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Female producers in the South African entertainment industry are thin on the ground. The music industry fancies itself as being ground-breaking and open-minded, but there is a dearth of women in senior management positions.
Mantwa Chinoamadi, a general manager for T-Musicman and one of the producers of the Joy of Jazz festival, is one of the few female producers who’s changing the gender game.
Tell us a little about yourself and how you got into the entertainment industry.
I grew up in Chiawelo, Soweto, in a home where music was loved. My father was a jazz fundi. He influenced my love of music and jazz. I’ve always loved music, but I would say it all started when I had a brilliant money-saving idea.
The workplace of my brother-in-law Peter Tladi was near my school. I’d pitch up unannounced at his office, so he was forced to drop me off at home. I wouldn’t have to use my transport money and that’s how I would save it.
I would walk to his workplace in Auckland Park and wait for him to knock off, but for the few hours I waited for him in the office, I would be very inquisitive. I asked questions and, if the phone rang, I’d pick it up and take down booking requests for Rebecca Malope or Hugh Masekela.
I realised that over and above all the things I would be busy with, I really had an interest in coordinating things. If a friend wanted to have a party, I’d be the one deciding the themes and coordinating everything.
Then Peter told me I should study project management. That’s where my journey began.
When you started out in 1989 at T-Musicman as an artist liaison person, what did your role entail?
I started with booking artists and touring the country, or overseas, with them. I would be told that this specific artist had to perform in a specific country and for how long.
I would get the administration sorted out for the tour. I would also accompany them on the tours to assist them with the other necessities they might need.
I was the person they would come to if they needed assistance regarding administration and paperwork.
In your years of doing this work, which South African musicians have you worked with?
I worked with a lot of people, such as Rebecca Malope. I worked with Mercy Pakela for a short time, Bra Hugh Masekela, Tshepo Tshola, Wanda Baloyi, Nombulelo and Nokukhanya Dlamini, just to name a few. The list is endless.
As a project manager, what did you get involved in?
T-Musicman started out as an artist-management company, and later diversified into doing its own concerts and events. That’s when I unwrapped this particular interest, and my love for producing events and concerts.
I had no political knowledge whatsoever, but landed the job as a project manager for the Voter Education Rally sometime in mid-1994. I think it’s because I’m the kind of person who ensures that everything is sorted out – the event was a real success. I then wanted to do more to build a brand ... a brand that is loved and respected like the Joy of Jazz.
I have also coordinated and led the project for the Mapungubwe Art and Heritage Festival, which South Africa was hosting in London. The South African commissioner approached me and asked me to do an event specifically celebrating South Africa. I was responsible for the project coordination for South Africa in New Orleans, and did many others.
What are the requirements and qualifications needed to become a project manager?
I did not have a project management qualification at the time I got the job. All I had was on-the-job experience of a project manager. I later studied for a three-year national diploma in project management at Damelin College while I was working.
To apply, you need to have completed school and have a matric certificate. You must have a passion for coordinating, and a love for putting things together to fit each other and do things step by step and not take the easy route.
The real world will give you the passion and drive, but without studying for it, you will never really understand some of the work you need to do and the reason behind the ‘why’ you need to do it a particular way.
What are the biggest challenges you have encountered while working in this field as a woman?
The working hours are long. For a woman to come into the industry and say I will be a force to be reckoned with is quite a thing, but I was lucky I had support. Peter Tladi gave me the opportunity and the chance to prove myself.
What requirements would someone need to become a producer?
I would say you need to have studied project management, because a producer is actually a project leader; that’s what a producer does. You need to know the strengths of your team members, you need to be creative. You must go out there and learn the trends. What I do is learn from these festivals overseas, like the London Jazz Festival. I go there with the mind-set of learning and seeing what they do. What I like, I bring back to South Africa and that’s how we grow.
What countries have you been to?
I usually travel to festivals. My favourites are the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. What I like about it is that once it’s time for the festival, the whole of Switzerland is in a buzz talking about it.
The same applies to the New Orleans Jazz Fest. I love the set-up of the festivals and the name-changing of certain items. For instance, at the Sheraton Hotel, the menu’s changed. So, instead of beef curry and rice, it’s now a Hugh Masekela curry special.
What do you enjoy about your career?
I enjoy meeting people and talking when I’m given a chance, but what I enjoy most is learning. I need to tune in and listen to what people think, and I need to know about the talent around me.
What advice can you give to someone who wants to work in this industry?
People are afraid to ask and are scared to work for free.
My advice would be to go in and be an intern. Approach a company you would love to work for and ask to shadow someone in a department you are interested in. Once you go there with the intention to learn things, the learning becomes easier.
The youngsters of today need to know that they have to go out there and make their futures possible
