Deejays, producers, writers, sound engineers and the like are invited to attend the fourth annual South African Music Conference, which spends four days focusing on dance music.

DJ Fresh will be one of the key participants at the symposium

A DANCE music symposium, aimed at nascent disc jockeys, producers, musicians and writers, will feature a battery of workshops, exhibitions and tutorials.

Taking place over four days from 30 June to 3 July at the University of the Witwatersrand in Braamfontein, the Southern African Music Conference (SAMC) will look at issues pertinent to the production of music.

Music producers, professional musicians and those still breaking into the industry are invited to take part. Complex legal issues, copyright, marketing and dealing with the media; selling music abroad, event planning and promotion; and government support or lack thereof, are some of the relevant issues that will be discussed.

SAMC's patrons are Deejays United, comprising club DJ Christos, 5FM Drive Time host DJ Fresh, YFM's DJ Oskido, The Maestro and Vinny da Vinci. A host of other DJs from across Southern Africa, musicians, producers and media people will add to the panels.

International acts billed to take part are DJ Rocco and Manoo from France, who will make presentations and play at some of the gigs during the conference.

Held under the auspices of the national Department of Arts and Culture and AXE, the conference is endorsed by the commercial youth radio station, YFM; the television music channel, Channel O; and the non-governmental youth organisation, Love Life.

"In these ever-changing times it's important that everybody involved in the music industry should attend the conference to ensure that we are on par with our international counterparts, or better," says Oskar "DJ Oskido" Mdlongwa. This will help South Africa to contribute to the global entertainment scene.

Fourth conference
This is the fourth SAMC; conferences were held in Johannesburg in 2005 and 2006, and the third was held in the coastal city of Durban in 2007.

The idea behind the event is to help the local dance music industry keep up with international trends - and eventually lead the field globally. It offers networking opportunities, so participants can get first-hand experience and insight.

"As the only developmental platform for the music industry in Southern Africa influenced by dance music, the SAMC is aimed at attracting delegates that are either involved in or interested in the music industry as deejays, producers, performers, writers [and] promoters," reads the SAMC website.

The programme begins on Monday, 30 June at 2pm, and runs until 6pm. Registration is in the morning, from 7am to 2pm.

Topics to be discussed will cover issues like the future of DJs; media coverage of dance music; the rapid changes on the airwaves; and the opportunities that are available through the government for young people to get involved in the music industry.

There will be exhibitions, with displays varying from sound equipment and information about record companies, to retailers, dance culture marketers, and modern music technologies. There will also be a demo listening session.

Party on
But a dance music conference wouldn't be complete without a pulsating party of thumping beats to get the groove on - and so every night there will be a party and networking session at Joburg's swanky Zambezi Lounge, in Wynberg.

"The measure of any society's worth is its ability to party and its vibe and that comes from the quality of its music, especially dance music," reads a press statement from the SAMC.

"Various government and international studies suggest that arts and entertainment contribute positively to a society's economy and prestige, especially in areas of tourism."

Veteran deejay DJ Christos agrees, believing that partying makes a city a more attractive place for its residents and visitors. "The more we party, the more reason there is for locals and visitors to enjoy the city and thereby build business."

Attendance at the conference is R300 - if you book in advance; registering at the door will set you back R500. To book early, call House Afrika Records on 011 485 1553; Soul Candi on 011 880 2017; Multi Racial Records on 012 362 0235; Phezulu Records on 011 331 9668; or ChilliSoul on 031 304 5529.

The conference also offers budding deejays the opportunity to make it big - there will be a deejay mixing contest between selected participants, who will compete for a great prize.

According to the SAMC website, the growth of Southern Africa's dance music contributes "enormously towards building a positive and attractive image of the country, and creates jobs ... [This] reduces unemployment, grows the economy and makes a direct contribution to [the gross domestic product], and ultimately reduces poverty in the country."

The Southern African Music Conference takes place from Monday, 30 June to Thursday, 3 July at the University of the Witwatersrand's Great Hall, East Campus, Braamfontein. For more information, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit the SAMC website.

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