13 September 2006
To give impetus to this year's heritage theme "Our music, our heritage" the
national Department of Arts and Culture and provincial Department of Cultural
Affairs and Sport will jointly organise workshops for musicians in the Metro
and Boland regions on 14 and 15 September 2006.
The workshops to be held at Guga S'thebe at Langa and in Stellenbosch have
been organised as a strategic intervention to empower musicians to be better
equipped to deal with their daily challenges and rights. Specifically, the
workshops will deal with issues of recording and understanding contracts,
marketing and preserving their music. The interim Provincial Musicians
Associations will take full advantage of this opportunity to ensure that all
musicians are fully aware, and are onboard in the current process to establish
a database of musicians that would lead to the formation of a structure in the
province.
Two weeks ago, MEC Jacobs undertook visits to all regions of the Western
Cape to meet with musicians and brief them about the current process, urging
them to be part of the new formation so that they, themselves were able to deal
with their challenges as a collective. MEC Jacobs has already visited the West
Coast, Central Karoo and Eden regions. On Thursday and Friday he will visit the
Overberg and Boland regions, respectively.
In keeping with this year's theme the Stellenbosch museum is having an
exhibition of old musical instruments dating back about a century ago, to
showcase the development of South African music since the 19th century.
The highlight of the heritage month celebrations will be the musical
extravaganza at the Grand Parade on 24 September 2006, where all forms of South
African music will be performed. There will be other musical performances at
the Artscape Theatre and the main music exhibition at Iziko museum.
Hundreds of aspiring musicians and those that are grappling with these
challenges are expected to heed the call and attend the workshops at Langa and
Stellenbosch.
Enquires:
Mandla Yeki
Tel: (021) 483 9804
Fax: (021) 483 9801
Mobile: 082 553 3477
Issued by: Department of Cultural Affairs, Sport and Recreation, Western
Cape Provincial Government
13 September 2006
