Moshito charts musical future

16 September 2015

 

For three days, the sounds of music and creatives thrashing out pertinent industry issues filled the air at the SABC’s headquarters in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, during the 12th annual edition of the Moshito Music Conference & Exhibition.

 

Supported by the City of Johannesburg, the conference – held from September 10-12 as part of the Johannesburg Arts Alive International Festival – was hailed as the world’s fastest-growing music symposium and trade fair designed to advance the business aspect of music.

 

This year’s conference, which attracted more than 500 industry players, encouraged debate on the sustainability of conventional methods of making and sharing music versus going digital. It also offered industry players a platform to socialise, showcase their music and network while exchanging information about the industry and how to expand it.

 

This year’s conference was held under the theme: “Kwela to Hop – the Great South African Song Book”. It featured a host of local and international musicians and speakers.

 

Opening the conference, Monica Newton, an Executive Director in the Department of Arts and Culture, said about R5-million had been set aside to establish a living legends programme to help retired artists impart their skills to up-and-coming musicians.

 

“Our living legends are the fibres of the fabric of our music society. We need to celebrate them as our living heritage and acknowledge their contribution to the music industry,” she said.

 

Moshito featured a live music showcase, club events to rekindle the Joburg nightlife, presentations on the business aspect of music, panel discussions about the future of digital music, workshops, information-sharing sessions and a star-studded concert on the last day. Budding artists were also given the platform to showcase their music through a demo competition.

 

Music executive, producer and kwaito artist Eugene Mthethwa said the industry should embrace new concepts that had been developed to advance music.

SABC Chief Executive Frans Matlala said musicians needed to think of themselves as cultural activists who preserved and promoted societal ethos and told stories through music.

 

“It’s important to preserve and promote our history through music because if we don’t, no one will,” said Matlala.

 

SABC Chief Operations Officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng said the public broadcaster had reserved R100-million in royalties to be paid to the industry. He added, however, that there were challenges about who the real beneficiaries were.

 

“When people say the SABC is not paying royalties, tell them we have money but we want it to go to the correct people. We understand the importance of music,” he said.