- Title:
- Date: 20th September 1995
- Summary:
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- City: JOHANNESBURG
- Country: South Africa
- Reuters ID: 95SEP20V03
- Story Text:
ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC FEATURE:
Intv. RODDY QUIN
01.55.08 CU RODDY SITTING DOWN
01.56.03 WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO? re: PROMOTORì
AND ARTIST MANAGER - INTERRESTED IN THEì
DEVELOPMENT OF SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC FOR THE LAST 15ì
YEARS
01.56.23 HOW HAVE YOU SEEN IT DEVELOPED?: ...aboutì
eight/nine years ago there was a great developmentì
in South African music, Record Companiesì
resighning bands, alot of work live for bands, andì
over the last few years it's died off, Recordì
Companies vertualy stoped investing in SA...duringì
the culture boycott SA bands had no realì
competition, because no one was alowed in theì
country, they didn't have to compete againstì
International bands...
01.56.54 ...which in one way for SA groups to growì
without any competition, but I think if theì
boycott had continued any longer, it had alreadyì
started to have a bad effect of South Africanì
music, because there was just no working withì
International acts, learning from Internationalì
acts, technicians, managements etc...there wasì
just no contact with anybody...
101.57.17...I think it's starting to have aì
damaging effect, the same bands are playing, theì
same venues, the same festivals all the time, andì
actualy playing themselves out...
01.57.25 ...so I think the boycott ended just inì
time and it's only over the last 6/7 months I'veì
seen Record Companies starting to re-introduceì
local bands to there stables and investing inì
them...
01.57.40 ...there's a quota system that's coming,ì
Radio 5 already playing alot more South Africanì
music and so are the other Radio stations...
01.57.48 ...so I think for the first time inì
perhaps ten years...local music are starting toì
grow...
WHAT WAS THE MOST IMMEDIATE EFFECT OFì
LIFTING THE CULTURAL BOYCOTT? ...the huge effectì
International acts coming to this country, weì
ourselves brought in 26 bands in the matter ofì
just under two years...well over 100 acts beenì
here...
...that once again effected South Africanì
musicians because suddenly you've seen Southì
African bands for so many years that soon as theì
International acts are coming in people didn'tì
rush to see the South African bands, they've beenì
saving money to see the International...
...and purely we'll go and seeì
them...they've been "starved" for so long, surelyì
people will rush in to go and see them.
That's changing alot now because theì
market is normalising coming in line with the restì
of the world. You'll go and see the act becauseì
you like the act, they're prepared to pay thatì
ticket prise for the act...
...so the market is becoming more active,ì
naturaly tougher, I think you can't just bring outì
a band once a month anymore if the market doesn'tì
hold it, there's not that kind of money in theì
country...
...it's a very small population for Popì
music and I think you have to be very careful whenì
you bring them in and whether it makes financialì
sense at the end of the day...the bigger the act -ì
Roling Stones...the economy can't hold too many ofì
those in a very short time, the market just isn'tì
there.
WHAT IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL BAND YOUì
BROUGHT OUT? ...Chris de Berg, he was the firstì
act to come in after the boycott, and we sold outì
5 shows in Jhb in just under half an hour - 5000ì
people each...
...that's changed that doen't happenì
anymore: Phil Collins/Depeche Mode - did about 15ì
shows/originaly 8 shows/Crowdedì
House/Roxette...very few bands that can fillì
stadiums now...one has to be careful where you putì
the act and when.
HAS INTERNATIONAL BANDS HAD A POSITIVEì
IMPACT ON LOCAL BANDS? ...I think it has had aì
very positive impact. I think alot of Southì
African musicians will argue the fact that it'sì
put them out of work...
...I dont't think so...if they're goingì
to compete anywhere in the world, they should beì
able to compete in their own territory, if theyì
can't compete with International bands here, Iì
don't ever see how they're going to competeì
overseas...
...they should see it as a challenge
...they should take it as a challenge, they shouldì
become alot more professional they see what itì
takes to become a successful band...
HAS IT BEEN A ONE WAY STREET COMING IN ORì
HAS THERE BEEN GOING OUT? ...it has been(comingì
in) up until now. I'm in the process of settingì
up an agency which we hope is going to send somì
South African acts out of the country...it's veryì
difficult to take an act overseas if there's not aì
market overseas, if people don't know the act...
...International acts are coming hereì
seen som South African acts...invites them...
WHAT IS THE STATE WITH SOUTH AFRICANì
MUSIC - WHAT KIND OF MUSIC IS COMING OUT OF IT?
I think it is in a rather confused state. It'sì
showing more life than it has for a long time.
I think the quota system is forcing the Recordì
Industries...the Record Companies are alwaysì
blaming one another who should be doing what.
So it's up to Record Companies to investì
in local music - record it - promote it proparly -ì
they are going to have to spend money.
IS IT SO MUCH HARDER FOR SOUTH AFRICANì
MUSICIANS TO MAKE IT THERE? I don't think so. Iì
think one major problem is where we are on theì
map...it's a costly exercise to get them toì
Europe...we have a problem with the traveling andì
the cost of it.
As far as producing music, I don't thinkì
it should be harder for us than anywhere else inì
the world...
...there is a shortage of producers andì
engineers in this country...the ones that are hereì
should travel more and spend more time overseas,ì
because music especially today changes on a montlyì
basis, the trend can change.
DO YOU FIND THAT YOU'RE FIGHTING THIS OLDì
SOUTH AFRICAN OLD ETHIC WAY, NOBODY IS INTERESTEDì
IN ANYTHING LOCAL THAT OVERSEAS IS BETTER? ..I'veì
never ever believed that. But, yes, it stillì
exists here, and it still exist with some of theì
companies and some media. I think it's basicalyì
up to the acts and their managements to prove theì
people wrong here...
ARE SOUTH AFRICANS VERY MUCH UP TO DATEì
WITH THE NEW MUSIC SCENE? Not in general no.ì
There is a young market that is incredibily inì
touch with what's happening overseas...
WHAT KIND OF BANDS ARE COMING OUT?ì
...realy modern stuff coming out...a group I thinkì
I particularly like is 'Urban Creep'...it's hardì
to explain there music...the violin player in theì
band...fresh...
APART FROM THE FACT THAT THE CULTURALì
BOYCOTT WAS LIFTED HAVE YOU FOUND THAT THE CHANGEì
OF THE NEW AND FREE DEMOCRATIC SA HAS HAD ANYì
OTHER IMPACT ON THE MUSIC INDUSTRY? Apart fromì
the fact that people can go in and out now withoutì
any problems, if you send products from SA peopleì
would accept it...
...I think just a general feeling inì
this country help music and people relax and makeì
people feel there is a future...
...(then) most of the music that cameì
out was political...the fact that that's liftedì
people feel better in general...
MUSICIANS ARE NOT POLITICIANS?
absalutely, at one stage if you wern't political,ì
then you didn't stand a chance, especialyì
internationaly...
WHAT LIES AHEAD - WHAT CAN THE REST OFì
THE WORLD EXPECT FROM SA? ...I believe Southì
African bands will brake in the Internationalì
charts...it's going to be a band/song that justì
appeals to everybody like any song, it's going toì
be down to how good the song is...it's a matter ofì
time...
HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR ROLE IN ALL OF THIS?
...I've spent the last 2 years sort ofì
concentrating of bringing International Acts intoì
the country, I'll still continue to do that, butì
not at the rate as in the past...I want to getì
very active involved in South African music again.
I'll be working with Johnny Clegg inì
Australia/New Zealand, those are territories we'veì
never been to...
THE TRADITIONAL SOUTH AFRICAN MUSICIANSì
THAT THE WORLD KNOWS LIKE JOHNNY CLEGG WHAT LIESì
AHEAD FOR THEM? - Copyright Holder: Visnews
