Unyazi Electronic Music Symposium And Festival 2005 A project of NewMusicSA, the South African Section of the International Society For Contemporary Music, in association with Wits School Of Arts The primitive natures of modern cultural technolo- gies are no different to environments primal Man MESSAGES had to encounter. We are thus becoming victims of globalisation. The Internet, as an illustration, FROM THE being a forum in which practically everything is acceptable and almost nothing is lasting, favors a relativistic way of thinking and sometimes feeds ORGANIZERS the flight from personal responsibility and commit- ment. I sincerely believe that the hard work that has DIMITRI VOUDOURIS gone into putting a festival like Unyazi together can only help to open up a new pathway in the Director history of Contemporary Electronic Music in Africa, The most profound change in music over the past reaching out to composers and performers in all century was the shift from acoustical to electronic communities, introducing them to hands-on practi- technology. One hundred years ago all music was cal training, improving both composer and per- live, the phonograph was a primitive curiosity and former skills, and offering them new affordable radio was unknown. Today, nearly all our music is possibilities and freedom of self expression. recorded or broadcast, pop is infused with synthet- ic sounds and even live theatre comes to us ampli- fied and electronically enhanced. We often think of computers as the province of the young. (After all, CHRISTO DOHERTY how many parents approach the intuitive comput- Associate Director er savvy of their kids?) A mere generation ago, There is so much that is exciting about the Unyazi pioneers struggled over a single short piece for Festival and Symposium of Electronic Music. Not years with techniques that have become simple only is it the first dedicated event in Africa to focus matters with current technology. Rudimentary pro- on the important field of electronic music, it also gramming and routine processing power now can brings a wealth of international talent and experi- achieve in hours results that took the pioneers a ence to Johannesburg to share ideas and tech- year to prepare. But the blinding speed with niques with local musicians through a rich pro- which electronic music has progressed carries a gramme of performances, workshops, and presen- risk. Great art requires intense commitment and tations. In this way we hope the Festival will be significant struggle. The sheer amount of effort the catalyst for developing uniquely African forms required of the electronic pioneers (and their of electronic music drawing on our rich traditions acoustical predecessors) allowed them to carefully of vocal, percussive and choral musics. plan and craft every detail of their work. The rela- tive ease of pushing a few keys nowadays can fos- ter a careless, casual attitude. The result all too often can be a rapid and disposable product that denies the essential purpose of artistic creation. 2 JÜRGEN BRÄUNINGER Symposium Coordinator CREDITS Thirty-five years have passed since the first South Director / Curator African electroacoustic music studio was construct- ed around an ARP-2500 synthesizer at the DIMITRI VOUDOURIS University of (KwaZulu-)Natal, Durban and still—in 2005—there are far too few such facilities Associate Director around the country to allow more young musicians PROF CHRISTO DOHERTY access and exposure to technology applicable to commercial and art music alike. The 'great learn- Production Manager ing': can the art of 'deep listening', dissecting CARMEN JERRARD found sounds, assembling unseen-of instruments, teaching machines to improvise, inventing new Symposium Coordinator gestures, not help us to better understand all PROF JÜRGEN BRÄUNINGER musics? Over a decade into the new South Africa, we still seem to be eavesdropping too much into Information Desk Attendant the northern hemisphere hoping to find orientation ERICA DALE PENFOLD or even answers to our problems rather than lis- tening west and east and to the African continent Sound And Recording Director where musicians share similar socio- economic/political and aesthetic concerns. Often RICHARD SMITH still seen as euro-centric/elitist outside the pop (OF SOUND HARMONICS) music context—or at least exclusively urban—by some, have electronic musicians actually tried Theatre Assistants hard enough to find alternative modes of presenta- WITS THEATRE STAGE CREW tion to potential audiences with limited or no access to these young sounds? While most music Festival Filming making is unthinkable without some collaboration, WITS TV: electronic musicians often tend to turn themselves DR JYOTI MISTRY into one-wo-man bands, hidden away in small confined spaces. Can electronic (global) network- DAMON HEATLIE ing show a way OUT and are there other collabo- DORIAN HEATLIE rative models? IAN WALTERS Unyazi attempts to shed some lightNING on these DONALD DAWSON and related issues in one way (papers) or another FRED NORDSTRÖM (workshops/concerts), but more importantly, it LIEZA VAN TONDER wants to offer four days of exciting entertainment in the form of forward-hearing musical and multi- Festival Photography media experiences. Hoping that this festival is only PROF CHRISTO DOHERTY a humble beginning and that it will grow in years to come: Enjoy with open ears! Logo, Poster, Flyer And Programme Cover Designer DIMITRI VOUDOURIS CARMEN JERRARD Programme Editor / Programme Layout Designer Production Manager ALBERT SAPSFORD This 'profound' change in the realm of music that Web Site Design has come now, to find it's home in the heart of the SAPSFORD WEB SITE DESIGN University of the Witwatersrand, is an event of great importance to the development of the Wits School of the Arts. This festival will draw attention to the international standards of electronic music and in turn, set new standards for the Wits School of the Arts as well as for the greater community. Unyazi will bridge the gap between the classical and the contemporary, giving students and citi- zens technological insight into what has flourished around the world for 120 years. 3 Coceil Des Arts GRATITUDE TO Et Des Lettres Québec For sponsoring Maxime Rioux The Board of NewMusicSA—Charles Mabaso (President), Mokale Koapeng (Vice-President), Gwen The Royal Embassy Ansell, Dr Michael Blake (Artistic Director), Jonathan de Vries, Dr Chats Devroop, Prof Christine Lucia, Joseph Of The Netherlands Maluleke, Dimitri Voudouris, and Gcisa Mdlulwa Margriet, Leemhuis , Charles Mabaso, (Administrator)—wishes to extend a special thanks to Mercia Van Wijk the following people and organizations, for without them this event would not have taken place: Austrian Embassy Sabine Staffelmayr Goethe Institut SPONSORS Dr Edda Holl, for sponsoring Lukas Ligeti The National Arts Council SAMRO Endowment Of South Africa For The National Arts Robert Buning A principal sponsor of the Unyazi Electronic Music Symposium And Festival 2005 SANYO Intel Corporation Domingos Nunes Of South Africa Delia Griggs University Of The COLLABORATORS Witwatersrand: Notam Wits School of Arts Bjarn Kvinnsland Prof David Bunn, Prof Mary Rorich, Prof Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph, Prof Christo Doherty, The SoundHouse Athena Mazarakis, Jane O'Connell, Carol Preston, Cathy Pisanti, Johann Kupferburger Meryl Van Noie University Of The EMS Witwatersrand: Mats Lindström Sports Administration Tshepo Mfebe, Tebogo Mothupi, Laurie Cunningham OTHER PERSONS MMINO: South African- AND ORGANIZATIONS Norwegian Education And Music Programme Sazi Dlamini Anriette Chorn For the Zulu word “Unyazi” (meaning “lightning”), after which the festival is named Gaudeamus Foundation University Of Ado Ekiti, Nigeria (of The Netherlands) Ibironke Michael Sesan, Innocent Richard, Adebusoye Ayodele For sponsoring Luc Houtkamp and Yannis Rufus, Akinwande Roland Ayomiposi, Linus Ifeanyi Akaonye Kyriakides University Of Lagos, Nigeria Embassy Of Mexico Adebusoye Ayodele Rufus, Jegede Oluwagbenga Olaleye, In South Africa Aihonsu Babatunde Sunday Alberto Aura, for sponsoring Rodrigo Sigal Department Of Arts And Culture The US Consulate General In Sydney Selepe Johannesburg, South Africa Ismail Mahomed RSG Jacques Du Preez T.O.M.S. Ben Nienaber Various persons James Webb; Darryl Rule; Aryan Kaganof; Matthew Burbidge; David Badagnani; Dennis, Jenny and Calvin Moore; Jonathan Signature Audio Pryor Pieter Kukkuk 4 PROGRAMME Day 1 Thursday September 1st, 2005 DIRECTOR'S PERFORMANCES . 9 WELCOMING SPEECH . page 7 JAMES WEBB 16h00 Downstairs Theatre, 30 minutes 09h00 Seminar Room, 30 minutes ŠTEPÁN RAK WORKSHOPS. 7 16h35 Main Theatre, 18 minutes MAXIME RIOUX LUC HOUTKAMP & POW 17h00 The Amphitheatre, 30 minutes 10h00 Substation, ALL DAY CARLO MOMBELI & JOÃO ORECCHIA BLAKE TYSON 17h35 Downstairs Theatre, 30 minutes 10h00 Shakespeare Room, University Corner, ALL DAY . 10 INSTALLATION. 7 LISTENING ROOM 19h00 Digital Arts, The Convent, 70 minutes TONI OLIVIER 10h00 The Convent Foyer, Digital Arts, ALL DAY AKE HODELL EDUARDO RECK MIRANDA DIMITRI VOUDOURIS SYMPOSIUM: MARK APPLEBAUM PAPER SESSIONS. 7 PAUL DOLDEN PAULINE OLIVEROS 10h00 Seminar Room, 30 minutes PERFORMANCES . 12 RODRIGO SIGAL MATTHEW OSTROWSKI 10h30 Seminar Room, 30 minutes 20h30 Main Theatre, 35 minutes MATTHEW OSTROWSKI BRENDON BUSSY 11h00 Seminar Room, 30 minutes 21h10 Downstairs Theatre, 25 minutes HALIM EL-DABH YANNIS KYRIAKIDES 11h30 Seminar Room, 60 minutes 21h40 Main Theatre, 30 minutes WARRICK SONY 22h35 Downstairs Theatre, 15 minutes