Black Coffee Foundation / Bridges For Music Scholarship celebrates diversity in the SA Music Industry

Powered by SAE Institute South Africa, the launch of the Black Coffee Foundation / Bridges For Music Scholarship took place in Cape Town on 13 May 2014. This coveted scholarship provides the opportunity for a highly talented and physically disabled student to study SAE’s renowned Higher Certificate in Sound Production qualification, at their incredible facility in Cape Town’s Woodstock Exchange.

The launch event was hosted at SAE’s stellar new campus in the Woodstock Exchange and featured DJ Black Coffee, Ready D, Sideshow, Diloxclusiv with visuals by talented Frank Latter. This unique event attracted a high profile audience from the film, animation and audio industries, and delivered an experience that may well equate to the music and humanitarian music phenomenon of 2014.

Few artists understand the challenges of living with a physical disability better than DJ Black Coffee – an award-winning DJ from KwaZulu-Natal. What many may not be aware of is that the genius behind the renowned Black Coffee compositions and performances does not have the use of his left hand.

Instead of relegating himself to obscurity DJ Black Coffee chose to take his considerable skills to the world – performing on the international circuit and becoming a household name in South Africa. It is this man’s resilience, passion and determination that influenced the development of the DJ Black Coffee Foundation – the spirit of which is to uplift the destitute, physically disabled and poor.

This scholarship is presented in association with non-profit organisation Br Bidges For Music who works with electronic music in South Africa to empower and bridge divides in the country’s poorer communities. Bridges brings its international credibility and network to this scholarship as a vital addition to its support of the profile of South African electronic music internationally.

SAE Institute is the largest provider of creative media education in the world; operating more than 50 campuses in 24 countries. This scholarship is further evidence of SAE’s commitment to making a valuable contribution to the South African music industry, and forms a powerful addition to their already impressive scholarship program that includes the Ready D Scholarship (that features the South African Hip Hop legend as its benefactor) and the Young Guru Scholarship that is awarded annually by Jay Z’s studio engineer and touring DJ.

Through its theme of proactivity, courage and motivation, the event served as a powerful reminder of South Africa’s rich diversity of talent within its music industry.