Muso’s innovate to prevent fires
JOBURG - Take a tot of noble Scots culture, blend with distinct African rhythms, then add a dash of social awareness and you have a brilliant, but unlikely, combination.
To the Muffinz, a group of five 20-something musicians from Johannesburg, the association with Chivas Regal, one of Scotland’s best-known whisky brands, for social benefit made perfect sense.
This came about by way of a series of events that invited party-goers with a social conscience to ‘party with a purpose’ where the Muffinz would sing songs to identify social issues.
An inspiring band, the central purpose of the music group’s art is to entertain and educate their audience about social issues. “We speak to boys, girls, single mothers and others who identify with the challenges we sing about. It is part of our belief to identify problems, pose solutions and, through music, raise awareness about South Africa’s socioeconomic ills. This is why the Chivas Regal/Lumkani project appealed to us,” said Sifiso Mthae
The Chivas Regal and Muffinz alliance aims to show that something is being done to prevent the devastating and all-too-frequent fires that often sweep through informal communities.
The practical lifeline is a locally-developed fire detection device created by Lumkani, a social enterprise which was identified through Chivas Regal’s inaugural The Venture competition.
The fire alarm is a heat detector that measures the rate-of-rise temperature in a room. In the event of fire, the device sounds an alarm, giving a family time to take action before the flames become unmanageable.
After 20 seconds, the device transmits a signal, triggering neighbouring homes’ detectors up to a 60m radius, creating a community-wide response.
“We believe in being proactive,” said guitarist and band spokesman, Mthae, who believes that the business of music and the ‘business of business’ meet easily at the point where the welfare of others is concerned.
A communications graduate of the University of Johannesburg, Mthae is considering a career in the public sector where his skills in communication and sociology could best be put to use, but as a part of the band they have been able to channel their efforts into using music and business partnerships to promote social awareness.
“I realised that I could make a bigger difference on stage through music than through working in government,” he said.
“Music would give me the opportunity to reach and influence more people.”
Details: The Muffinz Music on Facebook
