Welcome to Our 50Th Anniversary Special Edition of SAMRO Notes
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www.samro.org.za | 50th Special Edition Welcome to our From the desk 50th Anniversary of the CEO In December 1961, SAMRO held its first-ever Special Edition of board meeting and AGM and a few weeks later, SAMRO Notes in January 1962, it opened for business... At the time, SAMRO’s objective was to protect the intellectual property of composers and authors. It was also to make sure that composers’ and authors’ talents received proper credit both locally and internationally when the music they created was used. That commitment, first articulated and put into action in the Who would have thought that what started out as a small family- early 1960s, has not changed – and in the five decades since, SAMRO has become run organisation would still have such great relevance and impact the primary representative of music performing rights in Southern Africa. on the lives of over 12 000 members 50 years later? From the very beginning, there was an additional commitment by SAMRO’s founder, Dr Gideon Roos, Sr, and those who came after him. That was to ensure that SAMRO took the right business decisions to be financially robust and sustainable, and fully able to meet its commitments to members, no matter Yet here we are, celebrating five decades of unwavering service to the state of the external economic environment. you, our valued members. It’s on these foundations that we have been able to take SAMRO in new directions – directions that add value to our members and benefit the South African music industry as a whole. On this special occasion we would like to pause and note that Through our recently established Performers’ Organisation of South Africa Trust much has changed in our musical landscape over the past 50 (POSA), we are continuing to place pressure on the Department of Trade and years, and this 50th Anniversary Special Edition of Industry to amend the copyright legislation to allow more than R100 million in unpaid Needletime royalties to be paid out to the country’s recording artists SAMRO Notes mirrors that. and record companies. As we continue to celebrate our anniversary in 2012, we will complete the roll-out of the SAMRO 24/7 service by launching our online self-service, In this edition, we aim to share with you SAMRO’s rich history, offering, which will enable you to stay abreast of developments on your reflect on the current state of our industry and focus our gaze account, along with other exciting activations. Steps like these will play an important role in the next era of SAMRO, during which we will on the future. continue our quest to become one of the world’s most forward-thinking music rights organisations, committed to managing our members’ intellectual property like the golden asset that it is. We wish to extend our gratitude to all our members for your Read on to find out more about all of this, and continued trust in our competence to administer one of your most also to gain some heartwarming insights into the recollections and experiences of those people valuable assets – your copyright. who make SAMRO what it is: the songwriters and performers of this amazing country of ours. Here’s to another 50 years of excellence! Nick Motsatse Chief Executive Officer SAMRO CEO: Mr. Nick Motsatse Photo: Siphiwe Mhlambi SAMRO Notes // 01 Letter Contents from the Editor Features SAMRO Talk Department Focus 02 Letter from the Editor 41 Send us your SAMRO memories I joined SAMRO at a pivotal time in its history. For an organisation to celebrate 04 Talk to SAMRO 50 years of existence, which SAMRO is doing in 2012, clearly means that, Membership Focus SAMRO News besides being well established, it is also respected and accomplished. 36 SAMRO soapbox 05 News of note 38 New horizons beckon for MOSHITO 06 Continuity, resilience, innovation, 52 In memoriam Paying tribute to SAMRO at 50: As SAMRO enters a new and exciting phase in its evolution, one is I realised early on that I am joining a very dynamic vision: SAMRO @ 50 a music maestro A timeline reminded that it’s an organisation that has stood the test of time and committed team who take pride in what they 08 Looking back to inform the future – through apartheid, recessions, court cases and so much more of events International Focus do. Their ongoing pursuit of perfection will serve pg 22-23 10 A SAMRO timeline of events – and is today more resilient and astute than ever. as my benchmark as I lead the team in moving pg 10-11 th 12 SAMRO kicks off 50 anniversary 40 Universal, Sony to buy EMI assets forward. I embark on this new and exciting festivities A ‘grande dame’ at 50 years old, it personifies true South journey with the full knowledge of the hard 42 The world is our stage th African chutzpah and stands head and shoulders above other work that goes into making SAMRO Notes an 14 Staff go retro for SAMRO 50 44 Kimmy Skota – Our own dazzling diamond music industry organisations in this country when it comes to insightful, exciting and informative publication. 16 SAMRO documentary traces transformation, corporate governance and sustainable revenue 50 memorable years growth. As we continue to celebrate our golden jubilee 17 SAMRO book set to be a real page-turner SAMRO Endowment year as an organisation, the SAMRO Notes team 17 SAMRO to host media training workshop SAMRO has been built on a foundation of excellent will strive to bring you a magazine that is of the 35 Young instrumentalists show 18 SAMRO goes beyond the music financial and risk management, making it a best quality, with valuable content that will their musical mettle collective administration society that is with MES charity concert hopefully inspire our readers 45 SAMRO hits the high notes respected by its international peers and 20 DALRO welcomes Nothando Migogo to continue being mindful of their Celebrating Hitting the high recognised as a leader in the space of music for music education music as a business as well as a SAMRO gems notes for music royalty administration the world over. It’s 46 Sensational singers come out tops creative calling. and icons education a truly South African organisation that SAMRO People 48 50 years of SAMRO Overseas celebrates the sanctity of music’s We toast you, our members, for pg 28-29 pg 45 Scholarships creative process by ensuring our making us what we are as we 22 Paying tribute to a music maestro 50 A ‘trailblazing’ bursary in honour creators have the luxury of celebrate half a century of success 24 Arts and Culture Trust Lifetime of Ralph Trewhela convenience: we keep on doing and look towards new horizons. Achievement Awards what we do while giving them What a ride it has been thus far, but 26 Memories from SAMRO’s early years the space anyone who knows SAMRO will know 28 Celebrating SAMRO gems and icons to create. that there are even more exciting times ahead… What an awesome job we Licensing have… what a responsibility; Kgomotso Mosenogi what an honour! We take our roles Marketing and Communications Manager 21 Jacaranda keeps serving up the hits in music creators’ lives very seriously – with a local flavour and fully understand the responsibility of this. 30 Mobile DJs party on down – with a SAMRO licence 32 Understanding digital and online licensing Credits: GM Marketing and Business Development: Sipho Dlamini Editor: Kgomotso Mosenogi Publication Management: JT Communication Solutions Managing Editor: Vanessa Perumal Sub- editor/Writer: Christina Kennedy Contributors: Diane Coetzer | Rami Nhlapo | Nadia Neophytou | Sandile Ngidi | Sibusiso Mkwanazi | Ayob Vania With special thanks to: SENA staff Naseema Yusuf | Noelene Kotzé | Tshifhiwa Phophi for their assistance with the sourcing of archive material | Joey Carlse | Keitumetse Setshedi | Pfanani Lishivha | Alan Gustafson Design and layout: Mortimer Harvey Kgomotso Mosenogi Stock images: Shutterstock Photo by Siphiwe Mhlambi 02 // SAMRO Notes SAMRO Notes // 03 Talk to SAMRO NEWS SAMRO welcomes your letters. Tell us your thoughts or ask us your questions via SAMRO’s Facebook page, or email [email protected] with ‘Talk to SAMRO’ as the subject line. A selection of the best letters will be published in SAMRO Notes, and the winning letter in each edition will be rewarded of note with a R1 000 shopping voucher, courtesy of SAMRO. So get writing! online@ SAMRO Our winning letter samro.org.za South Africa @SAMROMusic Mbongeni Ngema. Photo courtesy of the artist GOING DIGITAL WITH SAMRO’S HELP HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME If you notify your work with SAMRO as soon as it Boost your knowledge Cultural diversity Mbongeni Ngema A SAMRO MEMBER? is created, we would, in the event of any dispute, with music publishing under the microscope signs up for I’m doing a digital music distribution website certify the date of such notification, and that could which will be up and running soon, and I’m I recently filled in the notification of works place the onus on the other party to prove that course During the two-day Diversity Convention held Needletime Rights targeting the whole world, not only SA. and membership application forms, and they wrote the work before this date. After you at SAMRO Place in October, artists, cultural So I will need SAMRO to be part of it. mailed them with a CD and copy of my ID. notify your work, SAMRO will furnish you with a Do you want to know more about the ins and outs workers, government and civil society gathered to Celebrated Tony Award-nominated writer, – Warren Beats How long does it take to get a response from letter of acknowledgement to prove your claim to of the music industry? Then SAMRO and WITS discuss how best to protect and promote cultural composer, lyricist and theatre director, Mbongeni SAMRO? – Antioch Crew authorship of the work in question.