“There is no indigenous Indian music industry to speak of in South Africa,” says Lotusfm station manager Shanil Singh. “In addition, cultural music, sung in the vernacular, is a creative form that is dying out. The aim of our competition is to create incentive for people (especially the youth) to write songs in the vernacular in order to keep this form alive and growing – something we can call Proudly South African!”
“We have set exceptionally high standards for the competition in order to produce the highest quality end-products,” says Lotusfm music compiler Sagren Naidoo, “and we are immensely proud of the incredible talent it has uncovered.
“There are three main aspects to the competition,” he continues. “Firstly, it presents an opportunity for the lyricist to write lyrics in a chosen vernacular; the various pieces are then scored by a group of reputed musical directors; finally, vocal talent, sourced from around the country, will interpret and sing the songs. Almost 200 entries were received overall.”
The Lotusfm Lyric Writing Competition forms part of the ongoing education being done by Lotusfm to nurture and encourage Indian music in South Africa. Workshops are held regularly on different aspects of the industry such as composing, writing, sound engineering and music administration, to take the industry forward.
