Beat Bulletin March 2013

For three days, from 21 to 23 March 2013, the City Hall was abuzz with the sound of music – with a full programme of workshops and panel discussions on making it, marketing it, getting it heard on various platforms and ensuring that it moves with the times.

This independent music conference, now in its third year, attracted hundreds of experts and delegates from across the music spectrum – from composers and publishers to record company executives and media – to share knowledge and ideas, network, perform live showcases and identify opportunities to boost South African music locally, regionally and abroad.

Among the high-profile music creators spotted at the conference were Vicky Sampson, Mynie Grové, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, RJ Benjamin, Chad Saaiman, Jimmy Nevis, Mark Haze, Dub Masta China and Arno Carstens, as well as industry heavyweights such as Universal Music A&R consultant Benjy Mudie, Cape Town Jazz festival founder Rashid Lombard and Rolling Stone SA editor-in-chief Miles Keylock.

The international speakers on the programme included acclaimed house music producer and remixer Charles Webster (UK), music promoter Doug Davenport (USA) and Africori CEO Yoel Kenan (France).

One of the conference’s undisputed highlights was the keynote address by Trevor Jones, moderated by Universal Records managing director Randall Abrahams. Now based in the UK, Jones was born in District Six and is considered one of the top five film score composers in the world, with several Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations as well two ASCAP Awards in the bag.

Jones has made an indelible mark on the global entertainment industry, scoring international blockbusters such as Notting Hill, The Last of the Mohicans, Mississippi Burning and The Mighty and working with the likes of U2, Sting, David Bowie, Sinead O’Connor, Britney Spears, Elvis Costello and Charlotte Church.

Jones became overcome with emotion after being given a standing ovation by delegates, who warmly welcomed him back home.

During his inspirational talk, he spoke about the importance of music education and his desire to give something back to South African music industry: “Key to South Africa’s success is hard work and building a positive perception of our country and us a nation,” he said.

Award-winning local singer, songwriter and guitarist Arno Carstens, who spoke at the conference about the song that made him famous, said it was an honour to be part of Music Exchange and it was encouraging and inspiring to see so many enthusiastic people attend and share their experiences and knowledge.

Joining Carstens on the stellar line-up of artists speaking about the song that made them famous, Vicky Sampson acknowledged songwriter Alan Lazar (formerly of Mango Groove, and now a successful composer based in Los Angeles), who wrote African Dream. “I am grateful that Alan gave me the song and did not pass me up for Mango Groove’s Claire Johnston,” Sampson quipped. She spent every minute of the conference absorbing and learning, as well as reconnecting with her mentor Benjy Mudie and her old friend RJ Benjamin.

Versatile singer, composer and teacher Benjamin, who has been invited to be a vocal coach for the upcoming season of Idols and will be composing SABC2’s new signature tune, continuously urged delegates to make use of social media platforms to reach new audiences. Benjamin stood out as one of the speakers to whom delegates were drawn and his presentations proved to be extremely popular.

After the weekend’s proceedings wrapped up, local music legend Hotstix tweeted: “What a conference; what great speakers and delegates – wow!”

Added a delighted Music Exchange founder and board member, Martin Myers: “We have been completely overwhelmed by the positive feedback we’ve received, and the animated conversations on social media platforms about the success of Music Exchange.

“Recording and performing artists, as well as composers and other industry players, have complimented the conference for being relevant, engaging and thought-provoking. There was a strong focus on the business side of music, which elevated this event above a mere talk shop: they left with useful, practical information that will undoubtedly be of immense value in their various professional ventures.”

Visit www.musicexchange.co.za to find out more about next year’s Music Exchange conference, or follow @musicexchange on Twitter.

Issued by JT Communication Solutions on Behalf of Music Exchange – www.musicexchange.co.za 

From 11 to 13 April 2013, Johannesburg will play host to this exciting new project to promote a greater presence of African music on Spanish stages.

Recognising the unique energy and dynamism of the City of Gold, Casa África, a public diplomacy institution linked to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has chosen Johannesburg to host the fourth edition of its Vis-à-Vis festival. Spanish producers will meet with African musicians in this exciting new collaboration between the SAMRO Foundation and the Spanish Embassy in South Africa.

The aim of Casa África is to take a formula that has already worked successfully in three previous editions in Senegal, Cape Verde and Ethiopia to South Africa. It is hoped that the Johannesburg Vis-a-Vis festival will help boost the presence of South African music in the Spanish music market, facilitating the direct contact of Spanish producers/programmers with African musicians and creators with a view to boosting sustainable development in the continent’s musical sector.

The way in which the Vis-a-Vis initiative works is that it issues an open public invitation to musicians and artists of the chosen country (in this case South Africa), from any musical genre, to submit samples of their work.

Spanish cultural producers will then identify their top 12 favourite songs to listen to live in Johannesburg, of which two will be selected to embark on a concert tour around Spain.

•South African musicians can send in their submissions via www.johannesburgvisavis.com before 4 April 2013. Visit  www.casafrica.es and www.samrofoundation.org.za for more details.

When you’re planning to take your music on the road and perform on the international stage, there’s a lot to think about. But while you are getting caught up in all the excitement of travel, it’s just as important to notify SAMRO of your international performances.

That’s because all music creators who perform abroad are entitled to Performing Rights royalties from all of their public performances. These royalties are in addition to any fee you may be paid by the venue directly, which means valuable extra income for SAMRO composers and authors.

When notified, SAMRO’s International Affairs Department facilitates the collection of these royalties through collecting societies affiliated to SAMRO in each country in which you perform. SAMRO has reciprocal agreements with over 200 music rights societies worldwide. Through this network, royalties are collected on behalf of musicians wherever they perform on the globe.

SAMRO will contact the relevant society, check that appropriate licence fees are paid by the venue and ensure they are passed on to you during the next foreign distribution cycle.  Please note that the latest distribution cycle is available on the SAMRO website in the music creators section.

So, it’s critical that members, managers, publishers and booking agents take the time to notify SAMRO’s International Affairs Department of these performances. Please provide the dates and venues of all the performances planned, along with the contact details of the organisers. You should also submit a detailed set list for each performance.

•Email the team at international.affairs@samro.org.za or phone 011 712 8299.