South African recording artists to benefit from US deal signed by Chicco Twala

Legendary musician Chicco Twala has signed a deal that seeks to benefit 30,000 South African recording artists.

This comes after Twala met Universal Royalty Exchange, a US-based company, in partnership with Imbokodo Collecting Society to address issues related to royalties collected and distributed for “needle time”.

The partnership is also aimed at promoting South African musicians and dancers in the US by creating opportunities that have hitherto been out of reach for them.

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Imbokodo CEO Sello “Chicco” Twala said: “Never before have American and South African music performers joined hands to form an organisation that would create opportunities for the young talented people of South Africa who have been struggling to penetrate the massive American market.

“The dominance of Nigerian music in the US and Europe is the reason I embarked on this journey. South Africa has the best dance music in all genres, but we have not been able to penetrate those markets with our God-given talent in the way we should.

“The partnership with Universal Royalty Exchange will turn things around for South Africans, as more South African musicians and dancers will make their mark in the US,” said Twala.

It is anticipated that the fusion between popular South African amapiano sounds and hip-hop rap music from the US will give rise to unique sounds that will take the world by storm.

“The partnership between Imbokodo Collecting Society and Universal Royalty Exchange has opened a new chapter in addressing issues surrounding the absence of meaningful promotion of South African musicians in the US, as well as the issue of 'needle time' rights”, said Twala.

“Our venture, which is the first collaboration of its nature, will leave a long-lasting legacy that will make South African music and dance a force to be reckoned with in the world,” says Universal Royalty Exchange executive director Bruce Miller.

Miller is the brother of the nine-time Grammy award winner R&B star Mary J Blige , and has worked with Jay Zee, Jah Rule, 50 Cent and many other top US musicians.

Imbokodo and Universal Royalty Exchange share an office in the World Trade Center, which gives South African musicians a presence in the powerful US entertainment industry, which generates more than $21bn (R35.8bn) annually.

David Barksdale, a US entertainment lawyer and CEO of Universal Royalty Exchange, said “we are thrilled to announce this groundbreaking partnership between Imbokodo Collecting Society of South Africa and Universal Royalty Exchange”.

This partnership will address past issues of undistributed royalties and introduce new benefits for American and South African performers. Universal Royalty Exchange and Imbokodo will attend to the administration of “needle time” rights for recording artists to ensure accuracy and transparency in the collection process and ethical and fair conduct in the distribution process.

Additionally, Universal Royalty Exchange will offer services such as catalogue management, film and TV sync placements, bookings and a global streaming platform.

“This new venture aims to strengthen the cultural and economic connections between our countries, fostering growth in both music industries and generating new creative and revenue opportunities for artists. ,” said Barksdale.