is an initiative developed to educate artists and producers about how the South African music industry functions, and how it can benefit them. One of the panellists at the conference, Sean Wienand of Headline Artist’s Management and former owner of Mercury (one of Cape Town’s popular live venues), believes that “practice makes perfect”.

According to Sean, the main challenge facing local musicians is money. Sean explains that any product requires capital investment in order to promote and gain retail traction. Bearing in mind that investment from record companies is on a steady decline largely due to the lack of investment capital available. This stems from a global drop in album sales, says Charles Goldstack (CEO Touchtunes Interactive, former CEO of Bertelsmann Music Group USA) who spoke earlier at the conference. Sean offers a solution to local musicians by suggesting that they develop creative marketing models and spend funds on carving out a space for themselves in the “over-populated, under-supported and under-resourced” market we operate in.

Yoel Kenan, former senior vice president of international marketing at Sony BMG, was among the speakers at Music Exchange commenting on ‘how to break international.’ Although it’s true that 95% of music is illegally downloaded, to the detriment of musicians, Yoel assures that in light of web 2.0 advances there has been an overall change in consumer behaviour and that music is more consumed today than ever before. With the new broadband capabilities available the digital revolution plays a pivotal role in the modern musician’s means of communicating a product to a target audience. New artists, as a result, have a better chance of getting recognition than ever before. Charles adds that this is where the record and publishing companies can assist artists in capitalising on these opportunities for commercial success.

Nick Motsatse, CEO of The South African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), also spoke at the conference. Nick commented on how SAMRO are aiding musicians by helping them protect their rights and claim their royalties for their work regardless of the vast online mediums used. Nick spoke on the implementation of the “Needle Time Right” for performer’s protection right. This new law will protect the rights of musicians when their music is played live. The Needle Time Right ensures that the performer, composer and publisher will all receive their respective royalty payments if the song is registered with SAMRO.

Other organisations working towards strengthening the local industry include The Cape Music Industry Commission (Cape MIC) who are an NGO uniquely placed to facilitate and support music and economic growth in the Western Cape. They achieve this through the number of initiatives put into operation on a regular basis. A recent being a workshop geared towards teaching individuals how to produce a live music event, “They are doing some fantastic work in the education field,” says Sean, “Commercial ventures such as Your LMG magazine that are all striving to elevate the cause we all believe in. In addition, most venue owners, retailers, labels and peripheral music industry operatives are all contributing something to the cause.”

When I asked Sean about his predictions for the future of the Industry, he said that it was a big question, and one that he would probably have to charge me for to answer. He did say that the industry is surprisingly healthy and that the future looked bright, for musicians and business men alike.

Being among one of the many fish myself, I too find it hard to fight the strong back-current on my journey up the stream of music success. In the words of Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse (former SAMA Lifetime Achievement Award winner) “The road ahead is long, but what you have as a talent belongs to you. Be yourself, invest in yourself, and your talent will serve you.”

Tim Lester

Mahlasela denies he’s pulling out of World Concert

Mahlasela denies he’s pulling out of World Concert

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Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse keynote talk at Music Exchange 22 March 2010

Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of Sharpeville day and in seven days to come we shall remember the 30,000 man march to parliament led by a young man called Phillip Kgosana. Many in the house may ask of what relevance this is. Sacrifice, dedication and commitment. Our freedom came as a result of these attributes of the men, women who marched to change their unbearable circumstances. These attributes, including good relationships, are the guiding principles to which I have steadfastly held onto as a musician.

If I were to be asked, given a second life would I choose to be a musician? The answer would be a resounding yes, because then I would know even better how to become an even better musician. It is withpride andhumility that I stand before you to talk about this life as a musician. I seem to have added more to my CV as a music commentator lately! Martin, Tim, Peter and I were having dinner at Martin’s House and I asked why is that many a great South African musician especially white groups never seem to have the zeal to stick it out, for example Bright Blue, The Usual.etc? However I have been encouraged to learn that bands like Prime Circle and the Parlotones have been in existence for twenty five and ten years respectively.

South Africa never a country to inspire music successes because of the continuous neglect of the fundamentals of international trends in nurturing talent by record companies, promoters and many others are manifest in the industry. The proliferation of and investing in foreign product contributes to this perverse scenario.

Many a musician has either given up or migrated to other countries such as the UK or the US. These countries offer greater challenges but also tremendous opportunities. When I started as a musician I was a high school student who had a law degree in mind. It was through an appeal by the school’s headmaster for talented students to offer any performance in order to raise bursary funds for needy students put paid to my prospects of being a legal mind. Any regrets? I have always been ambivalent in my thoughts. A band called the Beaters to which I became the drummer, modelling itself on the Beatles was borne of this endeavour. Matric dances, Sunday concerts in the township halls, beautiful girls and money made from these, determined for me, a future in the music world. However apartheid laws did not make it easy though. Pass laws and labour systems which regulated the movement of the African majority diminished all the enthusiasm from many of the musicians. One night after a performance in an exclusively whites only club, in Johannesburg we were stop outside by a police patrol. The policemen, who were white and very young, inquired as to what we were doing in town at that time of the night and went on to consider us “nothing but Orang O tangs and to ..uck out of town” before they arrest us for trespass. The South African economy also, which invariably included the music industry, has always been driven by the need for the system to exclude the majority of the country from being active participants but passive observers. Why have I chosen to stay and continue to make music in South Africa therefore? The Beaters had different ideas though, our youthful zest, passion and perseverance ensured that we were not going to miss out on all the groupies and other perks the music industry offered, Lead by Selby Ntuli, an affable somewhat ambitious fellow who came from a middle class family and whose father was an educationist, the Beaters went on to tour nationally and other neighbouring countries, Yes the music industry has its treacherous paths, vagaries that would discourage the fickle. Selby who had lead with great aplomb and was loved, well respected by all and sundry died in his sleep in 1978, one of the band members decided to find a job with a glass manufacturing company, I was left with having to make a choice to either stick it out or find a job too, passion, sacrifice, dedication, commitment and perseverance dictated that I stick it out. I regrouped. Harari went on to become one of South Africa’s most successful bands, selling out major concerts and hundreds of thousands of records, within the whisker of an international breakthrough, with the song Party released as single in the U.S.

The band split, I was devastated, crushed, weakened, and momentarily insecure as I saw my whole dream deferred. However the kind of relationships we establish with others somewhat determine our destiny, A good manager, a committed record company, a pleasant media relationship an established fan base and continuously re inventing oneself by experimenting with divergent styles are characteristics that determines whether the music stays alive longer. Gallo as record company had a managing director in Peter Gallo and a staff that was committed to its roster of musicians, I am grateful for that. Of course history has been kind and generous. My song Burnout set me on a path of even greater success.

The release from prison of Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners, the return of compatriots from exile, ushering of a democratic South Africa presented us with renewed vigour, enthusiasm and new challenges. I continue to interact, learn from others, young and not so young on how to be forever thankful for this great gift – music. Did I hear someone ask if I was still hoping to pursue my legal studies?

Feedback from Shannon Hope

Hi Martin,

I just want to thank you for an incredible conference. I’m thrilled I was able to attend, as it was just the motivation I needed (at just the right time) to keep going.

Will definitely see you next year!

All the best,
Shannon H