Ebumnandini and Prime have been announced as the first recipients of the Boiler Room x Ballantine’s True Music Fund in South Africa.
The True Music Fund – the first-of-its-kind investment and mentorship programme – was born out of Boiler Room x Ballantine’s shared ambition to support local music communities, artists, promoters, and creatives around the world. The Fund aims to back projects that have potential for real community benefit for the long term and help local music scenes thrive.
Boiler Room x Ballantine’s have selected Ebumnandini and Prime as their first successful recipients in South Africa whose project aims to create more opportunities for audiences to experience new genres and introduce them to the headliners of tomorrow in safe and fun environments.
Ebumnandini and Prime will receive financial backing as well as dedicated support from Boiler Room’s in-house programming team and industry network.
From advice on producing new event formats, recommendations on promoting their club night, production support and the investment to make it happen, the True Music Fund offers 360 support for local event series, to help bring True Music communities to the forefront and thrive thereafter.
Jakinda Mshindi Boya from Ebunmandini said of the project: “We believe South Africa has some of the brightest talent in the world and we want to give those people the platform to shine. Unfortunately our music industry has experienced the loss of key venues and events over the years. We want to create a way forward. With the help of the True Music Fund, which is even more crucial in the wake of Covid-19, we can begin to start new networks from the ground up. We want to create a sustainable alternative to mainstream club culture, a safe space to listen to the music that isn’t being played on radio and the artists we don’t see on TV”.
Prime’s Alex Michelsen added: “Prime strives to add to the Cape Town community and beyond through music and more. Now more than ever given the impact Covid-19 has had on local music communities, With the help of Ballantine’s and Boiler Room’s True Music Fund, Prime aims to improve on its current work in growing talent and encouraging diversity through increased inclusion. The spaces created since Prime started out in 2016 have always reflected the love put into them, the plan moving forward is to maintain and improve on those efforts. Our mission includes empowering the younger generation, promoting individuality through inclusion, strengthening the music community and bringing smiles to the faces of our forever growing dance floor family.”
Ballantine’s Head of Music, Tom Elton, commented: “The True Music Fund is an exciting evolution in our long-standing partnership with Boiler Room. It’s been amazing to see the calibre of entries and we can’t wait to see what Ebumnandini and Prime bring to the scene, and to back them on their journey. With our True Music events we aim to spotlight emerging scenes who are redefining the current music landscape. The Fund allows us to go one step further to support those communities we have visited over the years with True Music and back projects that have the potential for long term positive impact – now even more important than ever as music scenes around the world begin to redefine the post-Covid cultural landscape.”
Boiler Room CBDO, Steven Appleyard, concluded: “Rolling out the Fund is a big moment in the history of the partnership. We were so impressed by the quality and effort put into the applications, and it was a hard fought decision to narrow it down. The winners really resonated with Boiler Room, all self starters plugged into their communities and pushing them forward with credible programming and new party ideas. This is the stuff that makes our scene tick, and we’re really honoured to be supporting them and, in turn, their local community.”
Stay abreast of all things creative @sacreatives
