SA: Moshito plans action-packed 2019 music conference

The event, which will run under the theme Inzalabantu Unchained, is dedicated to women in the music industry, with veteran South African musician PJ Powers and South Africa-based Zimbabwean artist Berita confirmed as the conference's ambassadors. Loosely translated, 'Inzalabantu Unchained' means 'the birth of new ideas'.

PJ Powers and Berita will also perform at the conference alongside bassist Tebza & Her Artistry band. Other confirmed artists include Ziskakan (Mauritius), Ziia (Reunion), Elijah and the Otentik Groove (Seychelles), Siti and the Band (Zanzibar), Lady Donli (Nigeria) and Salatiel (Cameroon).

They will be joined by locals Sjava, Zoë Modiga, Kelly Khumalo, Nathan Blur, Nothembi Mkhwebane, Jessica Mbangeni, Jack Leroi, MoAfrica, Vincent Zimu, Khokho, Buhlebendalo, MbuSoul, Terrence Mckay, Moozlie, Shelton Forbes, Cruz Afrika, J Music, Zethe and Ihhashi Elimhlophe.

“I am very excited, particularly because of the theme of this 16th anniversary of Moshito,” PJ Powers told Music In Africa. “I think it’s the perfect Moshito conference for me to be an ambassador and to spearhead this together with Berita, who is a fine young artist. I am excited and I am really looking forward to this conference.”

Asked what conference delegates should expect from her performance, PJ Powers said: “I am glad you asked that question, because I am so chuffed that I will be performing with Tebza and her band. They will join me onstage. I have known Tebza all my life and what a great bass player she is. I will perform some of my old songs like ‘Jabulani’ and some new songs that I am about to release in September.

“I think music generally is and has always been an instrument used to break social divides, and what I have spent my life doing is making music that portrays social equality. It's amazing to see where women were and are now since Moshito started in 2004. When I hear a young artist like Berita get up and talk about her own record company, that’s incredible because I didn’t have that opportunity; we were just grateful to be a part of anything.”

Berita said Moshito is the ideal conference where upcoming musicians could network and learn about the inner workings of the music industry.

“I have been in the music industry for seven years and Moshito is one of the first platforms that I knew about where as an upcoming artist you could submit your music to showcase," she said. "You could also listen to many conversations about the music industry. I used the platform to learn more and as an opportunity to approach managers and record labels to ask pertinent questions about the music industry. That was the first platform of that nature for me and I think it’s a very valuable space not just for upcoming artists but for developed ones as well.

“Fans should expect fireworks. I am looking forward to not just the performance but the conference as a whole. I think there are so many important issues to talk about, like the Copyright Amendment Bill and I also think that even the theme of the event, Inzalabantu Unchained, is very important, especially in this day and age where a big platform like Moshito opens up opportunities for women.”

Conference sessions

The event programme will include four plenary and seven breakaway sessions, where musicians, festival promoters, booking agents, music managers and exhibitors will be present to discuss various topics. The plenary sessions will include The Copyright and Performer’s Protection Amendment Bill, if Signed… , Unchained with PJ Powers, The Art of Funding: Keeping the Arts Alive and Hot Seat with Kelly Khumalo.

The breakaway sessions will feature Surviving Hip Hop, A View from the Other Side, Culture Culture: The Rise of Trends, Surviving the Airwaves: Meet the Queens of Jazz & Defiance, Recording Masterclass and The Political Power of Music.

Moshito 2019 will kick off with the Afro World Night Concert on 5 September at the Market Theatre, which willbe followed by the MTV Base Showcase youth concert on 6 September. It will conclude with the Free Street Festival at Newtown Junction on 7 September.

The conference will also host the annual Demo Presentation Competition on 6 September, where amateur and professional musicians are invited to participate.

“The objective of the competition is to provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established musicians to present their songs to a panel of music industry experts and be in a room full of the most influential decision makers in the music industry,” Moshito said.

The conference will host delegates from Botswana, Canada, Cameroon, France, Germany, Jamaica, Mauritius, Mozambique, Reunion, Nigeria, eSwatini, South Korea, Seychelles, Spain, the UK, US and Zanzibar.

Tickets to Moshito are available here. For more information, visit the Moshito official website.