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.”

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

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?

Music Exchange Photos

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Africori are proud to announce that they have joined forces with the V&A Waterfront World Media and Legacy

AFRICORI OFFICIAL PARTNERS TO THE V&A WATERFRONT WORLD MEDIA AND LEGACY CENTRE.

Cape Town (April 6, 2010) Africori are proud to announce that they have joined forces with the V&A Waterfront World Media and Legacy centre to provide a service whereby media and business personnel who are visiting South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup have direct and easy access to pre-cleared music from around Africa.

The V&A Waterfront World Media and Legacy centre provides a range of turn-key solutions designed to meet media needs and deadlines. Among these solutions is Africori’s catalogue of pre-cleared original music consisting of thousands of songs from the African continent. Media and Business visitors to Cape Town will be able to find and license suitable, pre-cleared music using the Africori web platform.. Africori’s advanced search engine will ensure that users will find the music they need and license the rights complication free.

“Licensing music from around Africa is never an easy task. With so many rights holders and access of information not always straightforward, music users such as TV & Film producers, advertising agencies can now instantly search and license music from the continent using the Africori platform. Most importantly I believe users will be astounded by the quality and wide variety of music the African continent today has to offer”.– Yoel Kenan. CEO and Founder of Africori.

“Without African music, the “Sights and Sounds of Africa” become just sights. We believe that every edited highlight and report from South Africa during 2010 and beyond can benefit from a unique, authentic African beat. Our partnership with Africori is therefore integral to the offering of the entire V&A Waterfront Media & Legacy Centre and we are delighted to be working with them.” – Martin Cuff, Project Director V&A Waterfront World Media and Legacy Centre

About Africori:

Africori is the first business-to-business synch licensing platform for African music connecting independent artists based in Africa with advertising agencies, film/TV producers, music supervisors and any businesses anywhere in the world that need to license music for their films, TV shows, documentaries, commercials or video games. The site was launched in February with a vast collection of music from all over the continent. Africori is not genre specific but rather looks for songs of good recording quality and all music rights are pre-cleared.

About the V&A Waterfront World Media and Legacy Centre:

Whether you are a broadcaster or blogger, photographer or publisher, the V&A Waterfront World Media & Legacy Centre offers a range of turn-key solutions designed to meet your specific needs and your deadlines. Based in the safety and comfort of the world-class V&A Waterfront precinct, but within a ridiculously short stroll from the Cape Town Stadium, the V&A’s Media Centre includes hot desks with high speed internet access, desk-top editing facilities, camera, lighting and equipment hire, libraries of rights-cleared music, photography and HD video footage, production services from live studio broadcasts to roving news teams to single photo-journalists on the hunt for a unique story, studio space and camera positions through the Waterfront and beyond, and a consumables store that sells everything from batteries to flash discs, and tape stock to notepads and pens.. For more info visit: www.waterfrontmediacentre.co.za

Creating a cost effective web presence – Brian Currin

Brian Currin’s Presentation

Music Exchange 2010 [Powerpoint, 7MB]

Rebel World Cup gig on the cards

LLOYD GEDYE | JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Mar 26 2010 17:31

From Mail & Guardian

Hot under the collar Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse

Legendary musician Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse is leading a drive by angry local musicians to stage a rival concert on the same night as Fifa’s World Cup kick-off celebration.

Local music professionals are furious that so few South Africans will feature in the official Fifa concert. Their call to arms this week — to mount a free rival concert — was made at Music Exchange, an industry conference in Cape Town.

One delegate suggested the rival concert should be called “Fuck Fifa”, although he later conceded that the name would probably not fly.

Fifa’s concert at Soweto’s Orlando Stadium in Soweto will feature only three South African acts — Vusi Mahlasela, BLK JKS and The Parlotones. African superstars Vieux Farka Touré, Angélique Kidjo, Tinariwen and Amadou and Mariam will take part alongside international artists including Alicia Keys, John Legend, Black Eyed Peas and Shakira.

South African music professionals are also simmering because Fifa contracted American-based events management company Control Room to run the concert, instead of a local company.

Mabuse said a rival concert is about “opportunities for South Africans. Why should South African musicians be denied the opportunity to be exposed to the rest of the world, when those that already have been privileged enough to have opportunities get to come here and make money and then go?” he asked.

The Fifa concert will be broadcast to millions of viewers around the world.

“Are we going to be silent about this?” Mabuse demanded. “Hell, no; it’s either there are more South African musicians involved in this concert or there is not going to be a show.”

Reacting to the controversially expensive tickets for the Fifa event — priced at R450 to R1 150 — Mabuse said: “We must do concerts for free. We must go out and find our own venues on that day and perform.”
Keevision chief executive Yoel Kenan agreed with Mabuse’s idea, saying of Fifa’s control: “We are in an environment where this is the reality and we are not going to be able to change it. We must ask how can we leverage the World Cup to promote the music from South Africa. If we put all our energy and resources together, we can do it.

“We can get YouTube and Puma as sponsors — they are not Fifa sponsors and they are all waiting for something to do. If it comes from the heart and it’s a South African project, I think people will feel it.”

Fifa spokesperson Delia Fischer referred the Mail & Guardian to Control Room, the American events management company organising the kick-off concert. But she said only the first round of artists has been announced and there would be more South Africans on the final bill.

Attempts to get comment from Control Room proved unsuccessful.

Photos 23rd March 2010

Day 2: 23rd March - Andrew Mac, Verity, Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse, Shannon Hope

Music Exchange photographer: Michael Currin – michael.currin.co.za

Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse and Doug Davenport

Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse and Tim Hill

Peter Lacey

Neo Muyanga and Doug Davenport

Andrew Mac and Verity

Gillian Ezra

Brian Currin's blog views over months

Brian Currin

Doug Davenport

Karl Gostner

Miles Keylock

Doug Davenport

Martin Myers

Doug Davenport

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David Alexander

Tim Hill

Shout music video

Photos from the day before: 22nd March

Guiding principles for successful musicians – Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse

By: Sindy Peters

An artist in the South African music industry has plenty to contend with, such as: funding, venues, minimum support from media outlets, international counterparts taking centre stage. Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse addressed the delegates on day one, 22 March, of the 2010 Music Exchange conference discussing why SA musicians are not resilient enough in the industry and hardly ever gain recognition and the rewards for their efforts.

Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse

Exceptions to the rule

Two years down the line, new musicians start disappearing from the South African industry according to Mabuse. Exceptions to the generalisation, however, include Prime Circle and The Parlotones which, in absentia, received resounding applause for their efforts. So what makes the circumstances of these bands different to others who certainly encountered the same obstacles in climbing the success ladder?

Postive relationships

One of the obstacles Mabuse faced was when his band, Harari (formerly known as the Beaters), split and with his “youthful zest, passion and perseverance”, he made the choice of sticking it out and going solo. He was momentarily insecure, but managed to establish great relationships with those involved in his career and pulled through this tough patch. “It is the relationships we establish with others that determine whether the music lives longer,” says Mabuse. The moral of the story being to surround yourself with positive people who believe in you and your capabilities – people who will stand by you through those rough times when your music career looks bleak. For this, Mabuse says, he is very “grateful to the people from Gallo”.

Burn Out in the bag

During the creation of Burn Out (1985), which he describes as being given to him by his ancestors, Mabuse says the idea arrived in his head and he started playing it on the piano, creating layer after layer. It took him an hour to write, after which he called Peter Gallo, describing Gallo as “the kind of recording executive you love to have”, and said to him: “It’s in the bag.”

Embrace self-management

Artists must trust their inner creativity, but it’s equally important to be self-reliant and independent and invest in oneself: “It is important that we create our own independence in the industry. You have to first self-manage; the talent you have is your own and you share it with others,” says Mabuse. Artists need to, in the beginning stages of their careers, go out there and book their own gigs, and realise that they are running their own business and not rely on promoters – they should embrace self-employment.

Tim Lester, a musician present at day one of the conference, asked how one gets past throwing in the towel when encountering challenges. Mabuse acknowledged that these things happen and determination and the way one handles challenges determines whether one survives or not, and that you can only rely on yourself.

Leadership principles

Mabuse, co-winner of the 2005 SAMA Lifetime Achievement Award, proposed three guiding principles for musicians to adhere to steadfastly: sacrifice, dedication and commitment. The three principles, he noted, freedom fighters for human rights used during their struggle.

For more information, go to www.musicexchange.co.za.

From BizCommunity

Music Exchange articles on Biz Community by Sindy Peters

Sindy Peters

• Music journos dish advice at Music Exchange 2010 – 24 Mar 2010
• Online marketing in the music business – 24 Mar 2010
• Go big, or just stay home – Music Exchange 2010 – 24 Mar 2010
• Embracing change at Music Exchange 2010 – 23 Mar 2010
• Guiding principles for successful musicians – Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse – 23 Mar 2010