Profile of Gil Harper
Durban born and bred Gil Harper has been the strategic manager of the Sagiya Foundation, a performing arts, theatre, musical and creative enterprise aligned to education and awareness-raising, since the beginning of the year.
Harper is one of the strategic minds behind the Dim-Dep Enviro Blitz, boasting the famous Dim-Dep Musical: Faces of Environmental Success, as well as other activities with casts and music legends mixing with audiences in townships and shopping centers. Sagiya is the driver for the Dim-Dep campaign.
The main sponsors are Invotech and Ethekwini Municipality, supported by the Bat Centre.
The Blitz will involve community activations in high-density areas in townships taxi ranks and shopping centers, followed by community outreach projects, where the community and city work together to clean, preserve, and maintain their areas, along with cast members. The Dim-Dep Faces of Environmental Success will debut in June.
Harper explained that the Dim-Dep Musical was one of the four arms of the Sagiya Foundation.
“It (Sagiya) is very Afro-Centric .This type of edutainment is unique in South Africa as, for example, when doing a theatre production, Sagiya will take to the streets and go to high-density areas for community activations, and do community projects as well to get individual and community involvement,” Harper said.
Harper met Atlas Duma, the CEO of Sagiya Foundation that produces Dim-Dep Musical, through a mutual colleague.
“It was an immediate fit as I had just left a 10-year job in youth empowerment where I wore many hats, including programmes and marketing,” Harper said.
She said Dim-Dep was about providing youth with skills and opportunities, as they perform alongside legends in the industry.
“So voila, that is how it happened!”
She said Sagiya encouraged individuals to take action to make positive change around them, and at the same time it was also about community development and ownership.
“We do this through creative projects that focus mainly on environmentalism and culture, while creating jobs through the projects themselves. Sagiya is aimed at youth in terms of empowerment and development – and the young at heart through recognising and promoting talent. The exciting part is when legends and youth come together in the different projects,” Harper said.
Harper has travelled the world, but said and there was no place like home.
She has three sons; Aaron (21), Liam (19) and Daniel (15).
“I am so passionate about youth empowerment and have a special interest in youth justice – youth in conflict with the law, at risk, and those trying to turn their lives around after being in contact with the law,” she said.
She has experience in various industries, always with a focus on marketing and communications and headed the Agenda Feminist Media project as managing editor.
“Working in the labour field, I pioneered dispute prevention initiatives at the CCMA (the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA),” she said.
Harper is also a regular editor of books.
Harper said Sagiya had several objectives with with Dim-Dep.
“Mainly to ensure the Municipality and all stakeholders take ownership of environmental issues – to position also a specific leaders/organisations as the champions and model for innovative and effective partnerships with citizens in promoting environmental sustainability,” Harper said.
The organisation aims to create individual change through “conscientising” individuals to understand how each individual can contribute to making change environmentally.
“This is about shift in mindset then behaviour change for different results; to develop community ownership so that the community leaders are driving change in each community for sustainable living,” Harper said.
In the long term, she said, the aim was to take Dim-Dep around the country and continent, spreading the message of acting for change.
Author: atlas duma
http://www.sagiyafoundation.co.za Atlas Duma’s Biography (www.sagiyafoundation.co.za)
Official Name: Atlas Philani Duma
Nationality: South African
Age: 50
Languages: English, IsiZulu and IsiXhosa
Occupation: Founder and CEO of Sagiya Foundation
Legacy: Founder of SDDS, Sagiya Records, Sagiya Publishers
Contact Details: Cell: 081 373 8185, Email: atlasduma06@gmail.com
Creative and Innovative Experience:
Founder, Director and Producer of Sagiya Virtual Jazz Festival that was streamed on www.Skyroomlive.com in November 1 to 30, 2020. Responsible to organize and present SAGIYA_KZN International Jazz Day Festivals.
Mr Duma is a founder of Sagiya Foundation, SDDS (Sagiya Digital Distribution System) and SagPRIC (Sagiya Port Radio and Internal Communications). SDDS is a computer system that is assisting South African Artists to compete with the world, heading to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. SDDS is Duma’s solution that will be closing a gap between digital and conventional methods of distribution of music, books, Audio Books, videos, pictures etc. South Africans can be able to have access as end users to upload and download SagTunes, SagVideos, eBooks, Audio Books and Custom Pictures from SDDS and monetise their artworks. Thanks to Invotech Business Incubator for making it possible for SDDS to get Seed Fund for Research and Development of the SDDS patent and the prototype design.
Mr Duma played a vital mentorship role for Lee Philisiwe Ngamlana for Sagiya Foundation to win MYIC (Maritime Youth Innovation Challenge). Mr Duma and Ngamlana are busy creating (Sagiya Port Radio and Internal Communications) SagPRIC Radio as a winning idea that put them in position three among 200 innovators that entered MYIC 2018 competition, hosted by Innovate Durban, TRANSNET and other business partners.
Mr Duma is synchronizing his trading and innovative ideas by use of Sagiya Foundation. The Foundation operates as two legal entities, namely: Sagiya Foundation Pty Ltd for business operations, SME’s EDP (Entrepreneurs Development Programmes). Mr Duma has registered Sagiya Foundation NPO for funding attraction, CSI, Investments opportunities and social development.
Sagiya Foundation Pty Ltd operates by use of three major business operations, such as Sagiya Records, which released prominent artists including Royalson, Gabriel YoungStar, Umkhumbane Jazz Ensemble, Bongani Nkwanyana, to mention but few. The 2nd Unit is Sagiya Publishers, which currently published books, such as “Preparation for University” by Qiniso Ncwane and AP Duma himself as an editor and a co-writer. Other works published under Sagiya Publishers include “Bishop SK Mngomezulu and Lighthouse Bible Church”, written by AP Duma and OJ Radebe. “Kukude Lapho Sivela Khona” is an IsiZulu novel written by AP Duma and published as an eBook.
The third unit is Sagiya Theatre. It produced Izintombi Musical HIV/AIDS edutainment project that was witnessed by more than 6 000 high school learners. Sagiya Theatre produced Dim-Dep the Musical 2015, 2016 and 2018 and released it as DVDs that were distributed to all Ethekwini Municipality Libraries. Dim-Dep Musical 2015 and 2016 were presented in The Playhouse Company Opera Theatre accompanied by classical orchestra, KZN Music legends, including Umkhumbane Jazz Ensemble, Madala Kunene, Prof Anthony Rippon, Neil Gonsalves and Xolisa Dlamini. Mr Duma is an official scrip editor for “King Zwelithini Zulu The Musical”, which was performed in Grahamstown National Arts Festival in 2018.
Mr Duma’s Dim-Dep Musical 2015/2016 introduced Ntokozo “Sngqazu” Ngcobo in professional Theatre as Major Character in a production called Nandi The Musical, thereafter she got casted for Mzansi Magic’s Ifalakhe Movie Series. Ntokozo got nominated through Mr Duma’s Dim-Dep Musical 2016 DVD for SATMA Awards 2016 for her dynamic poetry that she featured in a production. Duma contributed a lot towards her successful launch of her poetry book entitled “Amaloba the Traces”
Atlas Duma as a Musician:
Duma is an award-winning music composer, arranger and a drummer. He possesses a National Diploma in Jazz and Popular Musical from Technikon Natal, currently known as DUT. He also acquired Assessor Certificate on Conducting Outcome-Based Assessment from QED, which is accredited by ETQA, Service SETA and MAPPP SETA, which is now CATHSSETA. Mr Duma is registered as an Accredited Assessor of Unit Standard and Outcome-Based Assessment. He is the drummer and one of the composers in Umkhumbane Jazz Ensemble (UJE), which has signed under Sagiya Records. He is a leader of his band called SAGIYA Afro Jazz Band, which heats major festivals, such as Grahamstown Standard Bank National Arts Festival, Ugu Festivals, Midma Dam Festival, Corporate Functions etc. Duma was a band coordinator and drummer for the first Crown Gospel Music Awards 2012. Performed with Gcina Mhlophe in Nozincwadi Festivals in KwaNgcolosi and in an Opening Plenary for the United Nations Summit in ICC 2017.
Artistic Activities in Tertiary Institution
Mr Duma started to be involved as professional drummer while he was still studying Music at Technikon Natal. At Technikon he established and became a president of a student organization called Technikon Natal Arts Students Re-Development Project (TECHNARP). This organization created a platform for students to discover their performance abilities, exposure and self-confidence that enhanced their performance abilities, academically, artistically and commercially. The musicians that were exposed by TECHNARP include the following: SAGIYA Band, SHANA, Nqubeko Mbatha (Joyous Celebration), Johan Mthethwa (Joyous Celebration) Black Coffee, Shota, Demo, Swazi Dlamini, Xolisa Gqoli Dlamini, Thamela Maskandi Afro Fusion, Zakhele “Zakes Mantwini” Madida. After Mr. Duma’s graduation, TECHNARP continued with his vision under the leadership of “Zakes Mantwini” until the department of music was transferred to the University of KwaZulu Natal.
Music Educator/Facilitator
Mr Duma is a former Music and Dramatic Arts educator in Isibonelo High School (KwaMashu) 2011 – 2012 and in Siyaphumula High School 2014 – 2015
He currently works as a freelancing music facilitator in different music centres, such as Playhouse Company, Ekhaya Multi-Arts Centre, BAT Centre and Msunduzi Music School.
He facilitates on musical subject, such as Marimba and percussive ensemble, Drums, Musical Theatre, Rhythm Studies, Ensemble, Keyboard Technics, Improvisation, Composition, Music Business, intellectual Property and Copyright.
Mr Duma’s Record Label
He is the founder and the Director of Sagiya Records, which released professional artists such as:
1. Mduduzi Magwaza “Siyabonga Njnji” – Former Mango Groove Pennywhistle player;
2. Yoyalson (Live in Sagiya Virtual Jazz Concert 2020)
3. Gabriel YoungStar Ft Jeaychroniq, Khaya Dladla and Tudor with a trending single “Indovozi” Gqom.
4. Khombisile Miya with an album “Ungcayi Lweqhikiza” (Maskandi)
5. Umkhumbane Jazz Ensemble with an album “Ezintabeni” (Jazz) SATMA Awards Nominees 2017
6. Nozuko Nguqu with an album “Mavula Kuvaliwe” (Gospel Maskandi)
7. Amabhungu with an album “Amabhungu” (Mbaqanga)
8. Mfazomabikibiki with an album “Abakholwayo” (Maskandi)
9. Masiza with an album “Let us Jive” (Afro Soul)
10. Princess M with an album “Ngiyabonga” (Gospel) produced by Mr Duma but release by another label
11. Amantombazane Asogwini: “Amaqhawe” (Afro Jazz) Produced by Mr Duma release by another label
12. Dim-Dep The Musical 2015 and 2016 DVDs;
13. Ntokozo Sngqazu Ngcobo single “Africa my Africa” (Musical Poetry) SATMA Awards Nominee 2016.
14. Producer of UJE-HHC (Umkhumbane Jazz Ensemble Horn Hang up Concert) – Live DVD Playhouse Co.
Achievements:
1. 2020: Elected by Herbie Hancock to produce and present International Jazz Day Celebration
2. 2020: Elected as the General Secretary and Public Officer of CCA (Cultural Connections Africa) NPO founded by Katherine McVicker from New York.
3. 2019: Received a Seed Fund to establish SDDS (Sagiya Digital Distribution System)
From: Technology Innovation Agency. Through Invotech Business Incubator
4. 2018: 3rd Position in Maritime Youth Innovation Challenge (MYIC 2018)
Presented by: Innovate Durban sponsored by TRANSNET – Durban TPT
5. 2017: Best Community Environmentalist (Certificate) Presented by: Ethekwini Municipality (DSW)
6. 2016: Certificate of Recognition as KZN Music Legend Presented by: University of KwaZulu Natal (Centre for Jazz and Popular Music) and Sagiya Foundation
7. 2002: Best Music Composer Award Presented by: Old Mutual Jazz Encounters.
8. 1997: Best Afro Jazz Band Award (Sagiya Band)
Presented by: Shell Road to Fame
Contact Details:
Organisation: SAGIYA Foundation
Cell (Calls/WhatsaApp): 081 373 8185
Email: atlasduma06@gmail.com
Web: www.sagiyafoundation.co.za
