Appendix 6 - International Music Council

Returning to PASMAE, one of its most successful strategies has been the formation of
MAT (Musical Arts Education Action Teams) cells, empowering local music educators at
grassroots level. For further details see Addendum 7 for a copy of a brochure of MAT
Cell Guidelines in this regard. PASMAE obviously emphasizes the African musical arts,
and not other musics found in South Africa. Needless to say, though, this emphasis is
necessary, as promotion and dissemination of specifically African music is necessary.
Other important initiatives in this regard which can be mentioned are, to mention just
two, and both based in Grahamstown and involving the Tracey family, famous for their
work in the preservation of African Music: ILAM, the International Library of African
Music (http://ilam.ru.ac.za/)and AMI, the African Musical Instruments factory (see
www.kalimba.co.za).
Many universities and their music departments specifically do sterling outreach work.
Cases in point (listed alphabetically) are the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
(the former University of Port Elizabeth), the University of Cape Town, the University of
Kwazulu Natal, the University of North West (the former Potchefstroom University for
Christian Higher Education, see Addendum 8), the University of Pretoria and the
University of South Africa.
Even local schools engage in this kind of work, often in “twinning” type arrangements.
See, for example, Addendum 9 on Melodi ya Mamelodi, “Doing hope through music”.
And a number of Caucasian composers, often employed at schools and/or universities,
have in recent times been particularly inspired in their compositions by African elements.
(See Addendum 13, South African composers trained in Western Art Music
incorporating/infusing African Music elements in their works.)
Arts/music festivals throughout South Africa have become a notable feature of the
cultural landscape, and both promote musical diversity, through the productions they
mount, and swell the financial coffers of the largely small towns where they take place.
(Other than is the case with these festivals, events and developments worth mentioning
are mostly in larger towns and cities.) Examples, listed alphabetically, include Aardklop,
the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, MIAGI (Music Is a Great Investment –
www.miagi.co.za), Music in the Mountains, National Arts Festival in Grahamstown,
Oppikoppi, Splashy Fen, Standard Bank Jazz Festival and many more.
It is often claimed that black (South) Africans have naturally rich and sonorous singing
voices. Be that as it may, it is notable that there are a variety of operatic training
programmes, in Cape Town and in Pretoria (the Black Tie Ensemble – see Addendum 10
for detail) and the Sweet Voice Masters (see Addendum 11 for further information). But
equally there are instrumental outreach and training projects - eg. STTEP
(www.sttep.co.za), Rosemary Nalden’s well-known and internationally acclaimed and
funded Buskaid (see www.buskaid.org.za), etc.
Apart from such NGO (non-governmental organisation)-type projects, there are also
commendable official initiatives such as the Sector Education and Training Authority
(SETA) activities. According to information received from Mr Garth Farrant, Secretary
460