IN 2015 local musician, Mcebisi Majola from KwaNomzamo in Humansdorp, established the Kouga District Music Awards to help musicians unacquainted with the music industry to make headway in their careers.
Majola, who is the director of Kouga District Music Awards, began recording music in 2009, and released his first song in the same year titled ‘My Dream.’ It features Shaun Shriever and Svaido, and it helped him focus on his dream to finally record his own song.
Since the release of his debut single, Majola has performed at various events in Kouga and with hard work he made it to the finals of the Tshisa Talent Kouga Competition in 2018.
His experience in the music industry inspired him to share his knowledge with other musicians in the area.
Kouga District Music Awards is working towards uplifting local musicians, and encouraging them to pursue their goals by creating a platform where they can receive recognition for their work.
Majola says many new musicians in Kouga lack information regarding the music industry and he therefore wanted to offer guidance and knowledge to help them succeed.
“Most musicians want airplay on radio stations to promote their songs, but they lack resources and information. We want to help artists reach their goals by providing them with the necessary information.”
The organisation plans to help musicians record their music and upload their musical pieces on paying distributing sites.
In addition, the organisation which already has 10 nominees, hopes to shortlist musicians on various events and register their music with SAMRO, CAPASSO, Risa and SAMPRA.
Majola says they intend to submit musicians’ songs to record labels for signing.
Apart from guiding musicians through the music industry, the organisation plans to promote their musicians’ music by hosting a music awards annual. Their first awards ceremony had been planned for November 2019, but had to be cancelled due to lack of funding.
The winners for 2019 will receive their trophies at the next awards ceremony which they plan to host as soon as music events are permitted after lockdown.
Majola says many people have responded positively to the concept.
They are excited and cannot wait for the awards ceremony. “Many say that the establishment of the Kouga District Music Awards is a unique idea which will ensure that artists feel appreciated for their music,” says Majola.
During the awards ceremony, the organisation plans to showcase a variety of entertainment, announce the award winners, introduce new musicians and present audience engagement competitions.
Looking towards the future, Majola hopes to establish his own record label company which will merge with Kouga District Music Awards to continue helping musicians in Kouga.
