Call for applications: All the Way From Bloem

The competition is run by folk artist Jacobus Silwer and his wife Lizamé Coetzee who are both residents of Bloemfontein. The competition and compilation seek to bring attention to the music industry in Bloemfontein by giving artist on the periphery a chance to be heard.

Applications are open to all genres and ages. Twenty artists will be selected to be part of the compilation.

To enter the competition aspiring artists must:

• Be from Bloemfontein (Mangaung).
• Download and fill a form that is available on the Al Die Pad Van Bloem Facebook page.
• Submit the form with a CD that contains high quality original song(s). The title must be written on the CD.
• Provide the lyrics of the song(s).
• Pay R50 per submitted song.

The 20 people whose songs are selected will have the opportunity to:

• Attend a workshop where the roles of the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) and the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association (CAPASSO) will be explained.
• Make contact with a distri­butor who will assist in getting an artist’s song playlisted on radio.
• Access a publisher to assist with the artist’s admin.
• Have a music video produced for free.
• Play at the compilation’s launch.

Each participant will be judged based on:

• Originality
• Melody
• Lyrics
• Emotional impact
• Compilation and structure
• Quality of recording
• Vocal appeal

The successful candidates will be selected by a seven-member panel from various musical backgrounds.

“Having a big recording contract is not the be-all and end-all of music,” Silwer said. “Artists need to be educated about the music industry and the different organisations that exist. Independent artists need to know and understand the business.”

By focusing on Bloemfontein, the project will seek to introduce unknown artists from the metro to the rest of South Africa.