Emerging Eastern Cape artists yesterday received much needed information about the music industry in a workshop hosted yesterday by Buyel’Ekhaya music festival organisers.
The festival invited all Eastern Cape emerging artists to apply to be a part of their workshops at the Eastern Cape Audio Visual Centre.
A total of 396 applications were received and 82 were shortlisted to attend the workshop.
The festival’s Hlubi Mazwai said the Eastern Cape was gifted with amazing talent and they were interested in helping the artists take their talent to the next level.
“There is no doubt that the talent is there. We need to add value and transcend it to the next level.“We want them to know that there are no boundaries but they must be authentic, perfect their craft and know that there are no short cuts to success,” she said.
One of the speakers, South African Music Award winner Nduduzo Makhathini, shared his journey with music and how he has managed to grow his brand.
Makhathini spoke about the process of making music, from coming up with content to turning it into a product and finally distributing it.
“There was a lot of confusion about royalties, but I managed to unpack it and told them who can collect and how to notify them of one’s work and who owns the work.”
Singing sensation Vusi Nova also spoke about his struggle to make it in the music industry.
“I knew a lot of people in the industry but no one wanted to help me. Even to this day there are still people within the industry who don’t want other people to come in,” he said.
Vusi Nova said the only artist who helped him was Kelly Khumalo. “She’s really the first person that helped me. She gave me her producer’s number and we recorded a song. Even though my first album didn’t do well.”
Komani gospel rapper MDA said the workshop was informative. “I got a lot out of things, especially when you look at the business side. There was also the talk of royalties. I didn’t know that everyone involved in a project can claim for royalties,” he said.
The Thornhill village rapper started making music in 2010 and received his first nomination for best gospel rap at the SABC Crown Gospel Awards in 2015.
Qumbu’s Masithembe Dwayi said she would be taking all she had learned back to her village.
“I always thought music was about getting on stage and singing, but today my eyes have been opened,” she said.
Today a total of 22 artists at the workshop who received callbacks will be auditioning for spots at Buyel’Ekhaya later in the year. — poliswap@dispatch.co.za..