Beat Bulletin July 2015

Some musicians, especially those who are not signed to a major record label, choose to limit this to one or two managers. But those individuals who are signed to major labels, will likely be assigned an in-house team of experts including management, who have a wealth of experience within the music industry to assist the artist.

In this piece, we will focus mainly on artist managers, as this is the most common type of management in South Africa. Artist managers take a more hands-on approach to assisting an artist with the day to day administrative side of things. They may assist with booking performances, compiling contracts on behalf of the artist, ensuring that the technical riders are done properly and finalising travel arrangements etc. The manager would also assist with negotiating recording & publishing deals, publicity, merchandising and any other task that might need to be dealt with.

In South Africa, artist managers also take on the role of tour or road manager, these individuals traditionally take care of the logistics while the artist is on tour. Duties include making sure that everything is provided for as agreed upon, following up on items promised as part of the contract such as accommodation, payments, tour routing and  communications with the person who booked the artist.

A good manager is one who is able to further develop their client’s career. One of the critical roles that a manager plays is to provide advice on all areas of an artist’s professional life, forging relationships within the music industry in order to create opportunities as well as sourcing the best service providers such as accountants, lawyers, booking agents and publicists. Simply put, artist managers are best viewed as a collaborative partners in the ongoing career progress of an artist, band or music group. During difficult times, it is their job to keep the ship afloat by keeping business flowing.

As an artist, one needs to understand that managers work on commission. So whatever your manager negotiates on your behalf, they are going to take a percentage based on what you have agreed upon. The figure is usually around 10 to 20 percent. Often, this percentage is calculated on the total gross income received from gigs, merchandising, music used in movies or commercials and any other source of income generated by the artist.

Artist managers have to be informed about a lot more things than they used to in the past including music copyright, music licensing, sponsorships, branding, crowd funding, endorsements, social media and direct-to-fan strategies. Putting together a persuasive strategy for an artist requires the right information, a salesmanship attitude and a go-getter spirit.

The SAMRO Foundation administrators and a distinguished panel of adjudicators completed an intensive selection process – narrowing a pool of 35 applicants to 12 semi-finalists. On 27 August 2015 these talented South African vocalists, six in Western Art (“classical”) music and six in Jazz, will compete live during the intermediate round of the Foundation’s annual Overseas Scholarships Competition. One singer in each category will claim the ultimate prize: a R170, 000 study award and the opportunity to accelerate their journey towards artistic and creative excellence.

The SAMRO Overseas Scholarships Competition has evolved much over 53 years. This evolution has followed South Africa’s compelling journey towards a unique cultural identity that reflects our history, our struggles, triumphs and visibility on the global stage.

“We are now starting to hear a truly South African sound” notes Andre Le Roux, Managing Director of the SAMRO Foundation. This year, SAMRO Foundation administrators and adjudicators took note of and were impressed by several candidates who chose South African compositions for their competition repertoire. Compared to previous years, “there seems to be increased appreciation of South African composition. For us as a Foundation within Africa’s largest music rights organisation and composers’ society, this is proof that we’re doing impactful work to preserve our rich heritage and shape the new inclusive voice of our country” said Le Roux

All 12 semi-finalists are between 22 and 30 years of age (average age 25) and are pursuing their passion as top achievers in the music world. Many have already honed their musical prowess as professional performers.

This year’s top six in the Jazz music category are:

Ms Amy Campbell (UCT)

Ms Mikhaela Kruger (UCT)

Ms Palesa Modiga (UCT)

Ms Nelmarie Rabie (TUT and UP)

Mr Kwena Ramahuta (UKZN)

Ms Amy Walton (UCT)

The Western Art music category’s semi-finalists are:

Mr Khanyiso Gwenxane (TUT and UCT)

Ms Andiswa Makana (TUT)

Ms Nombuso Ndlandla (NWU)

Mr Levy Sekgapane (UCT)

Mr Makudupanyane Senaoana (UCT)

Ms Victoria Stevens (UCT)

Four finalists – two in each category – will compete for top prizes on 29 August at the Linder Auditorium. This thrilling final round is open to the public, features live accompaniment, special guests and performances of a selection of musical works including a South African composition specially commissioned for the occasion.

The SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition rotates every year between awards for vocalists (2011, 2015), instrumentalists (2012, 2016), keyboard players (2013, 2017) and composers (2014, 2018). At least three SAMRO Overseas Scholarship winners have been recognised as Standard Bank Young Artist Award recipients, and countless others have gone on to pursue successful professional careers as internationally renowned Western Art and Jazz musicians. Each year, candidate submissions are evaluated by a panel of adjudicators appointed from the top echelons of music academia and practice.

The long list of hit songs that he has produced and his undeniable consistency are two pillars of the kind of brand he has grown to become. But like everyone else, Thasman had to pay his dues to get to where he is today. It is the lessons he learned as producer that have helped him stay relevant. Armed solely with a passion to produce beats, he started making music in 1993.

His persistence finally paid off in the year 2000 when he left his hometown of Mafikeng for Johannesburg where he started working at independent record label, Ghettoruff. This is where the talented producer got to work with a host of musicians who were at the peak of their careers including Zola, Spykos, Unathi and Bravo.

“When I joined Ghettoruff, I was intimidated. It was more challenging because of the artists I had to work with like Zola. But working on his album gave me an opportunity to give Zola a new sound and showcase my own artistic flair,” says Thasman.

He mentions that the key to his success in the ever-evolving music industry is that he makes it his business to know everything he can about the art of music production and the landscape of the music business in SA.

After the success of Zola’s third release, Bhambatha Thasman moved up in the ranks of music. His name became synonymous with music that dominates the airwaves. With all the success he was getting, the talented producer opted to use the platform to help other up and coming artists that he had been working with from his home town, Mafikeng. Some of the hip hop artists he started putting out records with included HHP and Morafe. He used his relationship with music industry executives to introduce Tswana rap to the hip hop game.

Ever the entrepreneur, the Tswaka hit maker left Ghettoruff to pursue music independently. From this move his independent label, Impact Sounds was born “When I left Ghettoruff, it was the right time and I used the relationships I had made from my time there to fast track my move to building an independent label,” said Thasman.

Standing on his own, also came with its challenges and he had to do a lot of adjusting to keep up with the continuously changing music landscape. “Now that I was running my own business, my responsibilities increased. Not only did I have to be creative in the studio, I now had to also look after the business side of things, to keep it running,” he added

“Work like a slave to live like a King” is the motto that keeps this hit maker going, even during the most challenging times. He runs Impact Sounds from his home studio and this grants him the ability to put in more overtime.

As much as he is passionate about the art of music production, Thasman also takes it upon himself to keep up with understanding the business side of the music industry. “Keeping my studio relevant is as important as knowing how the music business works. When your studio is up to date, people are able to hear the kind of sound you can put out.”

What makes Thasman one of the best in the business is his versatility. He’s able to produce songs for different artists in different genres without giving an artist what many would call, “signature sound”. “When I produce for an artist, I look at who they are and what they do, and create music that suits them instead of music that identifies myself in their sound.”

Issues he experienced with the administration of his copyright prompted him to establish his own publishing company in 2005. He felt that it was important to ensure that he was rightfully compensated for the use of his music not only on the radio but also on TV and film. Establishing his own publishing company allowed him to do so more effectively. “I found myself in a position where I had great hits on the airwaves, music being synched to advertising but because I wasn’t clued up on the business side of things, I was left in the dark by my old publishing company. From my initial publishing company and my massive works that were active at the time, I only got R2 000”

“I never got what was due to me until I decided to learn more about the different types of rights out there and how publishing works,” he said. He also credits his relationship with SAMRO for helping him get what is due to him over the years whenever his music is used or performed in public.  From humble beginnings to the man he is today, Thasman’s undying quest for knowledge and business savvy are all key parts of his ever growing music empire.