Image by Nokuthua Ndodana (aka Yugen Blakrok)
This week we speak to Ralph Smit, a versatile musician and artist originally from eSwatini who reflects not only on personal growth but also the broader implications of city policies to foster artistic environments. Through his various projects, including the Kiaat Ensemble and collaborations with renowned artists like Yugen Blakrok, Ralph has navigated the complexities of relocating to a city rich in artistic opportunities. His experiences highlight the stark contrasts between the limited artistic infrastructure in eSwatini and the diverse, supportive ecosystems present in Marseille, which are crucial for nurturing emerging talents and creating safe environments for artists to thrive.
In this interview, Ralph discusses the challenges and opportunities he has encountered while adapting to the French music scene. He emphasises the importance of networking and the bureaucratic hurdles that artists face in professionalising their work. Ralph then shares with us the 4 music hubs and ecosystems in Marseille playing pivotal roles in supporting musicians through training, resources, and community engagement. His insights underscore the significance of city policies and cultural structures in creating an environment where artists can thrive and innovate, ultimately enriching the local and global artistic community.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your work as an artist.
Hello, my name is Ralph Smit, I grew up in eSwatini where I spent about 10 years being directly engaged as a musician in the scene, finding my voice and my direction. I have been engaged in a number of styles of music, traditional music, improvisation, hip-hop, electronic, experimental, jazz, house, sound installation, and film.
My main projects in the last few years have been my duo Mr Freddy which is a blend of sounds centered around improvisation, we have released two EPs and a single. I also worked with Smiles Mandla Makama, with whom I was his apprentice and manager. We did a number of concerts and exhibitions together.
Kiaat Ensemble which is my work centred around the chromatic kalimba and directly influenced by my work with Smiles Makama. I have released an EP and I am currently playing concerts with the new ensemble that I have made in Marseille, with a recording happening before the end of the year.
I arrived in Marseille on tour with South African rapper Yugen Blakrok, I toured with her for two years and that is how I ended up in France. Subsequently, I have started studying Composition pour l’image at the Conservatoire de Pierre Barbizet Marseille and I am currently composing for short films.
You relocated to Marseille, how’s the transition been, what’s the difference between your hometown/city and Marseille in terms of music scenes?
The differences are stark, Marseille is France's second city after Paris, so a lot is going on culturally, which is more developed and has all the supporting infrastructure that needs to be improved in eSwatini. Many world-famous artists pass through, I’ve managed to see some great performances of artists I thought I would never see live.
Marseille is also quite diverse in the scenes than it is to home, and in that, there is an openness and curiosity to different ideas and support if you can find the right structures and people. Where eSwatini is limited with the openness to different styles and is more geared toward commercial music. With little prospect of making any sort of living from your art
As a musician there are many different avenues to explore, the film industry is happening, the theatre scene is vibrant, the dance scene is moving, and education is institutionalised, so there are so many more options
What have been the challenges and opportunities of relocating to Marseille?
Firstly there is the bureaucracy in France which is world-famous. Once you have managed to get a social security number and get onto the relevant systems to be able to work, rent an apartment, and access all the privileges of the social systems then things are easier. But that takes time.
The creative scene is similar anywhere in that it works by networking and meeting the right people and having those right people open the right doors. It has taken about four years for me to have a good understanding of the scene and have the contacts that I need to feel comfortable navigating the scene.
There are great systems to support music in France but another global fact is that making a living as an artist is not simple. To professionalize your work as an artist in France is rigorous, to have the status which is amazing to have, you have to have worked 507 hours in the year, which translates to about 48 declared and paid (and yes, heavily taxed) gigs in the year. This creates a large gap to cross over, it takes a lot of infrastructure to be able to make that happen, and there are a lot of very good artists who don’t make their hours, and have to find work on the side, which is more feasible in France, living simply on minimum wage you can have a decent quality of life.
So it is hard to create a project with invested musicians of a professional standard if all the professional musicians are chasing gigs that are with established projects that have all the necessary infrastructure and are gigging and touring enough for them to make their hours.
The cultural sector is a real career in France and there are so many structures that will help you find your way and offer help, education, training, and access to information that is incredible. There are also so many artists to see and learn from, there is the feeling of a crossroads in Marseille with music from all over the world having a space here. So it's enriching to be part of the scene.
Please give and describe briefly 4 venues/music hubs/music ecosystems in Marseille that stand out in supporting music artists or even new artists?
A little structure that gives free meetings to help with all of your questions regarding finding a way for you to professionalize yourself and your projects. They have an incredible insight into all the networks and structures and are very generous with pointing out who are the people and structures to know in the scene. They also run training programmes and masterclasses
Another structure that helps musicians with rehearsal spaces, studios, residencies, professional networking, showcasing, and skills building. They are part of a big cultural center called La Friche de Belle de Mai, which hosts many gigs in the year. So they have partnerships with festivals and other networks that are invaluable as a new artist on the scene
A big structure that also has a large education element, they also have a really strong programme of concerts that is mostly centered around ‘world music’. They also have a really good residency programme and a multimedia center
4. G.M.E.M
Another resident of La Friche de Belle de Mai, GMEM is a structure that is home to more experimental/contemporary music. It is a laboratory, venue, residency, and training, and also has an incredible festival.
Ralph's experiences highlights the vital role that support structures and city policies play in enabling artists to thrive. It speaks on how well developed policies and support structures can open up new avenues for artistic growth and innovation, ultimately enriching the local artistic community.
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