The association (SADMA) was fortunate enough to be amongst organisations that have benefited from this grant. As with everyone in the music industry, SADMA doors were shut due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions on events and social gatherings in the country.
Now with the Presidential grant that they have through National Arts Council and the permitting of limited numbers at events, the association will be able to host a concert featuring their disabled musicians.
It will be held on Saturday 8 May 2021 at Diepkloof Hall in Soweto.
The Southern African Disabled Musicians Association (SADMA- Previously South African Blind Musicians Association) is an association incorporated under section 21 of the Companies Act No. 61 of 1973.
The founders and board members of the association consist of blind musicians who have vast experience and expertise in the complex music industry. The main business which the organisation carries on is broad advocacy for disabled musicians throughout Southern Africa.
SADMA also serves as a vehicle for providing education and training in the complex issues of copyright, royalties, publishing and recording contracts.
Persons with disabilities have a proud history of human rights struggle for liberation in South Africa.
The new democratic government took an important decision back in 1994 that the discrimination, marginalisation and exclusion of persons with disabilities experienced under apartheid, could only be addressed by mainstreaming their rights and development throughout all legislation, policies and programmes.
“Depending on social disability grants brings financial and emotional limits, disabled people want to be employed, pay taxes and basically contribute to the country’s economy through their talents, this of course, gives them dignity and self respect that they deserve like everybody else,” says chairman of SADMA, John Mothopeng, who is a seasoned blind musician himself.
“We pride ourselves that we established a Music Recording Studio that is especially designed to serve the peculiar needs of blind and physically disabled musicians. The main purpose of the studio is to alleviate the problems encountered by the disabled musicians of our country in recording their music in the commercial music recording studios” he concluded.
SADMA has over 40 musicians across the country that they unearthed through a massive national music talent search for the visually impaired and physically disabled musicians, this was held in all provinces few years ago and this initiative was sponsored by National Lotteries Commission.
The identified talented musicians were assisted in preparing their music and were recorded for the market and music industry. All these musicians are now stuck with their CD’s, no opportunities are given to them on national radio stations, television and are never included in any events that are held almost daily in our country, that is why the organisation create their own events.
The following are artists from different provinces that will entertain guests at Diepkloof Hall, Soweto on Saturday 8 May 20121:-
- Cwenga Nomnganga better known as Gxarha which is he’s clan and stage name. Gxarha was born with an albinism condition and partially sighted in the dusty rural areas of Engcobo Eastern Cape. He later moved to Queenstown during his Primary Schooling and did his High School in a boarding school in Port Elizabeth’s Khanyisa School for the Blind. This is where his Rapping music career started but that did not stop him studying, three years ago he obtained his degree at the University of Fort Hare (Alice) in Bachelor of Administration in Human Resources Management. Gxarha is ever loading his music on Youtube and has a lot of fans in the Eastern Cape and other provinces too.
- Coach Matlawe, Gospel Singer and Activist from Potchefstroom. Coach works at the Disabled People South Africa offices as the North West Province Coordinator. He also represents People With Disabilities at Local Aids Councils and serves at the Local Disability Forum. His achievements include the Best disabled artist in Zeerust 2004, Recorded an album with 12 tracks and once was a Shell Road to Fame entrant.
- Rebecca Mokhele, a Pop Singer from Brits in North West started singing at school choirs from primary school until high school at Filadelfia and Optima College for the blind. On her last year at Filadelfia High for the Visually Challenged she auditioned at a talent search competition hosted by SADMA, she won herself a free recording deal.
- Jenny Mokubung – Afro Pop singer from Kimberley, Northern Cape, started by singing wedding songs and composed her first song entitled Malobola (Meaning dowry) which earned her stage name “Malobola.
- Zama Ndebele, a gospel singer from Inanda, Kwa Zulu Natal got her break when she was unearthed through SADMA talent search. The association gave her an opportunity to record her gospel music and has since been featured in all their events in different provinces.
The concert at Diepkloof Hall starts from 1pm until 5pm.
Covid-19 protocols will be followed and adhered to.
Only 100 invited guests will be allowed inside the hall.
Image (Cwenga Nomnganga better known as Gxarha will perform at Diepkloof Hall on Saturday 8 May).
