Latest Albums Archives - Mama Dance

New International Label – ANNIHILATION

Liam Swart — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 06:00:37 +0000

We’re very excited to welcome a brand new International label, ANNIHILATION to the Mama Dance family!

ANNIHILATION is a premium music library of high-end tracks, sound design, and underscores for all types of high-impact production media. Their roster features some of the most talented and diverse composers in the business, credited with hundreds of blockbuster theatrical marketing campaigns.
The music motifs of ANNIHILATION are meant to capture the attention of viewers using sounds and hooks that are awesomely unconventional, while offering complete usability and flexibility for producers, editors and music supervisors.

Check out their seriously impressive show reel below and of course, head over to www.mamadance.com to audition and download their catalogue for your productions now!

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GLOBAL GRIOT: Bridging cultures through the evolution of an ancient African tradition

Liam Swart — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 07:18:53 +0000

by Shalini Tewari

7 min read

Nic Paton and Jally Kebba Susso combine their individual expertise to create the story of the Global Griot – a fusion of electro-classic Mandika music. By blending the spirit of tradition with the fusion of world music, they tell a story of how cultures can harmonise together through music and song.

In Western Africa, griots or jalis are historians, musicians, singers, poets and storytellers from Mandé society. They preserve the memories of the collective heritage, culture and lineage of families and clans through song and story. An inherited tradition, griots are considered as living archives of traditions that are passed down through generations of people who are deeply connected to spiritual, social and political wisdom.

Modern-day griots cross not only generations, but also ancestral borders, and emerge as part of a global band of artists who fuse cultures from around the world.

Jally Kebba Susso is a modern-day griot who comes from a long line of 74 generations of kora players, and is known as an ‘Afro-futurist musician who expands the boundaries of Gambian musical traditions by combining traditional West African sounds with hard funk, jazz and rock’. The kora is a 21-stringed instrument of African origin and belongs to the chordophone family.

Jally and his kora

Born into the tradition, Jally never doubted his path and was always excited about it. He saw schooling as a way to learn the basics of reading and writing only, knowing that once he completed his studies, a contract would be waiting for him to go abroad in order to deepen his skills in his intrinsic craft.

Jally’s upbringing was somewhat unconventional in Gambia as his family exposed him to world cultures, and he was influenced to an array of genres such as hip hop, salsa, and jazz at an early age. When he arrived in England as a teenager, his experience included opportunities ranging from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to funk, rock and jazz bands – inevitably expanding into further fusions from there. He has collaborated with more musical styles than any other kora player in the world as of now.

Nic Paton is a South African world music composer with an extensive portfolio of collaborations with artists from around the world. He has delivered over 30 albums and composes for media, film, documentaries, music videos and TV commercials.

A few of Nic’s albums

He picked up his first instrument when he was 9-years-old, and by the age of 14, he chose the guitar and saxophone as his two primary instruments to master. He completed a degree in jazz music and pursued this career until age 33 when he decided to venture into Information Technology.

With his heart always connected to music, at age 50 he decided to give music another chance, and delved successfully into production music. Armed with a newfound business mindset and an understanding of financial systems, he combined these skills with his background in sound engineering and re-entered the business of music with a grounding that he didn’t have in his 20s when he worked as a jazz musician.

MD: How did the two of you come to work together?

NP: Our mutual friend, Janet Adams, put together an online festival called the AI Kora Festival. It brought AI enthusiasts together with the kora, and while this might seem like a strange combination, it really worked. Jally and I did a song together and it was obvious that we needed to produce something.

MD: What was the inspiration behind the album?

JKS: I live for collaborations and have my hands in everything that is music – from all different genres like hip hop, electronic, funk, and jazz to name a few.

It is crucial to keep the heart and soul of my forefathers, but I want to expand the boundaries to create my own mark, and so this was another opportunity to do that.

NP: I have never created an album with an African virtuoso, and while South Africa has amazing vocalists and jazz musicians, the opportunity to capture, arrange and produce an album with its roots deep in African tradition was an amazing opportunity in my career.

MD: What was different about this project compared to others you’ve worked on and what were some of the challenges faced?

JKS: Creating music for production use is new territory for me since I come from a commercial background. I speak the language of music easily, so creating material is not a problem, but I’m not used to the business side of things, so this was a testing ground.

This was also the first time I had collaborated with someone with whom I hadn’t physically met, but the journey was mostly effortless and smooth.

NP: I’ve done enough to know what the technical pitfalls are when producing online, so I could easily overcome these challenges.

I’ve also come to learn how to slot into place within the traditional African aesthetic. It is very much a process of learning by osmosis versus explanation. The western mind breaks things down into constituent parts and analyses them. But the African way is more of an embodied, felt experience.

There’s a meeting point of empathy and resonance, and once that is understood, a musical connection is made.

MD: What does the album evoke in you?

NP: It’s extremely rewarding to know that I’ve journeyed with a master and worked alongside to nurture the resonance between us – combining both of our strengths into a co-creation. We were able to let go and consistently find a meeting point, knowing that the rewards of collaborating at this level was much greater than any discord we might have experienced.

JKS: I feel like the album is a good balance of our talents. It calls out different moods and sounds that is the magic of blending genres.

It is also the birth of a new direction for me. Despite everything I’ve done until now, I feel like I am in the beginning of my career with this new knowledge about the business of music. When COVID hit, it changed my way of thinking. If you can’t play live, you can’t get paid, so it shifted my outlook on the journey of music.

I still enjoy live performances and if you take that away from me, you take my soul away. I will not only be a studio artist because I understand how much joy I bring with live shows. As a 74^th generation of kora players from father to son, music is not only a business to me – it is about selling and preserving.

Production music expands my repertoire. I didn’t know this before and I didn’t have that mindset until I met Nic who composes for Mama Dance.

MD: Nic – How does your personal and spiritual worldview connect with your musical journey?

NP: As a member of interfaith communities, I spend a lot of time in other people’s worldviews. Interfaith philosophy brings together people of different religious or non-religious groups and creates a space that welcomes different dialogues. It supports an understanding and coming together of cultures and dynamics toward an underlying goodness that exists within each person, something that is very similar within the world of music.

Religion and music are both belonging systems with similar dynamics – how to co-exist with someone who is different to you, how to deal with conflict, and how to learn the art of being able to ask questions – they are in constant conversation. The two go hand-in-hand and I’ve learned lessons that crossover from both.

World music is a partnership of technical and musical excellence – the genre itself involves cultures combining different levels of expertise into a co-creation.

MD: Jally – How are your collaborations received within the context of a longstanding tradition and what made you choose a path of fusing genres?

JKS: In keeping traditions alive, there will always be scrutiny from people who are afraid of change. An example of this was when we changed from leather straps to metal tuning pegs. For those of us who live in Europe and need to tune during live performances, unless we want to spend half of the concert tuning and regulating sound, making this shift was absolutely necessary.

What I bring is unlike what any other kora player has brought before, and unless there is an evolution of this tradition, I am just narrating the same story as others before me. But the story is changing, and I need to bring in my factor, my way of thinking and leave my mark in order to flip the story so that the kids of tomorrow will want to continue its legacy. They can use my style as a reference to do something else. If something doesn’t evolve, it will die out.

Jally in action

MD: What would you like this album to inspire in others?

NP: It is a deep conversation between cultures, classes, musical styles, and histories, and is much more than simply a utilitarian product. There is a soulful resonance between us and despite our differences like distance, traditions, and backgrounds; we found commonality. That spirit will come through and empower anyone who uses it.

JKS: My storyboard includes many different storylines, but they are all interconnected. The freedom to travel and be exposed to world cultures gave me the knowledge and understanding of how different genres are all intertwined and feed each other. Within traditional music exists various genres, and before they were separated into genres, it was all just music.

At the end of the day, I am a musician – and music contains everything, it is not restricted.

MD: Any advice for young aspiring musicians?

JKS: Follow your heart, but be ready to compromise. If you don’t have the opportunity to be seen, your greatness will never be appreciated. This can be a difficult industry and so one needs to make compromises initially in order to build trust. Once you get there, people won’t ask you to compromise anymore, and you will be appreciated for your unique expression.

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Get to Know Amapiano

Liam Swart — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 10:54:34 +0000

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.

Melvyn Riberts
Wiseman Mbedu

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.

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Meet the Composer – Luca Hart

Liam Swart — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 14:10:25 +0000

Luca Hart

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

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Meet the Composers – SA Urban Drama Series

Liam Swart — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 21:06:05 +0000

Realising the dire need for dramatic urban music beds for South African TV series, Mama Dance created a new production music series called “SA Urban Drama”. The two albums in the series so far focus on the Tension and Suspense moods and here are some of the talented composers that brought these library music albums to life!

Carlo Fredericks

Meet Carlo Fredericks hailing from Cape Town. Growing up in the 90’s/2000’s era, music, feature films and emerging video games were a direct impact on the style he would be producing in the future. Gravitating towards genres like trance, dance and house, drum and bass, retro synthwave and horror-esque styles found in video games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil films. With his full attention now, Carlo focuses his energy to become a household name when it comes to composing projects for TV and film. Have a listen to his track called Enter The Krypt.

DJ Thee Angelo

Meet DJ, MC, B-Boy, Capoeira, music producer and a member of the Legendary Hip Hop sensation “Black Noise” is a pioneer in Cape Town, South Africa. With 22 years plus experience and experienced in reading and entertaining crowds, keeping them entertained to his beats comes as second nature. As a producer he has produced beats on 4 Black Noise albums, featured on BBoy D’s album and worked on soundscapes with many artist and projects worldwide. Have a listen his track called Move in Silence.

Setro Beats – Sabelo September

Meet Sabelo Bernard September a Music Producer/Engineer, born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. He is passionate about creating music and teaching young kids through online content. His known for his work on our Urban Drama albums, have listen to his track called Victory

Hloma Soga

Meet Hloma Soga a music producer, songwriter, keyboardist and sound engineer from Edenvale. “I started producing music in April 2013, working on my craft every day without fails, I believe constant practice and perpetual learning and improvement is requisite to becoming a top performer in any field. I plan to inspire and evoke emotion through my art. Music is beautiful and a universal language worldwide”. Have listen to his track called Nocturnal Shadows.

Sethu Khoza

Meet Sethu Khoza also known as Pimping. The alias stems from the definition of “P.I.M.P” being “Profoundly Intelligent Music Producer”, therefore he is Pimping! He has been involved in music production for a little over a decade. He currently resides in Elspark, Germiston, Gauteng Province of South Africa. Growing up, his early musical influence ranged from Chicco Thwala, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Bra Hugh Masekela, Blondie Makhene to Peaches and Herbs, the O’Jays and of late music from Motif Records, House Afrika and Aftermath Entertainment. Have a listen to his track called Times Up.

Ashwin Smith

Meet Mama Dance’s own, Ashwin Smith! A Cape Town based musician, he has been honing his musical production skills for the past several years. A singer/songwriter at the core, Ashwin graduated from a local music school and went on performing with live bands. Ashwin’s evolution into production music allowed him to introduce another element and extend the range of his talent even further. Check out his track Hoodlum City.

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Meet the Library – Jambaar Muzik

Liam Swart — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 15:30:18 +0000

We are thrilled to welcome Jambaar Muzik to the Mama Dance family and thought we’d take the opportunity to get to know this French library a bit better by having a quick chat to the founder, Bachir Sene.

MD: Can you give us a quick overview of your library?

JM: Our label is 100% managed and founded by established artists, we’ve all been making music together for nearly 10 years until we decided to launch our own imprint with Jambaar Library.

Our roster includes artists from all over the world (France, UK, USA, Canada, Sénégal, Morocco, Belgium, Netherlands, Argentina..).

We produce library music but still keep the mindset of mainstream/commercial music. That way, we can stay on top of everything that’s happening in the mainstream market in order to translate it into accurate and quality music for sync placements

MD: How did the library get started?

JM: At first, we started producing full albums for BMG PM France and AXS Music. A former colleague introduced me to them, he really put me into library music and gave me a bunch of ideas on that field. Then, from working with different artists and making so many songs I ended up creating a catalogue and launching my own production music imprint. So, I started working on the first 7 albums in late 2018 with artists in Bordeaux, France but also in Canada and the UK.

MD: Where did the name Jambaar originate?

JM: – The name Jambaar is a Wolof word (Senegalese language) meaning someone brave and honourable. I was raised in Dakar, Senegal till I was 17 or 18 and consider myself an African first. So, the name Jambaar is a way of paying homage to the Motherland and to my African roots/culture.

MD: What genre of music do you enjoy?

JM: I really enjoy jazz and soul music but I also listen to a lot of hip-hop, R&B some prog rock and African music (Fela Kuti, Youssou N’dour, Omar Pene etc)

MD: Do you play a musical instrument?

JM: Yeah, I also produce with my good friend J-Lock as a duo under the name Pandemik Muzik, we’ve done tracks with French and American rappers (Joe Lucazz, Infamous Mobb, etc)

MD: What has the response been to your Afro Pop album in France and abroad?

JM: So far, the response has been great, people seem to enjoy the Afro Pop album and our sub-publishers are delighted to have it in the catalogue for future placements

MD: What can we expect from your library going forward?

JM: It’s going to be a very productive year for Jambaar ! All I can say is you can expect us to drop different styles of albums: soul/jazz, also more Afro Beats, electro, pop and of course hip-hop. We’re not going to be stuck only in one style, I want to cover as much musical ground as possible but always keep it fresh, authentic and high-quality.

You can listen to the Jambaar Muzik library here: https://search.mamadance.com/#/library/b6a2f8339f318e98

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New Library Music Release – Stampede – Super-charged African Rhythms

Liam Swart — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 12:28:08 +0000

An exciting mix of African percussion, Synths, Electric Guitars and traditional African Instruments that instantly add energy to any production. From sports promos to reality shows, action films to retail sales, this is the album you need.

Available on the Mama Dance ! Music Library website at the link below:

Stampede – Super-charged African Rhythms

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New Production Music Release – Afro Tech House – Tribal Bliss

Liam Swart — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 12:22:24 +0000

A captivating and energetic mix of Afro Tech and Tribal House with pounding drums, pulsing basses, and exotic melodies infused with the pulsating beats of tribal deep house. Ideal for advertising, entertainment, sports, fashion, youth, and lifestyle productions or even just for cutting loose on the dance floor!

Available on the Mama Dance ! Music Library website at the link below:

Afro Tech House – Tribal Bliss

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New Library Music Release – Dark Afro Soundscapes

Liam Swart — Mon, 05 Aug 2019 12:18:19 +0000

Deliciously dark and eerie soundscapes created from a mixture of drones and pulses with subtle African instrument flavourings. Great for dramas, documentaries, crime shows, current affairs productions and much more!

Available on the Mama Dance ! Music Library website at the link below:

Dark Afro Soundscapes

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New Production Music Release – Bongo Flava – East Africa Vol 3

Liam Swart — Sun, 21 Jul 2019 12:12:00 +0000

The 3rd volume of our increasingly popular and authentic collection of East African Bongo Flava. It’s an upbeat and catchy mix of African R&B and Hip hop and is a sure bet to get the party started! Perfect for productions set in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Available on the Mama Dance ! Music Library website at the link below:

Bongo Flava – East Africa Vol 3

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