In the first session, Babsy shared his painful experience of being undermined by his peers for being blind and how that turned him into a hard worker.<\/p>\n
\u201cBreaking into the music industry is hard, no matter how talented you are, and it\u2019s even harder when you have a disability,\u201d said Babsy.<\/p>
\u201cYou have to work three times harder than able-bodied people competing for the same rewards.\u201d<\/p>\n Babsy lost his eyesight at the age of three and he credits music with allowing him to express himself and share his ideas with the world.<\/p>\n \u201cMusic is important in our lives because in it we find closure, joy and comforting words.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe messages I related to in the music I listened to inspired me to write music that could uplift people\u2019s spirits, make them take charge of their lives and live better lives,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Babsy, who made the quote \u201cIf you don\u2019t dig African music, you\u2019ve got a hole in your soul\u201d famous in the \u201980s, urged musicians to detail their music with honest, inspiring lyrics filled with culture.<\/p>\n \u201cI sang a song called Buoa Nnete<\/em> expressively once with a group in high school and we could not believe the response from the crowd.<\/p>\n \u201cI gained popularity after performing that song and I vowed to tell my truth whenever I recorded music,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Steve Kekana took centre stage at the workshop during the second session.<\/p>\n The Feel So Strong<\/em> hit- maker was strongly bothered by the stigma surrounding musicians and their financial affairs when they died, and based his session on the importance of investing your money and knowing the copyright laws for music as an artist.<\/p>\n \u201cWe hear stories all the time about artists dying broke and artists travelling the world who have no physical money in their bank accounts,\u201d said Steve.<\/p>\n \u201cI did not want to be another statistic, so I learned all about copyright laws, the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) and musical royalties.\u201d<\/p>\n Steve holds B Juris and LLB degrees; he is an advocate and has lectured on labour law at the University of South Africa (Unisa).<\/p>\n Currently, Steve also serves as the chairperson of the SAMRO Retirement Annuity Fund, a fund he spoke passionately about, inviting musicians at the workshop to do their research and set up retirement funds because they would not be touring musicians forever.<\/p>\n Ladysmith Black Mambazo surprised attendees after lunch with an informative session which focused on the discipline needed in the fast-paced industry.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2018\/08\/35GCNGENERALARTS_03552-520x390.jpg\")
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