Nando’s, Flame Studios and Bridges for Music collaborate for a 3-day talent accelerator programme to connect and support the next generation of South Africa’s music talent
The creative spirit of BridgeFire could not be extinguished, despite a COVID-19 restriction postponement. All three partners on this exciting talent incubator BridgeFire kicked off today and will continue to the 1st of October 2021 at Flame Studios, Constitution Hill in Johannesburg.
Together with Nando’s, Flame Studios and Bridges for Music Academy are hosting 10 carefully chosen talented young musicians to engage with high-profile mentors from across the entertainment industry in an effort to hone their talent and let their music be heard. Where The Bridges for Music Academy curates and delivers the programme, and Flame Studios provides a world-class studio-recording facility and production expertise, Nando’s fires it all up in an effort to uplift young creative talent in South Africa.
These 10 ambitious up-and-coming artists were selected from across the country and include songstresses Kallo and Wenawedwa along with respective DJ-producers MASŠH, TO Starquality, Phodii and Desiree from Johannesburg; songwriter Khan Khalii from Pretoria and Zoey M from Mpumalanga as well as Rudy Da DJ and triple-threat DJ, singer and producer Yamz from Cape Town.
An experienced pool of industry mentors are set to impart their wisdom and drop some truth on these ambitious young dreamers. Mentors who will speak and run Masterclasses at BridgeFire include producer-DJ Shimza, a seasoned hitmaker with extensive entrepreneurial experience building his own event spaces along with a record label under the Kunye moniker. He’ll be joined by Jarrad Treger of Jet Black, one of the country’s leading booking agencies representing groundbreaking acts such as Hyenah, Floyd Lavine and FKA Mash. Author Ntsikelelo Mzibomvu will hold a “Reimagining Myself” personal transformation workshop based on his groundbreaking book of the same name, with music journalist and creative strategist Shiba Melissa Mazaza lassoing the lot together as BridgeFire Head Mentor.
“From Master KG to DJ Lag, Elaine and Msaki, it’s clear that South Africa has the secret sauce when it comes to making great music, but so few have the knowledge to define success, let alone navigate the path toward success of their own kind. At Bridgefire we aim to meet these artists where they are; to help them embrace their uniqueness and gain some savvy in both professional and personal life, while showing the world what the future of music in South Africa could be.”, says Shiba.
Also embedded in the program are a string of sessions on mindfulness and mental health, brand/identity building and live performance coaching in a vigorous creative boot camp set to connect, create and inspire.
View this post on Instagram
Nando’s has continued its partnership with Bridges for Music, a non-profit organisation and academy that taps into the power of music to uplift, encourage and strengthen disadvantaged communities across the world. As a firm supporter of South African artists, Nando’s has been passionately involved in the formation of the BridgeFire programme as well as Flame Studios itself.
Justine Cullinan, GM Marketing: Brand Strategy and Communications says, “As a brand we have always believed that it is South Africa’s artists who can show the world what makes us a unique force to be reckoned with on the global stage. Art, in all its forms, has the power to change the world, and we count ourselves fortunate to play a part in uplifting the talent that our nation can be proud of. Every element of a Nando’s restaurant is carefully created to enhance our Guests experience, from the art on the walls to the furniture, crockery and uniforms our Nandocas wear, to the music you hear on our very own Heatwave Radio. We are inspired by creators and I can’t wait to see where these ten musicians are going to take their talent thanks to BridgeFire.”
Recent Post
Gallery
