Pretoria - For many aspiring musicians in marginalised areas, dreams often fail due to the proximity of resources to launch their careers and ply their trade.
These hopefuls often relocate to the bigger cities such as Pretoria or Johannesburg to realise their dreams.
This inspired Rabbie Mashela to bring the resources closer to the villages to unearth raw talent.
A lawyer by profession, the 41-year-old Mashela has taken an unconventional route by launching a record label, Shynebright Entertainment, in the mostly rural province of Limpopo.
“I was motivated by the love of music. In Limpopo, we have few record labels, (but) there is a gap in this industry. Limpopo is rich with talent and I have always wanted to contribute, assist and make sure that we don’t lose our stars to other provinces because of lack of resources and studios,” said Mashela who was born and bred in the province’s capital, Polokwane.
He said Shynebright Entertainment was a seed in Limpopo and a relief to the entertainment sector, although it has come with its challenges.
“There are a lot of challenges, like lack of funding and support in general. One has to invest a lot of money to build state-of-the-art studios that will accommodate everyone. I had to dig deep into my pockets but I still believe it is for a good cause and we will succeed.
“Another challenge is that the music market has transformed. People no longer buy CDs or rely on radio for music,” Mashela said.
He added that the reason the record label, which will be launched today at the Meropa Casino, meant a lot to him was because the talented would not have to travel many kilometres to find a facility to create music.
“They will have access to the facilities right here in Polokwane. Once we start to unearth new talent or acquire established artists, others will follow.”
The music industry in the country has been marred by bad publicity with artists finding themselves at loggerheads with record labels and exploitation claims growing in recent years.
To address this, Mashela said: “I am an attorney by profession, so legal matters will be prioritised. Everyone will be given a fair contract; they will sign these documents the way that they understand so that tomorrow, we don’t have conflicts.
“Artists are exploited because they enter into contracts they don't understand, we should avoid that.
“Exploitation of artists is a sin. Record labels should be fair and give artists what they deserve. We have seen artists recently who were on top, and in a blink of an eye were broke and struggling. It’s important to have legal contracts,” he said
Asked who the record label was targeting, Mashela said that there was no limitation and they would accept anyone who had a love for music.
“A kid from Sekhukhune or Giyani should be able to say one day ‘Shynebright made me’. We will be going on road shows and doing auditions for fresh talents. Big names are also welcome.
“We have so many segments that we deal with, including big events. We want to provide fair recording deals, artist development and studio recording. We are not only a record label, but a company that will also develop our traditional dances and music,” Mashela concluded.
Pretoria News