The team
STEVE GORDON has been behind Cape Town music initiatives ranging from the formation of MAPP music project, to venues such as The Base and Jazz Den, and a multitude of community cultural events. Having served as an activist in UDF affiliated structures, he left South Africa for exile in 1988, and continued his work in the context of the international anti-apartheid campaigns. He spent time in England, as a member of Arekopaneng (SA Cultural workers in the UK), and associated ANC structures.
He currently serves on the Advisory Board for Concerts SA, and is a contributing photographer for the “Singing Freedom” exhibition which Iziko Museums has on display at Cape Town’s Slave Lodge.
RHODA ISAACS is passionate about live music and loves juggling the moving pieces involved in pulling a show together. Her first events experience was for MMP, when she was thrown in the deep end to assist with the mammoth logistics for Cape Town's Olympic Bid concert. Within the fold of the company she grew comfortably into events production, as well as gaining some experience of artist bookings.
Rhoda's great attention to detail and love for production work brought other opportunities in the entertainment field, including a stint at a record company. One of the most demanding positions that she filled was as Festival Manager of Sauti za Busara, a four-day African music festival in Zanzibar.
CHRISTIAN SYREN is a co-founder and director of MMP, and heads the Artist Agency of the company.
Christian owned the Jazz Den Jazz Club (1986-1990), a live music venue in central Cape Town which served as a platform for original afro-jazz and contemporary African artists with a pronounced anti-apartheid profile. The venue became a cultural focal point during the state of emergency in South Africa, and attracted a large regular audience. It also actively supported the trade union movement’s resistance campaign by providing artists and technical services to its cultural events and rallies, cornerstones of the political struggle in the Western Cape during the late 1980’s.
THABO BOPAPE has been involved in performance, and television broadcasting for nearly 35 years. Although his background is founded in film and television, Thabo has been working in large-scale events (including carnivals) at a strategic level for the past 16 years. As a result, he brings with him a passion for skills-development and transformation of society through the arts.
His more recent roles and responsibilities have allowed Thabo the opportunity to consolidate the myriad skills and experience with his interests in new markets and audience development.