An exchange with Brian Temba: Nurturing the music industry

Image supplied: Brian Temba

According to Temba, music has great power in social impact. In light of the struggle the industry has faced the past few years, coming together with projects like An Evening With Brian Temba is how the industry can fight back against these challenges.

We spoke with Brian Temba to find out more about the series, his art and what the creative economy means to him…

Tell us a bit about yourself - who are you behind the screen/music?

I am a musician, actor, songwriter, singer, father and husband. I was born in the Eastern Cape and grew up in Gauteng.

Tell us a bit about An Evening With Brian Temba?

An Evening with Brian Temba is mainly to launch a concept and my latest album, It’s All You. The experience includes a live band to authenticate the experience.

What encouraged the inception of this series?

An evening with Brian Temba is not a once-off affair. It’s a movement to promote and to keep alive R&B/Soul Music in SA. It is an experience that is meant to touch people that love R&B, not only through Brian Temba, but all soulful singers and musicians.

What are you most looking forward to during your tour?

I’m looking forward to reaching those I wasn’t able to reach, people who have only listened to my music on the radio or seen my videos on TV. I’m looking forward to giving people an experience.

What outcome are you hoping comes from this series?

A culture of live music. This not only applies to live music, but also to R&B/Soul music. I want people to want to go to shows because of R&B music - and this includes all R&B artists now and in future.

What changes would you like to see in future for the South African music industry?

I would like to see more appreciation and meaningful involvement from the government when it comes to musicians and the arts in general. I feel the industry is undermined when it matters most but needed when people want to celebrate or mourn. Music is a way of life, and it needs to be appreciated more.

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What does ‘creative economy’ mean to you?

Creative economy means being able to constantly perform, create music as a producer, and create music for film and advertisements. But not only creating the music, but adding meaningfully to the economy through this creativity - bringing in extra revenue and giving exposure to artists who make a difference.

What are the best ways to nurture it (the creative economy), in your opinion?

By staying relevant, by always being in people's faces, through being present on popular social media platforms and through music videos. Connecting to people on platforms they constantly find themselves on and using that to the advantage of nurturing the creative economy.