Publicity | Music
July 10, 2017 Leave a comment
Please support this record by RJ Benjamin called THE 5TH STORY ….13 original tracks on the album.
In one word a “classy” record.
Album is out on 11 July with all songs available on I tunes.
June 30, 2017 Leave a comment
Since his last, self-imposed sabbatical that ended in 2013, RJ Benjamin’s creative and collaborative world has quite simply exploded!
Armed with The Fifth Story,(scheduled for release on 11 July 2017 ) his latest 13-track chart-targeted album, the award-winning composer, songwriter, producer and teacher continues to blend a rich brew of soul, pop, hip-hop, funk and house music into songs filled with reflective storytelling and tailor-made grooves.
“It’s a good mix of happy and reflective songs,” Benjamin unpacks. “Each mood punctuates the other by their stark contrast,” he reflects.
R&B and neo-soul is where this talent and insight continues to influence and enrich every project he works on.
Between mentoring Mzansi Magic’s Clash Of The Choirs’, X-Factor vocal producer and The Voice SA’s vocal coach, The Voice Nigeria’s Musical Director, RJ Benjamin has many a fiddle he’s long since mastered, and which today he shares with a new audience of next-generation hit makers. “I have a passion to enhance what musicians make and support the industry we all play in,” he says. “I came into the business more than a decade ago and I intend confirming my credibility by delivering quality that points to a long term career, rather than simply being a flash-in-the-pan.”
An Allenby Campus graduate back at the turn of the millennium, RJ stayed on, as a then 22 year-old teacher who today can claim the likes of Elvis Blue and Robin Kohl as just two of the many who passed through his classroom during his tenure at the now sadly defunct school.
Between teaching RJ found time to shimmy up and befriend the inner sanctum of the hip-hop and dance fraternity sufficient to begin a career that’s entrenched and growing still. “My diary is my songbook,” he says. “I write songs in the same way diaries and blogs are filled.”
RJ Benjamin is referenced, invited and embraced by every critical genre; record label and artist keen to push the boundaries of their original idea.
Teacher, writer and producer RJ’s credibility comes from more than 14 years of mining and polishing and giving it; “some of that” as he affectionately put it. “I’ve have, through collaborations, song writing, performing and teaching built a space that affords me the opportunity work for myself today, on my own terms, and only when I choose to.”
In 2004 he released his ground breaking Ghetto Ruff debut album, Who Am I, which marked him as South Africa’s brightest new soul star. The critically acclaimed album featured collaborations with Tamara Dey, Ishmael, HHP and Pitch Black Afro. RJ produced the majority of the album, while 37mph and Bongani Fassie lent their skills as collaborating producers.
His 2008 release, Swimming In The Soul Of Music, represented a more sophisticated artist, and showed off the hard work he’d poured into his craft. The musician had focused his musical roots and influences of soul, jazz and funk and created and album that with hindsight represented a time better than it did its maker’s real ambition. That said RJ won the award for Best RnB Album at the Metro FM Awards later that same year.
In 2009 RJ recorded Change The World with Soul Candi. His inviting vocals and inspirational message seduced the nation and teased the ecosphere. An instant hit and anthem on radio stations and dance floors all over the South Africa, the track received both a Channel O and SAMA nomination for Best Dance Video and Song of the Year respectively. Ironically, the song did actually change RJ’s world – the soul star had inadvertently introduced himself to South Africa’s house audience… and they couldn’t get enough!
“I dabbled in house, and tinkered with dance,” he continues, “but I know now where my real ability, love and contribution lies,” he says. “I enjoyed my time in house, but my heart wasn’t in it. That was when I realised my calling is in supporting housemasters and mistresses, rather than leading. With each artist I have the privilege and pleasure of working with, each grows my frame of reference and that’s good for everyone.”
Following the huge success of Change the World, RJ released the 2014 album House Bound that showcased his vocal and writing skills and his house flirtation that ultimately returned him to his RnB and soul roots and core sensibility.
So with 2017’s The Fifth Story RJ has embarked on something entirely original.
“Each album is a statement in time,” RJ reflects in closing. “I am, with the release of The Fifth Story, arguably at my most honest and vulnerable,” he declares. “The overall upbeat and positive tone of the songs is a shift, but it’s one I embrace in a heartbeat!”
Mentor, artist, songwriter, producer and awesome man to meet, RJ Benjamin’s legacy’s guaranteed already. All he’s doing, in-between, is confirm just why that is so with each new song, album and tour, all that’s within yours and my grasp. Grab it, with both hands!
For interviews and more information, please contact:
Triple M Entertainment
Martin Myers
E-mail: martin
Mobile: +27 83 448 4475
August 8, 2015 Leave a comment
We all feel a connection with music, and for some it makes its way to the very core of our soul. This was the case for Adrien Conradie, better known as Adie. Having grown up in the bustling hive of culture that is Johannesburg, his passion for South Africa’s rich culture of music and expression, is evident in his work as a music producer, DJ and label manager.
Having taken a keen interest in music at a young age, Adrien decided to forgo the life of Bcom business management, and instead complete a Sound Engineering qualification at the Academy of Sound Engineering. He quickly took an interest in the business side of the industry and the inner workings of the labels he admired and landed his first position, while still studying full time, as an intern for Music Entertainment And Solutions Hub (MESH) working for long-time mentor Nic Burger in their digital distribution department.
After only a few short months he worked his way into a label that influenced him to become a DJ, Soul Candi Records. His roles included running their sister dance label, F! Records, as well as assisting with digital marketing, singles signings & licensing and even running an online radio station and mobile app.
His journey with Soul Candi came to an end in 2015 when he moved on to work for Universal owned streaming platform, Kleek, as a Digital Marketing & Social Media Consultant.
It wasn’t long before Universal Music noticed his work for Kleek and took an interest in him.
Adrien now heads up Dance A&R at Universal Music South Africa, as well as consulting on Compilations and Digital Marketing.
August 8, 2015 Leave a comment
We all feel a connection with music, and for some it makes its way to the very core of our soul. This was the case for Adrien Conradie, better known as Adie. Having grown up in the bustling hive of culture that is Johannesburg, his passion for South Africa’s rich culture of music and expression, is evident in his work as a music producer, DJ and label manager.
Having taken a keen interest in music at a young age, Adrien decided to forgo the life of Bcom business management, and instead complete a Sound Engineering qualification at the Academy of Sound Engineering. He quickly took an interest in the business side of the industry and the inner workings of the labels he admired and landed his first position, while still studying full time, as an intern for Music Entertainment And Solutions Hub (MESH) working for long-time mentor Nic Burger in their digital distribution department.
After only a few short months he worked his way into a label that influenced him to become a DJ, Soul Candi Records. His roles included running their sister dance label, F! Records, as well as assisting with digital marketing, singles signings & licensing and even running an online radio station and mobile app.
His journey with Soul Candi came to an end in 2015 when he moved on to work for Universal owned streaming platform, Kleek, as a Digital Marketing & Social Media Consultant.
It wasn’t long before Universal Music noticed his work for Kleek and took an interest in him.
Adrien now heads up Dance A&R at Universal Music South Africa, as well as consulting on Compilations and Digital Marketing.
December 27, 2014 Leave a comment
In June 2014 we had the honor of working and doing the pr for RJ Benjamin on his new single with CanSkylark called -“So High “.
On first listen the song was a hit -no doubt about it , but never did we expect it to spend 14 weeks on the charts like it did . The melody and mood of the song is bright and happy with a fabulous chorus . Diggy Bongz broke the song on his show.
The song is number at number 7 on the Heart 104.9fm Top 10 for 2014 ahead of the likes of Danny K and Mi Casa
SA TOP 10 of 2014 POS. ARTIST SONG TITLE PEAK WAP W.O.C. 1 Bo Seretsane Rise 1 7 21 2 Lloyd Cele feat. Casper Just Be Mine 1 7 13 3 Chad Saaiman Loving You Is Easy 1 4 16 4 Nathan Mayor feat. Justin Chalice Do It All 1 3 17 5 Kelly Fortuin Do You Know 1 3 12 6 DJ Clock feat. Beatenberg Pluto (Remember You) 1 2 15 7 RJ Benjamin & Can Skylark So High 1 2 14 8 Deslyn How 1 2 11 9 Sundae feat. Ashleigh Davids High On Life 1 2 15 10 Citizens Banned feat. Diggy Bongz The Liberation’s Over 1 2 10 Other Songs that Never made it into the Top 10 POS. ARTIST SONG TITLE PEAK WAP W.O.C. 11 Danny K Dream 1 2 15 12 Mi Casa Turn You On 1 2 13 13 Danny K feat Donald & Heavy K Personal Paradise (GoodLook Remix) 1 2 10 14 Tucan Tucan Sondela 1 2 13 15 Muzart Long Long Time 1 2 11 16 Mi Casa feat. Jimmy Nevis Feel The Love 1 2 9 17 Mi Casa Your Body 1 2 6 18 Chad Saaiman All On The Wall 1 1 12 19 Mario Ogle Wishing On A Star 1 1 11 20 Jonathan Rubain Reason To Smile 1 1 9
RJ Now has an EP out called the 5th Story which was released in Dec and is available on iTunes.
RJ will be back in Cape Town in January 2015 to appear at the CanSkylark album launch and will sing the duet live with Can.
October 9, 2013 Leave a comment
TREVOR JONES TO MENTOR IDOLS SEASON NINE’S TOP EIGHT
Trevor Jones and R J Benjamin
With the race to the final of South Africa’s ninth season of Idols fast coming down to the wire, the Top Eight finalists are about to get a qualified boost from non-other than the musical icon Trevor Jones.
For this week only, right through to Sunday, 13 October, M-Net and Mzansi Magic viewers will get the rare opportunity to watch Idols Musical Director, and celebrated musician, R J Benjamin working alongside the South African multi-award-winning, orchestral film score composer and conductor Trevor Jones. Together the two will take the Top Eight finalists on a journey that promises to be as exceptional as the talent that will walk away the single winner at the end of the season.
Flying in from his home in the UK especially for the M-Net Movies and the Idols Movie theme, Jones’ latest philanthropic commitment talks mountains of his will and want to share his wealth of experience that’s made him the living legend he is today.
Not only will Jones be putting the Top Eight through their paces this week, he’ll also be sharing insights into some of his most powerful creations. From the likes of Notting Hill, Angel Heart, The Last Of The Mohicans and Around The World In 80 Days box-office hits, Jones’ musical scores have touched the lives of millions the world over. Now he’s looking to affect the lives of eight young South Africans, all looking to have their mark felt.
This is big week for contestants and fans alike. The best part though for theses eight finalists is, regardless of who ultimately takes top honours, they all get to cherish time spent and knowledge shared that they’ll be able to apply long after Season Nine of Idols is over.
Don’t miss this week’s episode of Idols and witness Trevor Jones impart a wealth of knowledge to the Top 8 contestants on M-Net and Mzansi Magic on Sunday, 13 October at 17:30.
For more information contact:
Triple M Entertainment
Martin Myers – Manager
E-mail: martin@triplementertainment.co.za
October 11, 2011 Leave a comment
2009 Idols winner Jason Hartman will be the celebrity face of the International Anti Poaching Foundation (IAPF), the non-profit organisation that aims at combating poaching on a global level through recruiting, training, equipping and deploying rangers to protect our wildlife. Whereas there is a frontline in place with highly skilled and trained rangers to meet poaching head-on, Jason’s involvement will be at community level.
“Although we need to target the actual poachers, we also need to combat the cause, which in many instances arises from the mere need for poorer communities to put food on the table,” said Jason, who will be undertaking intensive training to gain a more holistic view on the global problem. “Through my personal projects – Jason’s Garden and Men of Trees – my goal is to reduce the desire to poach at community level by uplifting them and teaching them how to sustain themselves though methods such as basic subsistence farming.”
The threat of poaching is increasing daily, and to date it is the second largest criminal activity in the world at a cost of $13 billion annually, followed by human trafficking and just behind drug trafficking. Aside from rhino and elephant poaching, one of the biggest threats to our planet is the poaching of wood, which has a direct impact on global warming through deforestation.
“We were only too happy to work with Jason as his mind-set of tackling poaching at community level has added a fresh approach to reducing this problem,” said Damien Mander, Director, International Anti Poaching Foundation, “Our team will be able to learn from his ability to engage with people through his music and extensive experience of working within poorer communities.”
Jason shot to fame as the joint winner of the 2009 season of Idols and had a smash hit with Break The Silence from his top-selling album On The Run (Sony Music). He is currently working on a new CD which will be out in early 2012, the first single out in November this year. This year also saw Jason perform at the wedding festivities of the Prince and Princess of Monaco.
About Jason Hartman (www.jasonhartman.co.za)
Born and raised in the Kwazulu-Natal Midlands in South Africa, singer songwriter Jason Hartman’s love for music was evident from a very young age. In his teens, Jason and his brother Scott joined their father and formed a 3-piece band out of pure necessity to survive. They spent a decade together performing at various venues and corporate functions earning their keep through their mind-blowing performances. Jason then broke away and moved to Johannesburg where he began busking for a living. Soon after this, he put together a 2-pieced duo called Justus, which won the Duo Competition at Tanz Café in Bryanston. This was the beginning of a successful career in the South African music industry.
It was 2009 Idols that truly put Jason on the map as one of South Africa’s finest acts. He lost a bet with a group of friends and was challenged to enter the competition at the age of 29 a year before the contest’s cut-off age. Reluctant at first to enter, he braved the queues and admits that the incredible talent he was competing against overwhelmed him. He nearly gave up but continued to climb up to higher rounds and soon found himself in the top 10 with millions of adoring eyes on him every week. Jason came second to Sasha-Lee but a discrepancy in the voting meant that he was in fact the person with the most votes. However the title of winner of Idols 2009 was shared between the two gifted singers, the first time in the history of the competition that the accolade has been given to two people. Sasha-Lee joined Jason on a track on his debut album, On The Run (Sony Music) which was released in 2009.
The predominantly self-penned album has been his biggest dream to date. Two songs, Break The Silence and On The Run, became number one hits on most national radio stations and the third single, Chasing Stars, has achieved considerable radio airplay across the country.
Jason was given the Freedom of the Town of Howick in Natal (his home town) alongside Pixie Bennett, a fellow Idols contestant. The only other person to have been given this prestigious honor was Nelson Mandela.
Since his joint victory as the winner of the most celebrated reality contest in the country, Jason has performed continuously to audiences all over South Africa. His current band consists of his brother Scott on drums and vocals and his father, Sam on guitar and vocals, as well as a bass player. In fact, the quality of his live performance is so highly acclaimed that he opened for USA Idols winner Kelly Clarkson and was also personally invited by the Prince and Princess of Monaco to partake in their wedding festivities. Jason and his band blew audiences away in Monaco with performances at the Monaco Grand Prix and an opening gig for the Eagles, both performances earned them a standing ovation and celebrity status in that country.Jason turned his hand to acting with a leading debut role in A Million Colors, a South African/ Canadian production set for international release in August 2011 at the Toronto Film Festival. The movie is based on the two stars of the highly successful movie E`Lolipop , after they received international fame and recognition, many years ago. Jason recently appeared on the soundtrack to the animated movie, Jock, based on Sir Percy Fitzpatrick’s novel Jock of the Bushveld, which was released in July 2011.
Aside from music, Jason’s passion is the environment, in particular gardening. He has always been at home in the tranquility of Mother Nature and leverages off his celebrity status to put across very authentic messages on sustainability and environmental awareness. Jason heads up an NGO called The Men of Trees NGO (www.motto.org.za) and is driving several ‘green’ projects such as sustainable vegetable gardens in schools. Sustainability in the garden is very important to Jason and he proudly shows underprivileged people all over the country how to plant crops in tyres in order to feed their families. His love for gardening is well known, and a visit to his website www.jasonsgarden.com will delight all plant lovers and everyone that wants global warming and poverty to stop. Jason’s trip to Monaco enabled him to build up a lot of support from some of Europe’s most influential people and he will be joining them in a drive to end global poaching and will incorporate awareness and a very serious message into his shows and new music he is working on.
Jason describes himself, with a grin, as “just an authentic, down – to – earth guy who happens to be a muso!” Backed by his team and stalwart family and armed with his guitar, Jason continues to hold his head up high as a major force in the South African music industry, and quite possibly internationally too.
About International Anti Poaching Foundation (www.iapf.org)
The IAPF has shown that through education and action an actual difference can be made to the current crisis. The IAPF understands the necessity for the service it provides and seeks to collaborate openly with all other similar orientated organisations.
The IAPF was started in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Members spend majority of their time in the field, however they do regularly return to Victoria Falls town between projects to regroup and conduct fundraising activities. The IAPF training academy is based just outside the Falls on 5000 hectares of land where there is an abundance of wildlife.
Damien Mander had a military career of 9 years, 3 years of which were spent in Iraq. He has invested his life savings including the sale of 4 investment properties to fund the start up of the IAPF. The Raw for Africa music festival is held every January which also raises much needed funds. The IAPF has not begun to source external funding, believing awareness is the key and with time, the right people will come forward.
IAPF will protect and preserve wildlife through the provision of specialist training and equipment to anti poaching units and communities in volatile regions.
Music Supervisor / Artist and Talent Manager / Publicist / Music Exchange Founder / Owner Triple M Entertainment
