Sidestepping financial pitfalls and dodging scamsters are two vital skills you need as an aspiring music artist, agreed Khuli Chana and Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse during the latest Old Mutual AMPD Icons Hero Conversation.
Held every month in front of a live audience at the new Old Mutual AMPD Studios in Newtown, Johannesburg, these sessions aim to empower aspiring creatives through stimulating and entertaining conversations between giants of the music industry.
Last week Motswako originator Khuli Chana and Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse inspired and entertained an audience of emerging artists with a collaborative performance followed by a raw and unfiltered conversation about achieving and sustaining success in the music industry.
By candidly sharing their personal experiences and insights, these legends hope to encourage the next generation of musos to equip themselves with the financial knowledge and mentorship they need to make it in a tough and highly competitive industry.
Khuli Chana and bra Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse offered varying narratives and perspectives on their rise to the top of the South African hip-hop and jazz/soul scenes respectively. Khuli spoke on the present state of the music industry in South Africa and how to guard against the pressures of keeping up appearances for social relevance.
Hosts Thomas Msengana and Pearl Modiadie questioned Khuli about how he fell victim to a scam that cost him money and how he could have avoided it by knowing more about the fundamental elements of contracting with third parties. Khuli was frank about the very real hardships he experienced and praised the positive power of business partnerships based on trust and mutual respect.
“The interesting thing about my journey is that I only started seeing the financial rewards of my passion and career after the initial buzz and hype around my music had died down a little, he said. “It was at this time that I started talking to some of the brands that had shown an interest in me and were wanting to partner with me. This was an important time for me to understand the business of the music industry and recognise how essential it was to remain the owner of my music and “get the bigger piece of the pie when it came down to signing”.
Khuli spoke openly about the importance of having sufficient financial understanding and financial management skills. “These will certainly help you in the long run. For example, reinvesting your money from the deals you make ensures you are not left exposed during the dry spells of your career,” he explained.
Bra Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse added that growing yourself outside the field of music and the arts was another wise thing to do. “While you’re sharpening your craft, consider also obtaining a formal qualification within or outside the field of music,” he said. Your dreams and aspirations may not pan out the way you expected, so the solution is to have something to fall back on, he believes.
Old Mutual has seen the necessity of breaking the cycle of so many South African music legends and superstars who create awesome artistic legacies but face destitution when they retire. The AMPD Icons Hero Conversations are just one of the platforms Old Mutual has provided to address this issue.
“It’s been incredible and a real honour to have artists of the status of Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse and Khuli Chana leading by example and using this opportunity to impart their knowledge,” said Thobile Tshabalala, Head of Brand at Old Mutual.
“We’re happy to be in a position to empower people to Do Great Things Every Day and be their exceptional best. The fact that you need to link your dream to your financial future is key to what we are doing.”
This AMPD Icons Hero Conversations was streamed live and if you missed out, you can watch everything that happened here:
http://bit.ly/2FOCz8O
Next on the lineup is an AMPD Masterclass on Wednesday 17 July. DJ Cleo will be sharing his personal golden tips and tools with a live audience.
Find out how to amplify your music career with AMPD Studios: join in the conversation via #AMPDStudios and #TheTimeIsNow and follow Old Mutual on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
