DJ Leo Large: A Fusion of Cultures in African Electronic Music

DJ Leo Large, also known as Leo, is a German-South African artist and producer making waves in the African electronic music scene. Known for his mastery in Afrobeats, Amapiano, Gqom, and Rap, Leo brings a unique fusion of North and South, blending traditional African rhythms with global influences. As both a producer for emerging talents and an artist in his own right, Leo’s career highlights his versatility and dedication to innovation.

Recent Release: “Biekie Biekie Remix” Music Video

Leo Large’s recent project, the “Biekie Biekie Remix” showcases a unique collaboration with DJ Dozza, Sam-Lee, and Mckeeyz. Set to vibrant Amapiano and Afrobeats rhythms, the track incorporates both English and Lozi, effortlessly moving between catchy hooks and danceable beats. Produced with log drums and live guitars, its chorus, “Kwala neta biekie biekie” (Fight a little bit more), captures the playful and energetic essence of the track.

The music video, filmed in Windhoek, Namibia by Sodo, perfectly complements the song’s infectious rhythm, highlighting a dance-heavy atmosphere central to both Amapiano and Afrobeats. The remix is ideal for prime-time TV, commercials, youth programs, and curated playlists, showcasing Leo’s ability to create music that resonates across multiple formats and audiences.

I’ve been in publishing for 15 years and I know it can seem very complicated.  While not a copyright lawyer, here is some info that has helped me understand music rights over the years.

It is all in the name.  Understanding music copyright.

In very simplistic music terms, “copyright” means that anyone that creates an original piece of music is the only one that legally has the right to make a copy of it. Hence the name copyright.

In more detail, the 1978 SA copyright act says that musical works (music as it would appear written as notes on paper) and sound recordings (where someone performs and records the musical work) are eligible for copyright. This means no one other than the copyright owner can reproduce, perform, broadcast or adapt the music without permission.  In South Africa, the copyright lasts from the time the work is created in material form (e.g. written on paper or recorded) until 50 years after the composer’s death.

What this means is that if you want to use music in your ad, film, or Youtube video about cats, you need permission from whoever created the musical work (think melody) and whoever recorded that melody (think mp3 file or possibly CD if you’re still living in the 1990’s).

Who is who in the Musical Zoo

So now we know that there are two copyrights involved in every recorded song you hear. The creator of the musical work/composition is known as the composer. Most good composers are represented by a publisher whose job it is to exploit (in a good way) the musical work to earn income for the composer.

On the sound recording side there is the record label who usually pays for the recording and therefore owns it. It is sometimes called the “master” recording as it is the original recording from which copies are made. They will also have a record deal with the recording artist that performs the song. Recording artists don’t own the recordings, but are eligible for needletime royalties which will have to be the subject of another post… Some artists self-produce and release and therefore there wouldn’t be a record label as the artist would own the rights to the master recording.

So now that we know who is involved in the industry, let’s take a look at the different music options available to you and what you need to do to make sure that you aren’t breaking the law.

Most composers are represented by a publisher whose job it is to make the musical work earn money.  One of the ways publishers do this is through the granting of synchronisation licences which is a fancy way of saying “giving someone permission to put music to picture”. You can learn more about sync licensing in the video below. 

Obviously as it is the publisher’s job to make the composition money, that permission comes at the cost of a licence fee.  We use the word “licence” because the publisher is giving permission (a licence) to use the music and is not selling ownership of the musical work in the same way that renting a house doesn’t mean that you suddenly own the house.

To find out who the publisher of a musical work is, you can contact our colleagues at CAPASSO (Composer, Author and Publisher Association) whose members are the major music publishers like Sony and Gallo along with several large independent publishers such as Sheer, David Gresham and Geoff Paynter (and the amazing Mama Dance of course) just to name a few.  Alternatively, if the artist is less well-known you could try contacting them or their management directly.

How music licence fees are calculated

With all the information at hand, the publisher will issue you with a quote.  As the usages vary so much, the licence fees could be anywhere from a few thousand Rand to over a million.

Once you have the licence fee to use the musical work, you can repeat the process by contacting the record label with the same information.  RISA (Recording Industry of South Africa) would be the best people to contact for information if it is a well-known recording artist, alternatively you can also check with Airco if it is an independent artist.

One thing you need to be aware of is that publishers and record labels often quote MFN (most favoured nations) as the musical work and recording are so closely linked.  This means that the quote from the lowest party will be raised to match the quote of the highest e.g. if the publisher quoted R50 and the record label R100, the publisher’s quote will change to R100 to match the record label.

2. COMPOSED MUSIC

Another option if you can’t find the perfect song is to create it from scratch.  Composing music directly to your picture has the benefit of the music creating “sync points” where the music highlights key moments in the picture. For example where the cymbals crash at the same time Humpty Dumpty hits the ground.  This helps the music and picture fit together and not feel like two separate things.

As with commercial music, the composition and recording are copyrighted.  These days, unless there is a big budget for hiring out orchestras, the composer will create the music in their studio using virtual instruments.  To the untrained ear, it can be difficult to tell these apart from live studio recordings.  As such, the composer usually owns the copyright in the musical work and recording. 

The cost?

Like most things in life, this is negotiable and the final ownership will depend on the type of contract the composer has with the client along with their bargaining power.  Some clients will insist on a “work for hire” contract where the company owns the copyright because the composer essentially becomes an employee.  Most will work on the usual licensing model as shown above with commercial music although, in general, the licence fees are less.

3. PRODUCTION MUSIC/STOCK MUSIC/LIBRARY MUSIC

At the bottom-end of the cost ladder, but top of the value ladder, is Production music.  Production music is music that is created specifically for background use in a production rather than to be listened to on Apple Music or Spotify (although that is changing).  This makes it especially useful to editors and music-users that use music to create a variety of moods (hence why it used to be called “Mood Music”).

As this stock music is usually licensed non-exclusively, it means that lots of different video makers can use the same piece of music at the same time and there is no waiting process to get permission from the copyright holders.  The music libraries also control both the publishing rights and the master recording rights so there is only one contact point when licensing the music.  Due to the larger volume of licences and non-exclusive nature, library music tends to have the lowest licence fees. You can view CAPASSO’s rate card here to get an idea of the fees.

That’s All Folks…

Hopefully this helps you understand your music options for your next project.  If not, do not fear as Mama Dance is always here to assist you whatever your music needs.  And best of all, our advice is always free so drop us a mail or give us a call today!

The Amapiano genre has taken SA by storm! While it may have been inspired by Kwaito, it has become its own beast and has even recently been given its own category at the SAMA’s along with Gqom and the aforementioned Kwaito: https://samusicawards.co.za/2021/01/13/sama27-rings-in-changes-with-three-new-categories/. We chatted to two Amapiano producers, Wiseman Mbedu and Melvyn Riberts, to find out more about them and what it is like to produce this popular music style.

MD: Thanks for chatting to us. Can you let our readers know a bit more about yourselves and how you got into producing music?

WM: My name is Vusumzi Wiseman Mbedu. Wow, I never thought about all the years I have been doing this but to count it would be 11 years and each year has been an experience for me. If I had to describe myself it would be “crazy at times, free-spirited and what you see if what you get”.

MR: I’m also known as Loobub DJ and I’m a music producer and DJ from Eldorado Park, South of Johannesburg. I have been involved in the Music Industry for the past 8 years however I took on the professional scene as a club DJ around mid-2018. Professionally speaking, I’ve been involved within the industry for the past 2 years after graduating from Soul Candi Institute of Music.

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MD: Melvyn, do you find that there is a difference producing Amapiano for productions/commercial use versus for personal enjoyment?

MR: For me personally, I create what makes sense to me at the time when I’m producing Amapiano content. I try to deliver my best every time and whether it’s for commercial use or just personal production. Music is meant to be shared and it’s up to the listener to connect with the producer in whichever way possible. Just note that with production music, you are bound to be heard and in commercial production your music drowns within the main stream industry, so it’s harder for you to get heard. Otherwise find creative means to push your commercial releases.

MD: Wiseman, do you find Amapiano easier or more difficult to produce than other genres?

WM: Well, I would say it is easier than other types of music for me. The production format is the same for most Amapiano tracks. In terms of commercial House or Hip Hop, there is so much musicality involved, for me at least in terms of production.

MD: You have both produced tracks for Mama Dance’s popular Amapiano album series. Do you have a favourite track?

MR: The tracks I like most off Amapiano – Mzantsi House Flava 1 is Sunrise. and one of Wiseman’s tracks, Party On off the second album because the production is unfamiliar for Amapiano and it’s something I believe could get the party started.

WM: In terms of songs I produced, sho, that’s a hard one for me. I can’t choose between Let You Go and One Night. They both speak to me as to how I feel emotionally and as to what I was going through at the time I was producing these songs.

MD: What does the future hold for you?

WM: Expect the unexpected! I choose to do what I feel most times and not follow trends. The future holds so much promise for me and only God knows what’s to come. But expect more music from me and better productions!

MR: I am working on a project titled Khullid Wave which is set to drop closer to the end of this year. The album is bound to introduce South Africa and the World about Coloured Culuture. My goal is to create an atmosphere which will focus on Coloured parties and also have the people dance and sing along to the music I create for them.

MD: Sounds exciting! Thanks for your time. Any final words for aspiring Amapiano producers?

MR: Find you sound. It’s not easy creating or finding what relates to your personality but always remember that it’s better to influence than be influenced. Your sound is your rhythm and your rhythm has a place in this world.

WM: I would say learn to understand the culture of Amapiano and the roots of the music before jumping in to produce any type of music.

Luca and Mama Dance have crossed paths many times over the years, but we are thrilled to finally have her exceptional violin skills on our library. The album Cinematic Strings – Heartfelt Emotions is a collaboration with long-time Mama Dance composer/producer Gideon Murray. We caught up with Luca to find out how the experience of producing an album was and how life in lockdown is going for someone who was a regular performer before the craziness hit.

MD: How would you describe yourself?

LH: I am many different things! And everyday I have a different dream I want to conquer, haha. But at heart I’m an explorer, and I love finding things that are meaningful, however small they may be. I’m super sensitive, which helps with the music, but makes life quite tough sometimes. I am at my happiest in the mountains, when it’s just me and my surroundings – like it should be. I can be quite intense and caught up in thoughts most of the time, but whenever I’m hard at work on a new project, I get super energized and positive about life. 

MD: When did the music career start?

LH: I started with violin and piano lessons when I was about 6 or 7, but from 9 I just focused on violin. Our house was always booming with classics, from opera to Tina Turner, to Leonard Cohen and Enigma. That’s definitely where my love for epic music started! I did choir at school, and then went on to take music as a subject in high school, taking part in all the ensembles and orchestras that were available. I started fiddling around with my own songs from a young age, and really started composing and songwriting in high school. I studied Music Technology at Stellenbosch and the rest has been a full on music career.

MD: How has Covid-19 affected you?

 Covid-19 took one look at my live gig calendar for the year and just wiped it clean from corner to corner. Most of my income comes from live performances (weddings especially), and it took me a while to get over the initial shock of what had happened financially. Luckily I also teach part time, but it hasn’t been enough to pay the rent. I’ve learnt to go back to the “student” lifestyle of spending very little and eating simply, whilst trying to find ways of making a consistent income in future

MD: So if you have a bit more time on your hands, how are you keeping busy during lockdown?

LH: At the beginning of lockdown (the original 21 days) I set myself a challenge to compose, record and upload a song every day, and to sell that album on Bandcamp to raise money for the Solidarity Fund. It was a great learning experience to “force” creativity in that way and to be less perfectionist about my compositions. I also took an online course in Sustainability (through Coursera), which kept me very busy as it was quite loaded, but endlessly interesting as this was right up my alley on the nature side of things. Currently I’m drifting a bit between composing, electronic music production and filming my own documentaries. 

MD: Wow, you certainly are busy. What can we expect from you in the near future?

LH: More electronic music, more outdoor music videos, and more drone footage! And definitely more albums on Mama Dance

MD: How was the experience of working on your first Mama Dance production music album?

LH: It was a longer process than I thought, with a lot of back and forth between Gideon and myself. But having completed the album, I now know more about the process and the effort it requires. Having a system and a plan definitely helps, and a deadline for each song! Gideon did most of the work, laying the piano tracks first, allowing me to add my violin melodies on top. The crew from Mama Dance (Dale, Jeff) are always supportive and eager to help where they can, so that makes it an enjoyable challenge.

MD: What is your favorite track on the album?

LH: They are all deeply moving and unique to me, but my favourite three are “Delicate Hope“, cause it makes me think of a baby horse exploring the mountains, “Beautiful Highlands” really pulls your heart out of your chest, and “Soaring free” is so incredibly tender it makes my throat tight. 

MD: Any advice to female composers wanting to give it a shot at production music?

LH: Write a lot of material. And access your emotions when doing so. I think the world will be needing real emotion in years to come, with AI possibly being able to compose for us in future. And then just go for it. Don’t let the idea of perfection stand in your way of even starting. What makes your voice unique? Find that voice and pour it into your music

Gugulethu based producer, Mtezman, has a loooong history with Mama Dance that goes back to before we even had 1 album on the now 230 album strong Mama Dance Music Library. From his early days with renowned kwaito group DIMKOP to producing tracks for our first album MDML001 – Kwaito House (which are still being used today), we could do a blog post just on his history working with us. Instead, we thought we would just do a quick catch up to see how he’s holding up during lockdown.

MD: Musicians, artists and producers have all  been hit by surprise with the Covid-1- pandemic. What has been your biggest challenge during this time as a composer?

ZS: My biggest challenge during this time is that musicians / artists cannot travel to the studio for sessions anymore, meaning there is less money coming in. Other than that, everything else is still pretty much business as usual.

MD: How have you been trying to counter this problem?

ZS: I have been making contact with a number of Social Media influencers who have YouTube channels mostly and offering them new music for any purposes they might need it for.
I am also watching a lot of local TV programs and taking production house information for programs I might want to produce music for.

MD: You have 5 albums with Mama Dance. Which one would you say is your favourite and why would you recommend listeners to stream that album?

ZS: Kwaito VS HipHop has to be my favourite. There is never a time that locally produced ads and TV programs do not use the two genres in Kwaito VS HipHop.

MD: Your track ‘Just Like That” is doing well on the streaming platforms, with the USA being the leading country where its mostly streamed. How does it feel to know that your music is being consumed in another continent?

ZS: It’s totally amazing and I am quite chuffed about it. When it comes to “Just Like That” doing well in the States I can’t say I am really surprised cause it’s a Hip Hop but I love the fact that it still appeals to that market though it’s produced in SA with a South African flavour.

MD: You recently produced a track called “Whooza Weekend” on our Amapiano – Mzansi House Flava album. How do find this new genre compared to Kwaito, House and Gqom?

ZS: AmaPiano and Gqom are derived from Kwaito. However they both  have new elements and arrangement making them modern and fresh to the Kwaito we know. I’m a Kwaito artist myself and I love AmaPiano cause it feels like Kwaito is back and making waves again.

MD: What more can we expect from Zamile in the near future?

ZS: Definitely more library music and I have found a new love in chasing production houses of programs I want to produce music for I’m enjoying. As an entertainer, a performing artist to be specific, I will only release music when a really good song comes along. DJs own the world now and I am establishing relationships with them cause they are the biggest music promoters these days.

DAY 3

The Busara
festival always impresses me with their strong calling out of sexual harassment
throughout the festival and a general focus on capacity building. This year it
included a programme that provided opportunities for woman to gain stage
management skills and experinece throughout the festival. Saturdays afternoon
workshop was focused on Woman in Music and was well attended with a great panel
of passionate speakers.

After my
daily 5pm rejuvenating nap, I was ready for the third night of music.

I was very keen to catch the Mauritian group, Mannyok, whose music had caught my attention in my pre-festival prep. I had seen this video of theirs and was blown away by their happiness factor – which is obviously a crucial mood for any library. I was not disappointed with their lively feel good live performance in the Old fort – It was tropical beach party bliss!

Wakazi aka “The Bilingual Beast”, a rapper from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, was another stand out act on the evening – very powerful presence, with fantastic dancers that featured support vocals from Frankie Maston, whom I had chatted to earlier at the networking sessions.

Day 4

After an
ongoing mission to get my sim card working, I headed to stone town recording
studios to meet the producer DJ Walid and going through the various Bongo
flavor, Hip Hop and “slow motion” tracks that we will be releasing soon on our
library.

Then, in between power cuts, we started recording Lawrence Okellos traditional Ugandan instruments for a rootsy authentic East African Mama Dance Library album. We recorded the Endingidi (tube fiddle), Adungu (Harp) and Engalagabi (Long drum). It was great seeing him translating various cinematic scenes I gave him into music. This was a new angle for him, but he totally got it. It’s always great to connect with amazing musicians from other African countries.

The live music started with another highlight – Sibusiso “Mash” Mashiloane, a South African Jazz pianist and composer that completely bowled me over. And it was great to hang out with his band later that evening with some other South Africans that I had met during the festival.

Then it was Fra! From Ghana that really got the crowd ecstatic. This young group from Accra merge rock, funk with Africentric sensibilities and knew how to work a festival crowd into a frenzy!

Ugandan underground soul, blues and jazz singer, Evon also blew me away. She was on SA TV show Project runway and her soulful, quirky and eccentric personality was totally memorable. I can’t wait to watch her again.

Then the other big highlight for me was SinaUbi & Zawose Spirit group. Because we have already released a Mama Dance album of traditional Tanzanian Gogo music with Msafiri Zawose, I was familiar with this beautiful hypnotic Kalimba driven music, but this live performance with ecstatic dancing was truly magnificent. The Tanzanian crowd were getting DOWN with it! Extremely memorable and a big highlight for me.

And the night just kept on delivering. Onipa (meaning “Human”), is a crazy Ghana / UK project fusing deep afro grooves with hard electronic sounds and they completely rocked the main stage crowd. This was inspirational sound for me, and the reason why it’s so worth travelling to African music festivals to experience. I can’t wait to show our team of producers the footage to inspire fresh new musical ideas for our catalogue. Here’s their music video.

The Algerians were well represented by the Mehdi Laifaoui Trab project, and I was lucky enough to meet up with the bands guitarist, Nazim Bakour, later in the week at some beach bungalows, and we will be working on North African material for the library over the next few months

As if the evening hadn’t already delivered enough, Mehdi Qamoum from Morocco was the closing act. Apart from an obvious resemblance and stage energy to Jimi Hendrix, the intense North African bluesy rock energy kept the crowd jumping. Another outstanding festival act breaking new ground in cross over African sound.

The evening
ended up trawling after parties and late night jams with friends made during
the previous 4 nights… what a blast!

Then it was off to Paje beach to relax after this frenetic time in Stone Town, and although there wasn’t enough wind for kite surfing, the weather was perfect for more beach parties, long walks and for scuba diving amongst impressive schools of fish and other sea life amongst the waving corals around Mnema atoll further up the North East coast.

Thanks to
the many people involved at Busara and the warm hospitality of all the people
of Zanzibar. I will be back.

As a mainstay of the SA music scene for quite some time we were very excited to sit down with master percussionist (and apparently excellent chef) Ronan Skillen to find out a bit about his musical journey so far…

Tell us a little bit about yourself: where were you born, where did you grow up and what career did you dream of having?

I was born in Ireland as Ronan Skillen. I spent my first 2 years there before moving to Germany. There I grew up and matriculated. After that I moved to Cape Town, where I still live today. I always wanted to be a Chef or a Juggler.

What do you do from Monday to Friday, 8 to 5pm (or thereabouts)?

Mostly I am recording, either myself or other people. I also teach from home and use my studio as a space for creating new ideas or helping people with production and capturing creative ideas, mostly musical ones. Other than that, I’m hiking in the mountains or meeting other musicians for rehearsals and brainstorming ideas for new projects and the next big idea.

What takes up the rest of your time?

When I’m not playing gigs (which is anything from 2 to 10 a month)
My wife and I try to spend as much quality time as possible together. We enjoy nature, a good glass of wine and exploring our amazing city. Friends and family, going out to gigs, movies or a lazy night in with Uber eats and Netflix.

When did the desire to make music first grab you?

I remember my Dad taking me to hear a Benjamin Britten orchestral concert when I was 8 years old. Soon after I began playing the French horn.

What gear do you use to produce music?

In terms of Software I use Ableton Live. For hardware I use RME Fireface 800 and MOTU. I have a range of different microphones. Mostly Oktava, Sennheiser, AKG and T-Bone.

Which artists or composers have influenced you over the years?

Trilok Gurtu, Zakir Hussain, Nik Bärtsch, Ludovico Einaudi, Hans Zimmer, Tinariwen, Bob Marley, Björn Meyer.

What are some of the challenges for local composers, artists and musicians and in South Africa?

Exposure to other artists (not just Europe but rather as a global concept). Funding for arts and culture is a huge part of developmental creativity, which is sorely lacking in SA. Celebrating local talent for what it is and how it should be experienced, in spaces that are really designed to showcase musical performances.

How did you find out about the production/library music industry?

I’ve always been keen on music for films and have had a keen ear for what makes a scene really unfold in terms of the visual element and audio elements in a beautiful meeting. I’ve always known about people who compose for films / production library music etc and have only recently sought out Mama Dance, Evolution Media, DNA Musik and others, for my own production music creations.

What would you do if you had to stop working in the sound/music industry?

I’d start a casual home-style restaurant with a few like-minded friends. Specifically curated playlists, simple but stylish decor. Good, no bullshit food (cooked by myself) and a small enough clientele in order to hang out and meet with the people who come for a bite and a chat.

MD189 Organik – Rhythmic Nature
A truly unique collection of indigenous African percussive and melodic instruments beautifully played and recorded. It’s spacious, hypnotic, dreamy and exotic and perfect for travel, wildlife, doccies, nature productions and much, much more.

MD202 Organik – Rhythmic Nature 2
Vol 2 of our Organik series with plenty more gorgeous, spacious and dreamily evocative tracks, all beautifully played on a variety of indigenous African percussive and melodic instruments. Tailor-made for nature, wildlife, travel, doccies, corporate productions and much more.