A Milestone: D-LonDs And Londiwe Launch
Happy Monday. I hope you all are good. I haven't been active in my blog in a while but I suppose now you will understand why. I have been working very hard in past few months building what I hope will become in force in SA's entertainment industry.
As an entertainment commentator I have had the opportunity to meet and interview some of the biggest names in the industry and have had to see talented individuals wither in the dust because for some reason as black people we have decided to surrender our talents to other people so they can be rich "on our behalf".
I still find it sad that someone can be the best selling artist in SA and make millions for other people but still not have a house of his/her own while people who are supposedly managing his/her career are flying around the country in private jets.
Gandhi said; "Be the change you want to see"
Well that's exactly what my partners and I have decided to do. Zinhle, Londiwe and I have decided that instead of sitting around moaning about our talents being exploited in this industry we will take the reigns and make ourselves stars while owning our talents.
We knocked on doors, some were shut on our faces, some were wide opened. I am still amazed at how some people are just willing to help anybody with a dream and a vision. Makes you wonder why we have so many unemployed youth with all these opportunities.
On the 11th Of April we launched our company and our very first artist in association with 999 Music. After months of preparations, negotiations and some tears here and there, The Venue in Melrose Arch was the place to be.
The evening was not about celebrities and all that frivolous stuff. We invited our friends, supporters and people who believe in what we are trying to achieve.
All I have to say is that THANK YOU guys. Your support makes it possible for someone like me to dream big. The evening was a success.
I would not have let Londiwe perform without the sound being sorted because I knew her performance was going to blow you away. We worked hard to put together that set for our guest and we wanted you to enjoy it as we intended.
Our aim with the company is to give talented individuals a platform to showcase their abilities without all the bureaucracy that comes with the industry. We want to give young black talent an opportunity to prove to this nation that if you give our youth opportunities they can transform this industry.
We wanted Londiwe's first performance for the media and public to be a showcase of what she can do not just as a singer but a performer. We did not just want our artist launch to be just a launch but an experience. I hope when our guests left they felt that way.
Having been working on D-Longs Pty Ltd, I have been amazed by the talent that is out there and is not given the chance to blossom. Everyone we used on our set with Londiwe is a talented big dreamer.
Our dancers had been rehearsing for weeks and when we started off the project none of them were getting paid but we all had a vision of where we want to take the project. Now we ended up with sponsorship for the launch and because of the amazing response we have been able to secure jobs for these young people.
We hope to expand our company beyond just dealing with musicians but all talents within the entertainment industry. Our slogan is "Embracing Change", we believe we can turn the tide. We can get the best deal that benefit all parties involved. It has not been easy but we have managed to make some strides and that inspires us to soldier on.
We know it is not going to be easy to do everything on our own hence we partnered with 999 for the Londiwe Album launch and we'll be partnering with other companies on other projects we are currently working on.
At the core of our business model is that we own our material. Our artist in whatever capacity they come in should have some ownership in what is done with their talent and/or name. It's time to turn the tide and embrace change.
It's unfathomable that to this day local celebrities still do not get paid for doing magazine covers when people buy those magazines because of those artists being on the cover.
We are not about being celebrities with nothing to show for it. With your support we can create stars in the sense of the word. We can make sure that when you pay money because you want to support a local musician, actor, dancer, etc that you love, that money will benefit that artist.
A talent that does not put food on your table is useless!
Thank you to all our friends and media for coming to our launch. Thanks to 999Music for providing us with supporting acts for Londiwe, you guys were amazing!!
Jamela, Marimba, DJ AJ and Spy4... thank you! Keep dreaming big and your talents will take you far!
Reviews on the launch read
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