Between the church and the marketplace: how professional gospel musicians negotiate the tension between sacred and market contexts, with reference to the case of No Limits, a vocal music group from Soweto
Date
2016-01-28
Authors
Moshugi, Kgomotso Samuel
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Abstract
The music industry as a sector of cultural industries provides an environment for musicians
to engage with the business of music. Churches, as religious and social environments,
provide a platform for musical activity and development for musicians. While the church has
provided musical development, the music industry has been looked to for sustaining musical
careers. Using the adaptation of the Landry value chain model, this research highlights
difficulties and successes that No Limits, a South African music group, has encountered in
pursuing a professional career in sacred and marketplace contexts. In turn, this has revealed
management and general administrative issues that independent musicians commonly face
in their pursuit of a professional career. The study observes how professional gospel
musicians handle the tension between the sacred and market contexts based on the
assumption that these contexts have varying operating systems and thus present a difficulty
for professional musicians seeking to operate in both contexts. The introductory chapter and
the literature review provide the background and context for the study, the relevant historical
information and the Seventh-day Adventist church context. A detailed narrative of the
development of No Limits is provided in the fourth chapter leading to the analysis presented
in the fifth chapter, which expands on specific moments and issues discussed in the
narrative within Charles Landry’s framework of a value chain. His model suggests an
integration of all the activities in the value chain in order to succeed in cultural pursuits.
These entail beginnings, production, circulation, delivery mechanisms and audience
reception (with feedback). No Limits was, therefore, analysed in terms of this model. Key
findings point to the difficulty associated with the professionalisation of the music occupation,
of seeking to be altruistic and sustainable at the same time. Also, that social and cultural
value of devotional content from the sacred context and the material economic demands
from the marketplace characterise the fundamental tensions for musicians pursuing
existence in these contexts. The Seventh-day Adventist church, in which No Limits was
incubated, provided the immediate context for this study and the data was collected through
an analysis of archives, discography and interviews with different individuals in the No Limits
value chain.
Key words: marketplace,
Description
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Masters in Arts, Culture and Heritage Management