By Chandrea Gerber
PALLO JORDAN, the minister of arts and culture, launched Moshito '04, the South African music industry's first united conference, in Sandton this week.
The conference, which is being held at the Sandton Convention Centre from 21 to 23 July, aims to settle plans of action for the music industry - a major sector in the local economy.
International and local speakers will tackle a range of topics during Moshito '04. Moshito, a Sepedi word, means beat or rhythm.
Daphne Mashaba, the deputy chairperson of the Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition, says: "Since the government launched the Music Industry Task Team report in 2000, the industry has been attempting to find ways to take those recommendations further, as well as deal with other issues that have arisen since then, like digital delivery of music."
This is the first time all role-players will meet at one time: more than 300 delegates from around the country are expected to attend, which will ensure broad national participation.
The speakers will include:
- Justice Albie Sachs of the Constitutional Court, who will tackle the topic 'The Constitution and all that jazz';
- Kabelo Mabalane (or Bouga Luv, as this award-winning kwaito artist is known), who will talk on 'It's Harvest Time for South African Music: A View From The Inside';
- Wolfgang Grulke, the chief executive of FW, a business and technology think-tank, will give a talk titled 'Radical Innovations';
- Jeremy Fabinyi of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers will tackle 'Converging Technologies' in the global music industry;
- Create SA's Dawn Robertson will examine how South Africa's creative industries can play an even more significant role in the economy and job creation;
- Leslie Sedibe, the business affairs manager of EMI South Africa, will give an update on the South African music industry; and
- Rob Hooijer, the chief executive of the Southern African Music Rights Organisation, will give a similar update from an African perspective.
- South African music in the international market;
- the media's role in strengthening, extending and nurturing the home- grown music industry;
- the need for unity in the fight against music piracy;
- how to create a social-welfare system for musicians;
- capacity building in the industry;
- the role of the live music scene;
- digital exploitation of music in a globalising environment; and
- the role of jazz-appreciation societies in the development of South African jazz.
"Although Moshito '04 will provide food for thought and stimulating input from speakers and panellists, the real aim is to translate agreed-upon-points into real action on the ground," says Mashaba.
"You can be sure that one of the first items on the agenda at Moshito '05 will be report-backs on just how much action has taken place on the ground. In this we believe that the conference is going to become the most important event on the South African cultural calendar in years to come."
Moshito '04 is on at the Sandton Convention Centre from 21 to 23 July. For more information and to see the full programme, go to http://www.moshito.co.za.
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