NINE MORE MUSIC PROJECTS BENEFIT FROM MUSIC MOBILITY FUND GRANTS
DONATE YOUR MUSIC BOOKS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
SAMRO PRODUCES FREE PUBLIC-SERVICE BOOKLETS ON MUSIC PIRACY
START PREPARING TO ENTER THE 2014 WAWELA MUSIC AWARDS
SAMRO MEMBERS WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE THE ‘WRITE STUFF’
TREVOR JONES AND HOTSTIX ADD GENIUS TO GENERATIONS
THE MARKET THEATRE OFFERS CREATORS A PLATFORM TO MAKE MONEY

Beat Bulletin October 2013

Dear SAMRO Music Creators

The success of our inaugural Wawela Music Awards is still fresh in our memory, but we’re already gearing up to make next year’s event extra-special. That’s why we’re giving SAMRO music creators even more time to prepare their entries for the 2014 awards, and you can read about it in this month’s newsletter.

Keeping SAMRO’s music creators centre-stage, we report on how a successful pilot “writers’ camp” convened by SAMRO Board member Joe Niemand is likely to spawn more such collaborative ventures in the future.

One of the elements that define our favourite television programmes is the composed music we hear during the opening and closing credits. In this edition, we reveal how two South African musicians, Trevor Jones and Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, collaborated to produce the signature music for popular soap Generations on its 20-year anniversary.

Speaking of great musical celebrations, if you missed Notes 2 Notes, the fascinating commemorative documentary made to celebrate SAMRO’s 50 years of making musical memories, the good news is that it is now available to view online.

And as part of our contribution to the fight against music piracy, SAMRO has partnered with the South African Federation Against Copyright Theft to produce a number of free public-service booklets to educate music creators and the public about this scourge of the local and global industry.

SAMRO is appealing to all music creators to assist us in donating music books to the SAMRO Music Archive. Find out how you can help build an invaluable resource centre for future musicians. Plus, read about the second-round recipients of the Music Mobility Fund, a SAMRO-British Council project that is helping to bridge gaps in the music industry on a global level.

We also profile a Johannesburg landmark and SAMRO licensee, the Market Theatre, and find out how one entertainment complex can hold a bouquet of different music usage licenses, which ultimately benefits you, the music creator.

Would you like to be profiled in a future newsletter? Do you have any news that you would like to share with fellow SAMRO members? Please contact us at online@samro.org.za – we look forward to your comments and ideas for possible inclusion in The Beat Bulletin.

Enjoy!

Yours in music,

Tiyani Maluleke

General Manager: Marketing

NINE MORE MUSIC PROJECTS BENEFIT FROM MUSIC MOBILITY FUND GRANTS

The recipients of the second round of funding grants are Joseph Sabongo, Fernando Joas Ladria, Bateleur, The Word N Sound Company, Andre Hendrikus Stander, Motif Records, Tlale Makhene, Mokale Koapeng and Derek Gripper.

The nine projects that were awarded funding range from tours and concerts to collaborative projects and professional developments, and will take place in Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Malawi, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom.

Adam Bertscher (of the band Bateleur) says: “With the support of the SAMRO Foundation and British Council, we are able to fulfil our passion to share our music with people outside of South Africa, and to bridge the creative gaps between nations. With ‘The Friendship Tour’ we hope to inspire fellow South African musicians to express themselves in a way that is synonymous with African unity and social cohesion.”

Just as in the first round, all the recipients conducted their own research and communicated with potential partners or hosts based in the countries in which they will be working. The partners include individuals, organisations, established musicians and music professionals.

“The British Council is pleased to be able to support creative projects from South Africa to reach new places and people,” says Tom Porter, Head of Arts at the British Council in Johannesburg.

“Connecting new South African talent to the region and the world is very much what our Connect ZA project is about. We look forward to seeing how these projects help spread new stories from South Africa and support the development of new regional and international networks.”

For more information about current and future projects by SAMRO Foundation and British Council respectively, please visit:

www.samrofoundation.org.za

www.britishcouncil.org.za

DONATE YOUR MUSIC BOOKS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

With its large reading room, the SAMRO Music Archive offers an excellent environment to study musical works, books and music industry-related articles.

Earlier this year, SAMRO Board member John Edmond visited the SAMRO Foundation and donated his book Behind the Songs, containing more than 200 of his most popular recorded compositions.

Author David Chislett also donated two of his writings, One Two One Two: A Step-by-Step Guide to the South African Music Industry and For You or Someone Like You. The SAMRO Music Archive is proud to have these books as part of its archival collection.

SAMRO Foundation would therefore like to request other music creators, writers and members of the public to come forward and donate their books for preservation, so that they may be shared with fellow SAMRO members.

For donations and enquiries, please contact the SAMRO Music Archive at (011) 712-8418 (phone), 086 683 5976 (fax) or sheetmusic@samro.org.za (email).

SAMRO PRODUCES FREE PUBLIC-SERVICE BOOKLETS ON MUSIC PIRACY

Music piracy remains one of the most serious issues facing the local and global music industry. This is why SAMRO, in conjunction with the South African Federation Against Copyright Theft, has produced free booklets to educate the South African public about the dangers of music piracy and how it affects composers and recording artists.

Although music piracy is often seen as a “victimless crime”, the truth is that it is quite the opposite.

Whenever an illegal copy is made of a recording, either physically or digitally, or when music is shared without remuneration, it affects the livelihoods of established composers, authors and recording artists. It also has a chilling effect on the ability of up-and-coming musicians to carve out a career from their creativity.

And the ripple effect doesn’t end there: music piracy also affects other players in the music value chain, including record companies, studio producers, sound engineers and music retailers.

Music piracy is not only unethical – it is illegal. Copying or sharing music without paying for it constitutes copyright infringement, which is prohibited in terms of the Copyright Act of 1978.

We invite you to download and read these free booklets, which are available on our website at www.samro.org.za/SAMRO-anti-piracy-campaign. Help us to help you protect your intellectual property, and join us in the global fight against music piracy!

START PREPARING TO ENTER THE 2014 WAWELA MUSIC AWARDS

This year’s inaugural Wawela Music Awards were a resounding success, attended by many luminaries from the South African entertainment industry. As the only awards ceremony in the country that rewards music composers and authors for their outstanding achievements, it has already made a significant impression on the South African music landscape.

For the 2014 awards, SAMRO is giving music creators more time to prepare their entries for submission via the dedicated online portal, in addition to providing some handy tips and insights to make it easier for members to submit their entries online.

An announcement will be made shortly on when entries will open, but in the meantime you are encouraged to start accumulating the material listed below, and start preparing your submission.

Here is a list of content you will need to enter the 2014 Wawela Music Awards:

1. Three high-resolution pictures of yourself; they must be at least 1MB in size. These photos are necessary should your entry be successful and you are selected as one of the Wawela Music Awards nominees.

2. A biography/profile that tracks your career in the music industry, detailing your awards, accolades and any other additional information about yourself you think is relevant.

3. Make sure that you have the music you will be entering in the 2014 Wawela Music Awards in MP3 format. Please check that each song is titled correctly.

4. If you will also be submitting a video, please ensure that your video is in MP4 format; alternatively, you may submit a link to your video on YouTube with your entry. Please ensure that each video is titled correctly.

Once you have compiled all the content and you are ready to make your submission, the entry process goes as follows:

1. Visit www.wawelamusicawards.co.za and click on the entry form button.

2. Log on using your ID/passport number.

3. Start filling out the entry form, including all your personal information, social media handles, and so on.

3. In the profile/biography section, copy and paste your biography as instructed.

4. Upload your three high-resolution photos – PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SYSTEM WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY PICTURES THAT ARE NOT AT LEAST 1 MB IN SIZE.

5. Select the category or categories that you would like to enter and upload the relevant music file. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SYSTEM WILL ONLY ACCEPT MP3 FILES.

6. If you are also submitting a video, please ensure that the video is in MP4 format. Alternatively, please provide a link to your video on YouTube.

7. Once you have completed the entry form, please click on the “Submit” button. A screen will appear, confirming that the entry form was submitted, and a confirmation email will be sent to you.

SAMRO will be setting up an information hotline to deal with queries on the Wawela Music Awards’ entry process. Remember that only SAMRO members are eligible to enter.

Please be on the lookout for further reminders regarding entry details and be sure not to miss out on this golden opportunity to have your local and international music achievements recognised and rewarded.

For more information on the Wawela Music Awards:  

Website: www.wawelamusicawards.co.za

Email: info@wawela.co.za

Twitter: @WawelaMusic

Facebook: www.facebook.com/WawelaMusicAwards

Tel: 011 712 8505

Alternatively, please contact SAMRO on 0800 247 247 or 24-7@samro.org.za

SAMRO MEMBERS WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE THE ‘WRITE STUFF’

The two-day songwriting workshop was the brainchild of SAMRO Board member Joe Niemand, himself a successful singer-songwriter. The idea arose from a recent discussion he had with SAMRO CEO Sipho Dlamini, who shares Niemand’s passion to see South African writers succeed by, inter alia, fostering a culture of co-operation.

This songwriters’ retreat was held in a penthouse atop the magnificent National Bank House in Market Street in the CBD, which is part of a portfolio managed by inner-city property developer Urban Ocean.

Ten SAMRO author and composer members joined their peers for writing sessions and discussion groups about the benefits of co-writing and the challenges that writers face in a changing music industry.

This pilot songwriting project was a great success and there are plans to fine-tune the concept and repeat it in future, with different groups of music authors working in various styles, genres and languages.

“The aim of the writers’ camp was to foster a culture of co-writing,” Niemand explains. “Internationally the vast majority of hits are written by multiple writers, while locally writers tend to work alone.

“The idea is that it benefits everyone to own 20% of a hit song rather than 100% of a mediocre one. Two or three heads are generally better than one and when writers work together, they are much more prolific as well,” Niemand points out.

Songwriter Jouba Jordaan of the band Kaleidoskoop was pleasantly surprised to discover fresh inspiration during the co-writing process, while fellow singer-songwriter Christelle Combrink agrees that it “lifts your personal standard of writing by collaborating”.

Niemand says he hopes that through the initiative, new writing partnerships will be formed and that hit songs emanate from these meetings of creative minds.

Applauding the songwriters’ camp, SAMRO’s General Manager: Marketing, Tiyani Maluleke, says such initiatives tie in with the collecting society’s philosophy of treating members’ intellectual property as a valuable asset. “We hope to see similar collaborative undertakings in future, to explore creative synergies and ensure that the standard of our songwriting output remains world-class.”

Visit www.urbanocean.com for more information.

TREVOR JONES AND HOTSTIX ADD GENIUS TO GENERATIONS

Jones, an acclaimed orchestral film score composer and the recipient of a Breaking Through the Borders Award at the recent Wawela Music Awards, has had his compositions used in the South African drama series Jozi H and in international box-office movie hits such as Notting Hill, Angel Heart, The Last of the Mohicans, GI Jane and Around the World in 80 Days.

After receiving a call from Generations creator Mfundi Vundla in late July, he immediately set to work creating what will surely become a recognisable refrain for this evergreen soapie.

“Collaborating on a piece of music for a soap opera as successful as Generations meant I had to find a way to do justice to a show that mirrors popular society as well as it does. The music runs in tandem with the energies and aspirations that are synonymous with South Africa,” says Jones.

After spending time with head writer Bongi Ndaba and watching clips of the show, Jones wrote, scored and produced such a compelling piece of music that finding the right performer to complement it was imperative. And immediately Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse came to mind.

“His contribution here is nothing short of inspired!” says Jones. “He has a distinctive way of playing, and you can hear his signature saxophone from the opening bars of the piece.” Of Jones, Hotstix says: “I knew who Trevor was, and have always been in awe of his work.”

On 26 September 2013, the millions of South Africans who regularly tune in for their daily dose of Generations were greeted by the new, original and beautifully orchestrated and produced signature theme music featuring the legendary Hotstix on saxophone – 45 seconds of sheer music magic, going out to some 4.9 million viewers daily.

Check out Generations on SABC1, airing on weekdays at 8pm. Visit www.generations.co.za or check out /GenerationsTVShow on Facebook for more information.

THE MARKET THEATRE OFFERS CREATORS A PLATFORM TO MAKE MONEY

The Market Theatre was established in 1976 by theatre pioneers Mannie Manim and the late Barney Simon, occupying the shell of the old Indian Fruit Market, which was built in 1913. This means that 2013 marks the centenary of the Market Theatre building, which is now a protected heritage site.

The theatre quickly established an outstanding reputation locally and globally as a platform for daring, cutting-edge plays that challenged the oppressive apartheid status quo.

Today the complex remains as vibrant as ever, staging award-winning plays and keeping its founding fathers’ flame of courageous theatre-making burning brightly. It recently underwent an extensive multi-million-rand upgrade, thanks to funding from the Department of Arts and Culture.

As with similar entertainment complexes, the building houses a number of venues where music is performed live or where recorded music is played, in addition to the dramatic performances that take place. Music greats such as Sibongile Khumalo and Hugh Masekela have performed there. As a SAMRO licensee, the theatre continues to provide a revenue stream for South African musicians who either perform there or whose music is used inside the venues in a multitude of ways.

The Market Theatre’s Motlalepule Makhate explains that the complex holds SAMRO licenses to use copyrighted music for the following purposes: music that is played to callers on hold, venue music and curtain music (music played before and after performances, and between acts). The licenses are renewed every year.

But the theatre’s responsibility does not end there. “When we have live performances, the managers of the artists have to submit live performance returns to SAMRO, since most of the musicians who perform at the Market are SAMRO members,” explains Makhate. “We supply them with the relevant SAMRO forms, which they fill in, listing the songs performed, and submit them to SAMRO.”

This information enables SAMRO to calculate the Performing Rights royalties owing to the creators of the music performed in public at the theatre.

Visit www.markettheatre.co.za to find out more about the theatre’s line-up.

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