and it's only just turned 9am in the morning on this Friday, January 19th, 2007.
Projects on the go at the moment include, a single for a Tanzania female music artist, who hopefully will be very much up and coming in the next couple of weeks. She was able to be involved in a music tv series much like "Idols" called Project Fame in Kenya, East Africa, and has since returned, not as a winner in any other way than what she has learned coming away from it. Tinah Korosso has a lot to offer the Tanzanian music scene and hopefully they will listen.
Other projects involve the recording and arranging of a Afroflava Hip hop album, five songs, new artist who has never recorded before in his life and who grew up on an Island of 900 people, which you can work around in less than 3 hours. We call that a somewhat sheltered life, and yet despite this, the kid is a good rapper, plays the marimba, which he utilizies in his songs, and he has a unique singing voice, which once again we hope takes him places. We were put in touch with Ngapu through some friends who happen to own a small resort on his home island, Chole Island in southern Tanzania. They saw this talent and allowed him to come perform for guest. When guest started asking whether he has any CD's to sell, they began to realize that they needed to send him away to be trained, so the paid for him to go through a one year course at the Bagamoyo School of Arts, where he learned more about music itself, as well as other aspects of art and culture. Ann De Villiers, owner of Chole Mjini along with her husband, approached us asking if he could record in our studio, in order that he has something to show for the years work he has done and so that he has something to sell while back on the Island. We also hope to get his songs playing on air on local radio stations, at which point we will begin to promote him on a more commercial basis, and consider releasing a full length album some time later this year.
A project meant for today that has sort of fallen through was that of interviewing P-Funk, the producer of all music producers in Tanzania, the man behind a lot of BongoFlava music in East Africa, and still in his 20s. I am not needed on the project until tomorrow so what was going to be a busy day has now been flunge wide open. Do I take this as an opportunity to do great things or ....
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Monday, January 15, 2007
Good day in the Studio
Closing thoughts for the day, Monday, January 15th, 2007.
Had a productive day in the studio though it seems that more work needs to be done to the vocals. God, I wish I had auto tune as it would certainly make my life just a little easier!!! But alas, I do not and so, it looks like we might just have to redo some of the vocals. It was still a good day, however and the song seems to be pulling together nicely.
The song is very different to anything out on Tanzanian Radio stations and I would not be surprised if we had a little difficulty getting it on air, but fight we must and fight we will. The Tanzanian listeners need to start hearing new music.
Throwing the thoughts out into the abiss!!
Had a productive day in the studio though it seems that more work needs to be done to the vocals. God, I wish I had auto tune as it would certainly make my life just a little easier!!! But alas, I do not and so, it looks like we might just have to redo some of the vocals. It was still a good day, however and the song seems to be pulling together nicely.
The song is very different to anything out on Tanzanian Radio stations and I would not be surprised if we had a little difficulty getting it on air, but fight we must and fight we will. The Tanzanian listeners need to start hearing new music.
Throwing the thoughts out into the abiss!!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
The First of All These
The first music recordings to come out of The Works Ltd are that of Ruth Scott, my sister, who I was priveleged to record over the Christmas and New Years holiday, while she was up from South Africa. And although the recording has turned out well and the process enjoyed by both me and Ruth, it was somewhat rushed and still needs some work. Ruth is a talented musician and is continuing her pursuit in music, hoping to complete her degree, a BA Music, over the next three years.
We were able to finish two songs titled "Worse or Better" and "Don't Rush", the latter influenced in arrangement by Postal Service yet without the electronic drum mix. The first is about someones struggle with leaving their partner. The second is about not rushing headlong into a relationship but giving it the time it needs, "we have plenty of time".
The next project is to finish recording a single with up and coming Tanzanian female music artist, Tina Korroso. I was write a song that really suited her voice and song style, which is very much influenced by the likes of Brenda Fassie, Miriam Mekeba, and successful South African group Freshly Ground. Her addition of soulful lyrics and song structure have helped create what I hope will be a new wave and new sound for Tanzania and help in redirecting what has become a somwhat stale music scene in Tanzania.
At the same time as completing this recording I will be recording a five song hip hop/rap album for a musician from Chole Island, a small island in southern Tanzania off the coast of Mafia Island, an island where no more than 900 people live, where this young man, called Ngapu, would never see this kind of opportunity. We hope to be able to tap into his talent and share his story.
I have also started talking with one of Tanzania's top recording artists about future work, possibly sometime this year.
We had not originally intended on making a move into music quite as soon as we have but there is a gap to be filled and as it is my natural tendency to seek out musicians, I am happy to be moving in this direction, though we will continue working on radio commercials.
We were able to finish two songs titled "Worse or Better" and "Don't Rush", the latter influenced in arrangement by Postal Service yet without the electronic drum mix. The first is about someones struggle with leaving their partner. The second is about not rushing headlong into a relationship but giving it the time it needs, "we have plenty of time".
The next project is to finish recording a single with up and coming Tanzanian female music artist, Tina Korroso. I was write a song that really suited her voice and song style, which is very much influenced by the likes of Brenda Fassie, Miriam Mekeba, and successful South African group Freshly Ground. Her addition of soulful lyrics and song structure have helped create what I hope will be a new wave and new sound for Tanzania and help in redirecting what has become a somwhat stale music scene in Tanzania.
At the same time as completing this recording I will be recording a five song hip hop/rap album for a musician from Chole Island, a small island in southern Tanzania off the coast of Mafia Island, an island where no more than 900 people live, where this young man, called Ngapu, would never see this kind of opportunity. We hope to be able to tap into his talent and share his story.
I have also started talking with one of Tanzania's top recording artists about future work, possibly sometime this year.
We had not originally intended on making a move into music quite as soon as we have but there is a gap to be filled and as it is my natural tendency to seek out musicians, I am happy to be moving in this direction, though we will continue working on radio commercials.
Introduction
From the author of the blogspot "My Tanzanian Life", a look into the life of William Scott working as a sound engineer and co-director of The Works Limited, a recording studio in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, comes a new BLOG documenting William's insuing work in music production in the incredible country of Tanzania.
The hope of this blogspot is to highlight not only the recordings done by The Works Limited as we begin to work with local Tanzanian artist, but possibly also create a space where those working as musicians, producers, artist managers, DJ's, music presenters, can add their two cents about the growing music scene in Tanzania. Let's begin to ask some questions.
What is music? What is Tanzanian Music? What is BongoFlava? What are our musical roots? Where is music in Tanzania going? What can we do to raise the level of excellence in Tanzania? Who are the players in the Industry? What work are they doing? Are they being recognized? Why do some artists find it so hard to have their music played on the radio station? Are we going out there to find fresh new talent and styles? Has BongoFlava lived out its day? How do we take Tanzanian music/BongoFlava and make it on an international scale?
We could go on asking all manner of questions about all manner of topics relating to the music industry in Tanzania, but one question stands out in my mind. What action will we take? Tanzania is trying to move forward as a country and we see this both in the government and the decisions they are making, but also in what we call kazazi kipya, which is a swahili term for the future generation. Another term used is "the sunshine crowd." Who are these people? They are the youth of this nation and those who have been able to travel abroad to study and have no returned to Tanzania to fill needed interlectual spaces in the work force and in so doing have become very successful business men and women. But are we here for the betterment of ourselves of the country as a whole? Do we seek personal gratification and success or do we hope to see Tanzania succeed and show herself as a strong example to all those nations surrounding her borders that where a nation stands together knowing what they stand for and what they believe in, they will succeed.
Reality tells us the opposite of this fervently fought after dream, so we have to ask ourselves if at the end of the day is it all worth it. I hear endless amounts of negativity about government and leaders, traffic, bureaucracy, police men and women, petrol prices, power shortages (which have abated as of late), sickness and death. What action do WE take?
Enough complaining about the woes of our situation,
Or sitting around tables intensely deliberating,
Talking about all those things that need our attention,
Yet doing nothing about the trouble of years of built up tention.
How are artists using this message in their music? What message are they potraying? Is it true to the Tanzanian people, true to its history and culture? From today we answer these questions? And in doing so we take East Africa to the world, sharing with them our music, art, culture, dance, our stories.
Reality tells us that we will mever succeed, that the odds are staked up against us at a ratio that may never be in our favor, yet it will not be in my generation that we fail. If what I do in this life and hopefully in the part of the world through music, art, dance and theatre, is able to curb , even if for the smallest fraction of a second, the presumed failure of humankind, then the work that I do will not be invain. I am a realist who chooses to see the good.
My challange to all music makers in Tanzania and East Africa is to see the good, know the bad, and through positive assersion of your talents, to turn the bad into good.
The hope of this blogspot is to highlight not only the recordings done by The Works Limited as we begin to work with local Tanzanian artist, but possibly also create a space where those working as musicians, producers, artist managers, DJ's, music presenters, can add their two cents about the growing music scene in Tanzania. Let's begin to ask some questions.
What is music? What is Tanzanian Music? What is BongoFlava? What are our musical roots? Where is music in Tanzania going? What can we do to raise the level of excellence in Tanzania? Who are the players in the Industry? What work are they doing? Are they being recognized? Why do some artists find it so hard to have their music played on the radio station? Are we going out there to find fresh new talent and styles? Has BongoFlava lived out its day? How do we take Tanzanian music/BongoFlava and make it on an international scale?
We could go on asking all manner of questions about all manner of topics relating to the music industry in Tanzania, but one question stands out in my mind. What action will we take? Tanzania is trying to move forward as a country and we see this both in the government and the decisions they are making, but also in what we call kazazi kipya, which is a swahili term for the future generation. Another term used is "the sunshine crowd." Who are these people? They are the youth of this nation and those who have been able to travel abroad to study and have no returned to Tanzania to fill needed interlectual spaces in the work force and in so doing have become very successful business men and women. But are we here for the betterment of ourselves of the country as a whole? Do we seek personal gratification and success or do we hope to see Tanzania succeed and show herself as a strong example to all those nations surrounding her borders that where a nation stands together knowing what they stand for and what they believe in, they will succeed.
Reality tells us the opposite of this fervently fought after dream, so we have to ask ourselves if at the end of the day is it all worth it. I hear endless amounts of negativity about government and leaders, traffic, bureaucracy, police men and women, petrol prices, power shortages (which have abated as of late), sickness and death. What action do WE take?
Enough complaining about the woes of our situation,
Or sitting around tables intensely deliberating,
Talking about all those things that need our attention,
Yet doing nothing about the trouble of years of built up tention.
How are artists using this message in their music? What message are they potraying? Is it true to the Tanzanian people, true to its history and culture? From today we answer these questions? And in doing so we take East Africa to the world, sharing with them our music, art, culture, dance, our stories.
Reality tells us that we will mever succeed, that the odds are staked up against us at a ratio that may never be in our favor, yet it will not be in my generation that we fail. If what I do in this life and hopefully in the part of the world through music, art, dance and theatre, is able to curb , even if for the smallest fraction of a second, the presumed failure of humankind, then the work that I do will not be invain. I am a realist who chooses to see the good.
My challange to all music makers in Tanzania and East Africa is to see the good, know the bad, and through positive assersion of your talents, to turn the bad into good.
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