SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC CONFERENCE

Its that time of the year again that if you are in house and kwaito genres of music, or generally urban you should be going to this conference. SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC CONFERENCE - http://www.samc.dj

The project originally inspired by the Miami Music Conference is one of the most exciting events in music calender. I suggest that you go to the website and register.

REVIEW - MUSIC WITH PICTURE : "BLINDNESS"

This movie was out in the US on the 3rd of October 2008 so my US readers might think this is just too late. However this is another master piece from Fernando Meirelles. This film achieves what Legend tried to achieve and its by far better a film.

I recently got to watch the film, what i can mainly say about the music in the film is WOW, beautiful work!

As much as music had an essential part in the film, the silence was as efficient. The omission of musical scenes in some key parts of the movie just made the emotion be attracted with every element of the film. It further helped the composer, Marco Antônio Guimarães (as Uakti), deliver a sophisticated artistic score but yet engaging to a none musician.

The special moment in the film is the moment of hope in Ward 1, when the music piece used is a soothing vocal and guitar piece with a South American influence. The sound appears to come from a am radio then fading in a proper audible music piece. Once again the silence that existed before this allowed this piece to just shine.

Amazingly I haven't picked up any credits for a music supervisor on this, so i'm assuming the beautiful work of placement was mainly done by the director while the producers dealt with the business side of things. If you are an upcoming composer/arranger it would be helpful to you to own this movie, just like you should own Beautiful Mind.

Watch the trailer:



Here are other credits from the music department:

Artur Andrés .... musician: flute and wind instruments
Kevin Banks .... additional music editor
Alexandre Barros .... musician: English horn
Leandro Calazans .... music recording assistant
Cláudio Costa .... music executive producer
Lucas Decina .... music recording assistant
Daniela Godinho .... musician: Solo voice
Marco Antônio Guimarães .... musician: stringed instruments
Elias Issa .... music recording engineer
Édila Lopes .... music production assistant
Alexandre Martins .... music mixing engineer
Décio Ramos .... musician: percussion
Paulo Santos .... musician: percussion

Credits courtesy of http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0861689/fullcredits#cast

KWAITO IS NOT DEAD

Just few weeks ago Mo' on his Yfm show opened a discussion about Kwaito, a subject of debate that has been on everyone's lips in the past few years in the music business. Firstly lets get something straight KWAITO IS NOT DEAD.

You need to understand what kwaito is before you can even make such a statement as Kwaito is dead. Most of you I find you funny as you were all dancing to 2 by 2 or LVovo's first album!

Kwaito is a lifestyle that was born out of townships, that translated itself into music. A genre that was pioneered by the likes of Arthur Mafokate, Kalawa, Mdu Masilela and Jazzmee. You will realised that I wrote Jazzmee and Kalawa separately. There is a strong history of that label. One is that Kalawa was once Christos, Osacar and Don Laka. Jazzmee was once the Trompies crew.

It is also important to note that from the beginning of kwaito house has played a very influential role. From Ba ba sa batleng kuku ba phahamise matsogo to Makwere, house was in there. It evolved with each generation just like Hip Hop in America. We've seen the influence of Jazz from Mdu, the influence of Afro from Joe Nina, the influence of classical, hip hop and Jazz from TKZee. Crowded Crew taking hip hop influences using them on house beats and creating their own lingo. Now that is special.



Since then the genre has grown, hip hop has consistently influenced how the genre sounds. If you wanna track it well here is a list, Senyaka, TKZee, Crowded Crew, Zola, Mandoza all have always had a hip hop track on their albums before Hip Hop was fully recognized in South Africa. So I'm not gonna go into the Kwaito Hip Hop debate. But merely going to say KWAITO IS NOT DEAD.

WHY?



Well, record of the year was 2 by 2 at the SAMA's 2009, Moneymaker was an equal contender, the year before But' Ngihamba nawe was selling of Kwaito elements, Bricks' is still creating some hot material, New kids like Toll Bhiza are being played around the country, Andy Magazz's new single has no questions. I'm not going to even mention Big Nuz.. Oh I just did.. Well you all probably going to say but its house! Then I will refer you to the top of this post. Kwaito was originally based on house with the influence of hip hop.

As much as the genre has a lot it can improve don't be stuck in the old ways of doing things. Grow with the genre!

And more importantly its a lifestyle - Pro Kid, Sliquor, Sugarsmax, Merafi... Dress more like how Kwaito Acts used to dress...

Here is a toast of Kwaito:

Trompies ft. Lebo Mathosa - Magasman


Arthur Mafokate - Oyi Oyi (featuring Lebo Mathosa in the video)



Rhythmic Elements - 2 by 2



Big Nuz - Ubani lo

REVIEW - MUSIC WITH PICTURE : "DUPLICITY"

Since this is the first of the Music and Picture Review articles I'd like to take the opportunity to just outline shortly how i will be approaching this column.

I will purely be looking at the music in the picture how it was used by the music supervisor, look at the compositions by the composer at hand and also let you know who are the characters behind the work. So this week I look at the music in Duplicity.

Brian Ross (Crossing Over, The Killing Room, From Mexico with Love, Michael Clayton, License to Wed, Black Irish) was the music supervisor for this film. James Newton Howard (ER, The Dark Night, Liar Liar, The Interpreter) provided the film with original score. The two made a great team as each scene either scored or original pieces composed to complete a sequence or scene, you would see how well the music was utilized.

Of course praises goes to the music supervisor for being able to source the perfect piece for each scene that needed music. The opening scene is based in Dubai carries a live music feel that is none intrusive but yet puts a proper setting for the scene. This is the most crucial scene in this film at it sets up the characters' Ray Covel (Clive Owen) and Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts). If you don't pay attention what happens with this two in the opening scenes, you are probably not going to get what is goin on with their relationship.

Immediately after that sequence of scenes comes one that introduces two other characters that don't appear a lot in the film but their relationship is the basis of trade embarrassment that Ray and Claire suffer at the end. The characters are Tom Wilkinson (Howard Tully) and Paul Giamatti (Richard Garsik). This scene is a comic scene and I think the music saved it. The composition allowed the editor to execute what seemed unnecessary but yet effective to introduce the rivalry of Tom and Paul.

With the pieces that were composed for the film I love the way the usage of traditional scoring is used together with modern ideas. The mixes are also so beautiful and speak to the scenes in a special way i.e you feel like you are there. You can always tell which part of the world they've sent you to, by merely being attentive to the music.

The scenes that Ray and Claire revive their passion in Rome, just make you want to fall in love again or be locked away with your lover as soon as you leave the movie house.

The pieces that were employed here, make you want to experience the beauty of Rome yet the composer didn't try too hard to make you feel that you are in Rome. Of course the landscape must have made it much more attractive for one to want to be in Rome or in the Bahamas as in a later scene in the movie.

Brian must have had a hard time, together with the director, finalizing which pieces are totally appropriate to be used in the film because whatever was used needed to leave you still understanding or following the story line. In conclusion besides me loving the film I think the music was just of class and Brian Ross outdid himself on this film.

Watch the trailer review from http://www.trailerhits.com

courtesy of http://www.trailerhits.com and YouTube

Here are the rest of the music related credits in the movie:

Ryeland Allison .... composer: additional music
Pete Anthony .... conductor
Pete Anthony .... orchestrator
Jeff Atmajian .... orchestrator
Brad Dechter .... orchestrator
Braden Kimball .... assistant scoring mixer
Larry Mah .... digital score recordist
Alan Meyerson .... music scoring mixer
Satnam Ramgotra .... musician: percussion
Brian Ross .... music supervisor
Peter Rotter .... orchestra contractor
Steven L. Smith .... music preparation
Stuart Michael Thomas .... musical score arrangements
Matthew J. Ward .... additional score recordings

Credits References from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135487/fullcredits#cast

THE SUGGESTION BOX

Since this Blog is for you it would be great if you can tell me what you want me to write about. Its on!

THE MUSIC INTELLECT WARRIOR

I can't claim to have come up with the idea of me blogging again. It was a friend of mine that was going through my facebook wall and was wondering why am i not blogging with the kind of questions that I get. So I thought why not with a book out "The Mzanzi Game of Music", me being a record producer, working for a publishing company, owning a booking agency, serving on the Norm Board as a result on the Moshito Board I should create a platform for me to be sharing knowledge with the public in the most accessible and none intrusive way that social networks can be. Hence the Blog is called The Music Intellect Warrior because there is just too many things for me to share with you. I assume you came on here to find out what will I be saying that is worth reading.

Well on this blog you will be able to ask me any question regarding the music business in South Africa probably Africa too, anything that has to do with music itself worldwide. I will be at times looking at albums. Sometimes giving opinion on certain writers, at times just a deal that I just went through.

The best thing is that you will be able to ask me the questions that you would normally pay for. If i have time I will answer them as honest as possible. You will also be able to know more about me and understand more about me. Hope you enjoy!