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David Marks in the 3rd Ear Music Archives 2003
David Marks in the 3rd Ear Music Archives 2003
David Marks Background & a 3rd Ear Music Summary - 1960's to date
Non SAfricans are wanting to know who this David Marks is - A Brief CV, Summary and overview of his and 3rd Ear Music activities since the beginning of time.
...read David Marks - The 3rd Ear Music CV >>
Mission Statement
Nowhere has the history of popular music existed in quite so bizarre a climate as that of South Africa during its 'internal exile' & it's 'international isolation' - its hidden years. Much of our music past, like that of our political past, is hard to access. Just as people & books were banned & censored - no reasons given - so too were some musicians & their music. Most of the recordings restricted or avoided by the SABC were not even political. The Government at the time would claim that it was the artist, who by reflecting & questioning their racist policies, were the ones threatening the order, safety & security of the State.

Despite their popularity & their influence - attracting large crowds to concerts on campus, in townships & to the odd mixed club - without commercial industry support - many of these musicians remain ignored by the mainstream industry today. Our aim is to network with other music collectors & researchers - to acknowledge the contributions made by these musicians to our Hidden History ...paying tribute to them by simply making their music available.

3eM are in the process of restoring, cataloguing & transferring the analogue archives (tapes, posters & photos) into a digital format - music & events that weren't restricted to a particular commercial fashion, form or style. The archive tapes are fading & deteriorating as fast as the musicians that we believe should not be forgotten - simply because they never made hit records.

With today's technology most of the 'desk mix' recordings that we have stored in the archives could be restored. It would be a sad irony indeed if the security establishment - who used all the tricks in their dirty book to prevent local musicians from being heard - were to now have the last laugh. Contributions would be greatly appreciated - anecdotes, suggestions, manuscripts, material, equipment, funds...


The Curious Beauty of African Music is that it uplifts as it tells a sad tale. You may be poor, you may have only a ramshackle house, you may have lost your job, but song gives you hope. African Music is often about aspirations of African people, and it can ignite the political resolve of those who might otherwise be indifferent to politics. One merely has to witness the infectious singing at rallies. Politics can be strengthened by music, but music has a potency that defies politics.
(Nelson Mandela)

Marianne Williamson, from her 1992 book, "Return to Love" (p. 165)

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of god - your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of god that is within us. It is not in just some of us. It is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Issued by David Marks
3rd Ear Music 1995
David Marks - The 3rd Ear Music CV

According to a reader, this quote has been incorrectly attributed to Nelson Mandela. We apologise; it was sent to 3rd Ear Music's Website & credited as part of Madiba's Inaugural Speech, 1994.
...read more >>

updated 21. Aug. 2002




3rd Ear Music Company est. 1969 (Pty)Ltd.

P.O.Box 50633
Musgrave 4062
Durban
KwaZulu-Natal
South Africa
email: [email protected]

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