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| ALLEN JOHNSTON - THE MUSIC SPECIALIST |
Technology has created a new phenomenon in South Africa and that is the mushrooming of the DJ based music industry. RJ Benjamin is correct in his assumption that DJ's have initiated a separate "strangle hold" on the industry. There are several reasons I see that this is occurring at this time.
The first is the global reach of the music bringing tribal rhythms, European rhythms and contemporary American Hip Hop all together in the development of African House and African Dance music. The ability to hear the same radio program across your country is a blessing and curse combined. The blessing is the capability to immediately reach the towns with a unified message to a populace that has been denied access to many contemporary ideas and concepts. The curse is the message that is being projected to these masses.
There is a wealth of knowledge ultimately birthed from the tribal structure within your country and across Africa has a whole. Instead of embracing the culture, recording it and teaching it to the younger generations as the basis of ALL music, this culture has been regulated to second and in places third class importance. My question at this point is where are the radio programs, school programs, university programs and governmental programs honoring this music? Students do not know HOW to read and notate music, they have no knowledge of WHY certain drum rhythms craft physical changes within the human body, there is a disconnect between WHERE the original music was conceived and WHAT it was conceived to do.
How many contemporary musicians, singers, instrumentalists or DJ’s know how to read and notate music?
The second reason for the growth of the DJ based business is the death of creative transfer of knowledge. The DJ depends on Technology to initiate new ideas and does not understand the inner workings of the technology. There are many people using computers, synthesizers, drum machines, video cameras, computer software editing systems and samplers but very few that can construct, invent, design, originate, or initiate any new piece of technology. I see the South African market becoming TRAINED to be consumers of other nation’s products and ideas and not developing the infrastructure needed to exploit South African intellectual properties.
The third is GREED and this will not be changed by just talking about it. The South African DJ can now advertise to a larger audience, develop products and events for sale and deliver these concepts with minimal assistance from a governing body (which was unheard of just 10 years ago). Add to this the popular idea that artists don’t want to know how the business works but only want to hire a manager to advance their career and you have a perfect recipe for failure. It is easy to be greedy when the affected don’t care.
The closing of the retail music store is inevitable for the business is moving to a direct to consumer model. Cell phone delivery of music & video is becoming commonplace and the iPad concept is only the next step in maintaining direct contact with the consumer for the majority of the consumers entertainment needs. This will cause layoffs and firings of people from major companies, for the major label structure changes to smaller physical catalogs (music is downloadable), less warehouse space, direct consumer communications means a decrease in secretarial help and sales people. All of these changes will directly affect the independent South African business model and only the informed will be able to make the change successfully.
The key to effective prosperous music industry related businesses is education. For artists, performers and creators learning musical notation, cultural identity and honest industry practices has become mandatory for success. For the influencers, radio / television / print and online delivery of entertainment products companies education of business practices and business legalities is and will be the guiding force for continued upward mobility.