Industry news
SAMRO-RIESA bursaries help dreams come true
Four music students have been selected as the recipients of the 2014 SAMRO/RIESA Special Undergraduate Bursaries. Valued at R20,000 each, the bursaries are awarded every year on merit to undergraduate students studying music performance at SA universities.
After the various music departments put forward their deserving candidates, the SAMRO Foundation selected the winners of the bursaries, which have been made possible thanks to a generous donation by the Roodepoort International Eisteddfod of SA (RIESA).
The 2014 SAMRO/RIESA bursaries have been awarded to:
- Nelisiwe Maliwa: 2nd year student in African music (singing and dancing) at Walter Sisulu University
- Nomapostile Nyiki: 3rd year student in African music (singing and dancing) at the SA College of Music, University of Cape Town
- Amy Campbell: 4th year student in jazz (piano and voice) at the SA College of Music, University of Cape Town
- Thembinkosi Magagula: 2nd year student in Western Art Music (voice) at North West University
'Gift' from SAMRO
Noma Nyiki, a musician, dancer, composer and poet who is specialising in indigenous music at UCT, plays instruments such as the uhadi, umrhube, mbira, kundi harp and drums. Expressing her gratitude, Nyiki says: “My student life was very stressful after I lost my parents in 2012. Now, this gift from SAMRO and RIESA has made my life easier and I will be graduating at the end of this year because of this bursary. It was my dream to become a professional musician, and my dreams have come true.
“I thank SAMRO for thinking of poor students, and hope the RIESA bursary will continue to assist other disadvantaged students. My parents would be happy about my success.”
Nyiki, who has developed a unique style of singing based on Xhosa vocal techniques, will soon be joining the SAMRO family as a composer, and will be registering her original songs with the copyright administration organisation.
Says Campbell, another UCT bursary recipient: “Winning the SAMRO/RIESA bursary was such a total surprise and honour. I happened to be in Italy singing at the Arcevia Jazz Feast Festival when I got the news and I couldn’t believe my eyes upon reading the email. This bursary signifies so much that is important to me. It makes us as students feel as if our hard work has really paid off.
“Being recognised for diligence in both academic and practical aspects of my degree solidified my confidence in wanting to do further study once I graduate. And now I have the means to do it, thanks to SAMRO. I strive to continue to work as hard as I can to make those at SAMRO proud and to honour this bursary to its fullest.”
Bouquet of music education awards
The special SAMRO/RIESA bursaries are part of the bouquet of music education awards the SAMRO Foundation disburses to deserving students every year, which includes music study bursaries (of R10,000 each) and two R170,000 overseas scholarships.
The SAMRO/RIESA bursaries came about as a result of the Roodepoort International Eisteddfod’s R700,000 donation to the SAMRO Foundation in 2010, following the deregistering of RIESA as a non-profit organisation. The bursaries are funded by interest on the capital investment of the bequest.
For more info, go to www.samrofoundation.org.za.
