The South African Music Industry is taking an unprecedented move into building unity, creating significant more value for all stakeholders and effecting real change on several pressing issues with the inaugural Moshito '04 Music Conference.

The conference is endorsed by the newly appointed Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Pallo Jordan, as an important initiative that will assist in "shaping the South African music industry to the benefit of all stakeholders". It is also in line with the South African President Thabo Mbeki's commitment to renewed focus on South African Arts and Culture, seen recently through the unbundling of the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology into two separate ministries.

Moshito '04 will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, from July 21 to 23 and will feature international and national speakers to be announced closer to conference date. Around 300 delegates are expected to attend this ground-breaking event, including several international representatives.

Through panel discussions and plenary sessions as well as the input of keynote speakers and other experts, Moshito '04 aims to focus on three key issues facing the South African music industry: developing new markets for South African music and related products, enabling the industry to formulate and implement a coherent strategy to combat piracy and explore viable ways of addressing social issues facing musicians, especially with regard to substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and social welfare. In its commitment to tackling major issues facing the South African and the African music industry, Moshito '04 is set to become an important annual event on the global music industry calendar.

More information from Vanessa (vanessa@jtcomms.co.za) at JT Communications on 011 787 7459 or 083 268 1446 or visit http://www.moshito.co.za