hats off to Richie for doing this
High five to SA promoters for embracing forward thinking electronic music!

This is awesome !!!!

Excellent! Great initiative. So looking forward to this!

ah man this really angers me…

The majority of South Africans are into deep house, so much so that it’s like our pop music. Yet they’re bringing a commercial techno guy out. I don’t get it, I read the original article (http://valentinobarrioseta.com/news/bridges-for-music/) of what inspired these ‘Bridges For Music’ guys and it was going to a township & hearing deep house… so why the heck is he taking Hawtin to do workshops… the people that need it are really not going to benefit at all. Valentino your idea was great, and I was so excited to see what you were going to do, but no bridges here.

I have to agree with SahinMeyer,,,

It is kind of patronizing that we are seen as this inferior country that needs help.

What is he gonna do? Teach people how to use Traktor in a place where they don't even have toilets?

The disadvantaged people don't need Richie Hawtin, they need schools and hospitals etc.

Why not just come,,,play,,,and genuinely help where you can,,,,,instead of making a whole marketing campaign around it?

Don't get me wrong... i love the original idea behind Bridges For Music. Music is an important part of disadvantaged communities - music helps people.

But none of those communities care about Richie Hawtin or techno. The majority of people in South Africa are deep house fans, irrespective of how disadvantaged or advantaged they are.

Sahin Meyer, I get curious 'No one of those communities care about Richie Hawtin or techno'? What about Dj Fresh and Black Coffee, do you think they care about them?

Bringing Richie gives the project massive global exposure, and we shouldnt be surprised if the people in 'those communities' get inspired by Richie, and him by them as well!

Slinkynun, as I read from the BfM page:
It is an organisation that BELIEVES IN ELECTRONIC MUSIC TO BRIDGE GAPS, INSPIRE PEOPLE AND ENHANCE OPPORTUNITIES IN DISADVANTAGED AREAS ACROSS THE WORLD.

Something that indeed is possible regardless of the number of toilets around.

yes I highly doubt Black Coffee or DJ Fresh care about the kind of music Hawtin plays. But even if they did - they hardly need any help... they already have built their own bridges, both of those guys play internationally. This is meant to be helping people that need help and exposing the country's music to the world - what kind of music are the majority of South Africans making... certainly not mainstream techno.

How can something you don't enjoy inspire you?

If anything this is segregating a nation that is already struggling to be united even more.

Why not bring a massive artist that everyone can be inspired by, not just a small minority.

DJ Fresh you got to be joking!

Im sorry, I need to rephrase that one: My question was whether you think "these communities" care about DJ Fresh and Black Coffee that are announced to attend on the same master classes?
It seems to me that you conclude before the events have even taken place that this will be something people "dont enjoy", hence "not inspirational" because Richie plays music nobody cares about in the townships? Where as for Black Coffee and DJ Fresh they are certainly already building bridges which therefore adds a lot of value to the upcoming BfM events and the organisation's aims. Of course the events are not about Richie "helping" these established artists (I cant understand how that is what you get our of the message). It is about all of them together assisting in order for these places to gain exposure, and most definitely having the potentials to inspire all the involved parts.
I think what BfM tries to communicate here is that the disadvantaged communities are full of undiscovered creative talents and represent places that hardly get any coverage.. If so, how cool isnt it that an artist like Richie (and probably many more artists to come representing various electronic genres) together with major National artists find such events inspiring to attend?

Im sorry I just cant seem to understand the way you've interpreted it, as if Richie comes to play his mainstream techno (that nobody cares about) ignoring the already well developed (love for) deep house.. Seems to me you underrate both Richie and the communities' understanding of electronic music here.

Did you REALLY just compare bringing Hawtin to South Africa to Apartheid????

Can Hawtin bring Techno to SA? Could SA techno be the next thing after EDM LOL I'm up for a bit of SAT music if it's played at minus 8 or 45s at 33 rpm all joking aside I hope this works out.

We not saying that people won’t learn from Richie and not saying he is shit…no doubt he is a big artist and a great artist for sa to have but in our opinion, to really get the message across, we feel it would have been better to have an artist that appeals to broader variety of people… yes black coffee is there yes fresh but they are there every week for people to be inspired, why not have somebody else they can relate to more… we hope the event goes well and love the original idea just our opinion on the artist that is all.



Hugh not comparing it to apartheid… if you have lived in south africa or partied there you will see that when it comes to music there is still lots of segregation not because of racism but a lot has to do with what people listen to… and many events book artists that cater for their crowds… not many people booking artists that can bring the people together… which is what is needed to help grow and lift the scene in south africa.

Fair enough seems a bit of loaded term to use, but anyway do you really think it would cause harm to the scene to bring him? Wouldn't Black Coffee and Hawtin on the same bill bring those groups together in exactly the way you say is needed? In all fairness your right in that I know jack about the SA scene so I honestly couldn't say.

the thing is Black Coffee plays almost every weekend so he's not a draw card by himself... but a small step in the right direction. Add him to an international with a slightly broader appeal and you have a winning formula

Deep house, house, techno, minimal... does it really matter when its being performed by a truly dedicated and talented musician?
Black Coffee and Richie Hawtin on the same bill = the perfect formula for bringing a diverse crowd together on the dance floor. Both these artists give back, are truly inspirational and have created opportunities for many.
Anyway why immediately assume that the international is coming here to teach/show us how its done? What's happening musically in SA is where its at & the rest of the world is realising it. Sharing knowledge/skills/experience, seems like it maybe kinda mutually beneficial?

Thats the mission of Bridges for Music, bridging gaps by bringing people from different scenes together. Artists that share the same passion and respect for music and human beings. This project is only about building a cultural bridge , as jupita8 says, exchanging knowledge, welcoming an international artists and great person to a new environment and leaving him and the hosts (black coffee and fresh) talk with local djs and producers. Im sure interesting things will come out and some people will get inspired, by these guys. Rich could come to SA play and leave, but instead wants to connect with the local people, get into Soweto and Gugulethu to understand better the culture of SA, which is amazing and has lots to say in the global music industry. Thanks to everybody that is supporting the project sharing its values and believing that music can contribute to move fwd.

house... techno hmmmmm.....

Sahin you knowledge is so limited of what is actually going on in this country
Your comments are disrespectful and to be honest act like poison and so unnecessary. There is a reason people like you bailed on this country and to its for the better. Stop trying to bring petty race issues into something that is nothing but good news and done with nothing more than the best intentions

Bar the events this has some great spinoffs.

1.) 80% of disadvantage blacks get exposure to the master class lessons and get exposed, developed and capacitated on music production. The problem is majority of disadvantaged individuals in SA lack the capital start up to build a studio hence funding becomes a issue that needs to be addressed.

2.) Richie Hawtin is ten years too late and should have toured SA a long time ago, but none is lost since whether its minimal, tech house, techno its all electronic music at the end of the day and its still a novelty even if he arrives now even with the negativity and politics that surround dance music in SA.

3.) Over ten years ago SA had massive multimillion rand cash tours into EDM (commercial dance) with bringing out the likes of tiesto, armin, pvd and that instantly forgettable lowest dominator music that they associated with of which there tours in South Africa made them instant millionaires with corporates to individual capitalist promoters responsible for there economic growth so the hawtins, villalobos, etc should have happened in tandem.

How could this be something to complain about? Will he be playing a party in CT whilst down?

why are so many people typing so many stupid things on this thread?

its super depressing that out of what we said that is what you got. if we didnt care deeply for SA we wouldn't have an opinion on the subject

you know nothing about why we moved to europe so no need to assume and attack us, we said nothing hateful or nasty about CTEMF or anything actually. we only shared our opinion in a subjective manner of richie hawtin & his relevance to the South African scene on a whole

what did we say that is disrespectful or poisonous? that richie hawtin doesn't have relevance to South Africa on a whole?

"Hawtin hasnt relevance to the SA scene on a whole" Well.. no, obviously not! Could you mention one DJ that does though? Certainly no DJ within the electronic scene..

If Im not completely misunderstanding here, I think BfM is first of all looking at the electronic music scene (various genres yes), meaning that the artists/events the organisation will cooperate with probably never will have relevance to the SA scene as a whole. Which I doubt is an aim of BfM anyway...

So. To stick to the discussion you where the one to initiate, Sahin: Maybe go back and read about the organisation's goals, again? It is about bridging gaps -in several ways! Its about exposing areas that rarely get attention, create linkages between music hubs, give kids (with an interest in electronic,and whatever music) an opportunity to meet big DJs that has come far "out there".. give potential talents more exposure.. Its about (music) people meeting to mutually inspire each other, and for bigger events to happen also OUTSIDE of the city centre in order to bring people together (something you seem to agree is needed especially in SA..) AND potentially bridging gaps between genres, if thats possible.. (Is what I take from it).. So.. WHY is that so very wrong?

That it angers you that Richie is "chosen" to take part of the launch, well.. fair enough, your view. If "these communities" despite of ONLY listening to deep house (your words) will end up getting something great out of the meetings with the major national and international DJs is up to time to tell.

With regard to the comment you got on being rather disrespectful, Id say I support that view... I think you could do well in re-reading your comments before posting as for now they seem to only make sense to yourself. They come out rather contra-dictionary, thus perplexing..

the heros in South Africa are Atjazz, Carl Craig, Masters At Work, Charles Webster, Andre Lodemann, Trickski, Ame, Dixon, Jazzanova etc. Why don't they get write-ups on RA when they tour South Africa?.

Are you people fucking kidding me? Richie Hawtin has been in the industry for decades and is probably one of the best DJs in the world! Anyone attending the workshops will appreciate him being there more than some new deep house DJ whos been around for only a couple of years!
Good on Richie for using his talent and time to be part of a good cause and surely there are going to be more people who appreciate these events than some of the whingers on here!!!!

well I would start building bridges by bringing SA Talent to Europe...as they are amazing like here...in Berlin... check out the write up on the history of EDM in SA.
http://www.hkw.de/en/programm/2012/worldtronics_2012/veranstaltungen_69555/veranstaltungsdetail_80181.php

To state the case from a historical perspective which takes Richie back to his roots. I'll ignore Hawtin's m_nus years in their entirety and take it back to when he played real techno, threw parties like Fuk and still lived in Canada, and say that it'd make far more sense to bring someone like Mad Mike from Underground Resistance to these kids in South Africa. His mission and his philosophies are far more in line with the necessities of nurturing a strong ethic and to keep the political aspirations for change alive than Ritchie Rich. Hawtin may be right for the technological aspect, but not for the social aspect.

did the kids at webster hall care about richie hawtin? like many have stated, maybe a better ambassador is needed. spiritchaser had a #1 hit in the country.

The one thing I notice in the South African scene is some south african djs get star struck by visiting international djs (from europe and america) to the extent that they brown nose / ass kiss these international djs due to there infidelity and glorify them on and off social networks for there average sets. They do this to big names and to some random nobody dj playing in a 50 capacity bar hole somewhere in america, never to be heard of again. They even call them there friends of which they probably see them once in three years in a random 50 capacity gig and the internationals play along for a return booking of course.

The scene in berlin I'm sure is very different of course you can be at the airport on a friday afternoon or berghain on a saturday night and bump into top techno/house djs like ben klock, function, dettmann, cassy and so on, the culture and thinking is very different.

This is great news. I would love to be a part of it

Deejays know what's good music and house lovers know wat's good music, for me it's all about exploring more and combining the impossible. Let's see the outcome and start judging. Sooo looking forward!

My quick two cents here: I've been involved with hosting workshops with both international and local DJ / Producers in SA and I find that those people who choose to attend generally have an enthusiastic eagerness to learn.

So whether those attending are Techno enthusiasts or totally new to the genre, they're going to get a lot out of it, especially coming from someone like Richie Hawtin. And I'm pretty sure that anyone with a love for good Deep, Afro and Kwaito House, is likely to enjoy Hawtin's music or at least be inspired by it.

Also as Velentino said earlier, its about bringing together different music scenes. Creating a bridge between Techno and SA House makes total sense to me personally.

Shit on Hawtin hour

Richie" Hawtin has been a pioneer in electronic music for over 20 years, nooooo mainstream techno.!!!! , very much underground !!!

I agree but as i stated in my FB , HOPE SOMETHING OF WHAT WILL BE LEARNED BE PUT BACK IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, RADIO , CLUBs & EVENTS
Regarding international djs.. Hopefully what you saying will come true , SA needs quality events with high international djs like Ricardo Villalobos, Marco Carola and the likes of

Hawtin = Bono

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f151/renhoek2k5/GIFS/WTF.gifhttp://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f151/renhoek2k5/GIFS/WTF.gif