MusicXwords announces 5 finalists who will travel to Poland

MusicXwords is designed to provide South African musicians and spoken word artists with training and interdisciplinary exchange opportunities with fellow creatives, cultural players, booking agents and programmers. It also enhances the visibility of the participants with exposure to new networks in Africa and Europe.

The top five participants were selected from a cohort of 10 acts comprising 36 individual band members who participated in a capacity-building workshop and digital showcase in Johannesburg last October. After the conclusion of the showcase, which was viewed by industry players in Africa and Europe, five acts were chosen as beneficiaries to network at a European festival in 2022.

The five are Modise Sekgothe (poetry), Flex of He & I (poetry/music), Wandile Mbambeni (music), Bonj (music) and Khayalethu (poetry).

Representatives from the selected acts will travel to Gdynia where they will explore the city, participate in workshops and masterclasses, network with their Poland-based counterparts and meet with the organisers of Globatica festival.

Globatica celebrates world cultures and multicultural content – with an emphasis on ‘living culture’ – and programmes creatives from around the world. This year’s edition will feature artists from Reunion, Morocco, Mali, Mexico, Colombia and the Canary Islands, among others.

“We are incredibly happy to have reached this stage of the MusicXwords programme,” MIAF projects manager Violet Maila said. “Since the onset of the programme, we knew that we would uncover amazing South African musicians and spoken word artists and provide them with new opportunities to take their careers to the next level.

“The experiences they will draw from their trip to Poland will build on the knowledge they gained during the capacity-building workshop in 2021. This is a grand opportunity for them to collaborate with new creative acquaintances in Europe, leading to new works that they can monetise and help build their brands.”

The MusicXwords October workshop was facilitated by curator, artist and tour manager Siya Mthembu, revered jazz musician Thandi Ntuli and Soda Studio boss Michael Balkind. Mthembu and Ntuli took the participants on an export-readiness journey, which included guidance on how to conduct research before touring. They also spoke about the importance of understanding contracts, music publishing and the music streaming business.

Balkind, meanwhile, shared his knowledge and expertise of streaming, including strategies and ideas about building a global audience and pointers on how to monetise content online. His presentation also touched on the significance of the metaverse and virtual engagement.

After the conclusion of the workshops, top-five finalist Wandile Mbambeni singled out critical areas that independent artists needed to be aware of, including “owning your stuff such as royalties, contracts, sync rights and music licensing.”

“These can really open many avenues for me and I think I am at peace looking at the future because I know more now,” he said.

About MusicXwords

The MusicXwords project is an initiative by the EU Delegation to South Africa, implemented in partnership with the Music In Africa Foundation and supported by the Cultural Relations Platform.

About the Music In Africa Foundation

The MIAF is a pan-African, non-profit organisation based in Rosebank, Johannesburg, with satellite offices in East, West and Central Africa. The MIAF’s mission is to support the African music sector through promoting knowledge exchange and creating opportunities and capacity for music professionals. The foundation does this in two ways: digitally via the Music In Africa website (www.musicinafrica.net) and offline through training programmes, artist mobility programmes, workshops, concerts, lobbying, conferences and other related initiatives.

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About the Delegation of the European Union to South Africa

Since the establishment of the European Union Delegation in the country after the first democratic elections in 1994, the EU and South Africa saw rapidly expanded cooperation. The relations were strengthened in 2007 with the establishment of the EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership, a forward-looking platform that facilitates wide-ranging cooperation between our two parties. A range of dialogues between the EU and South Africa allow to share experiences in areas of common interest, or where challenges have to be faced. Areas covered by these dialogues include education, health, energy, the environment, macro-economic policies, human rights, peace and security including maritime security. The partnership is broad and comprehensive and covers political, trade and development interests, as well as cultural relations. Except for consular tasks, the Delegation in Pretoria functions like an embassy; it is a diplomatic mission representing the European Union to South Africa together with the 27 Member States of the European Union.

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About the Cultural Relations Platform

Launched in April 2020 by the European Union, the Cultural Relations Platform is designed to strengthen the EU’s ability to engage meaningfully with different audiences and stakeholders in its partner countries, through enhanced cultural relations and cultural cooperation. The Platform aims to promote and facilitate sustainable cultural exchange, support cooperation among cultural and creative sectors, and strengthen communities and networks of cultural practitioners. It supports and funds several activities in partner countries around the globe, including in collaboration with the EU delegations Worldwide.

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