RVL: Tell us a bit more about Ram Jam?
Ram Jam is a sound and events company - Ram Jam is the mother host of the Ram Jam Poetry (previously known as the Poetry Jam Session) which has now become Soul-Sundays and the RamJamComedy, both hosted at the SABC.
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| Next Show: 31st August 2014 |
RVL: How different is Ram Jam from other entertainment platforms?
Ram Jam is more than an entertainment platform, we are a movement and a lifestyle brand. Ram Jam caters to a group of individuals that love Soul and live entertainment. Some of the off-shoots that Ram Jam will be introducing in the near future are: Acoustic unplugged sessions, Comedy, Live bands, Ram Jam clothing and album launches.
RVL: How has the feedback been since it began?
The feedback has been phenomenal since our launch. The audience members have been very supportive in terms of attendance and also with giving us feedback about the shows. We have really built a loyal following and a growing increase in attendance. We have also built strong relationships with the musicians that perform at our shows, they are happy to work with us and they believe in the brand, which is a real blessing for us.
RVL: Is there a show you feel was the best show ever hosted by Ram Jam?
To be honest, every show that we do gets better every time. We are always in competition with our last show. We always reflect and go back to the drawing board and improve on everything: from the flier design, to the performers and even down to the crew members. We believe we are a constant work in progress, which is part of the reason we changed our event from the ‘PoetryJamSession’ to ‘Soul-Sundays’
RVL: Describe the setting and scenery to us - does it get better every time. How is the experience?
The shows definitely get better! The show is held at the Radio park (SABC building)- Entrance 1, Studio V1a. The studio has an auditorium setup, where everything is centred around the artists. The lights are dimmed to set the tone for the performances and the spotlight is directedto the performers on the stage. The Ram Jam stage is always set to accommodate a live band (depending on the particular act). A microphone is placed centre stage for the spoken word artists and any people that are interesting in performing during the open mic session.
The experience of the show, mainly Soul-Sundays, is very soulful and surreal. The artists get to connect with the audience as the venue is very intimate, our venue takes up to 150 people.
RVL: What is the importance of taking risks?
Risk defines the direction your project, company or event will take. When we speak of risk, the most important thing is, all risk has to be managed. Which means that all risk has to be calculated, proper research and sound advice has to heeded. Every risk undertaken will have an outcome or a result, either favourable or unfavourable. In each instance it is important to always learn something from every action taken, whether it’s good or bad and to improve on it and build a system that will work for your organisation or project.
RVL: What makes a successful manager?
His/her TEAM!
RVL: What is your approach to solving conflict in a team building scenario?
I find that talking, and allowing others to voice out their opinions has always brought us to a general consensus eventually, though tedious. It is virtually impossible for all of us to agree on one issue, which is the reason I prefer to work with people that share the same vision as myself. We will always have disagreements but the love and passion we share for that particular project will always drive us, rather than ego and pride.
RVL: Describe an instance where your work was criticised - how did you deal with that?
Hahaha my work is always criticised, we criticise each other all the time. That is something I have learnt to accept and deal with. That is the price we pay for working with passionate, driven and ambitious people. Ram Jam is a group of perfectionists. The vision we share, allows us to realise that the criticism is not meant to be harmful but rather to push each other to come up with better concepts and produce bigger results.
RVL: Are you a leader - why do you say so?
Yes, I am a leader amongst other leaders. We are all pregnant with visions and we are tasked with giving birth to them and bringing them to life. That is simply my job as a leader.
RVL: What is the difference between a manager and a leader?
I can only give a textbook definition of what a manager is, which is; ‘a person responsible for controlling or administering an organization or group of staff’ – where the key word for me here is control, leaders in my world, are people that follow and are able to be led by others. Leaders are visionaries.
RVL: Where can people find you: is there a page of twitter handle?
Twitter : @RamJamSession
Facebook : Ram Jam Session
Contacts numbers: 076 472 4284 / 083 978 1650
RVL: How far do you see Ram Jam going?
Well ‘far’ is an absolute term, very fluid. Simply as Ram Jam. Our vision is to cater for the non-commercial side of the entertainment industry, catering for indie artists and labels worldwide. We would like to host concerts and events for non-commercial live international acts such as Little Dragon, The Roots ect and local South African acts like Bongeziwe Mabandla, Nancy-G and the likes.
More than Ram Jam hosting concerts and live events around the country, we would like to be a household name to the youth culture. Ram Jam is a life style. South African media is saturated with pop-culture and the so called ‘Cool-Kids’ phenomena. Ram Jam wants to take it back to the spoken word, poetic lyrics, live sound, and promoting a culture of reading and knowing our history. When listening to Lauren Hill, Bob Marley, Stimela, Tumi and the Volume, Zubz and the rap activity jam was still cool – Like when opening and reading a book on the bus was still cool – Where having meaningful and constructive conversations was still school. We would like to see Ram Jam as a culture.
RVL: Any last words?
‘Old school is still school’ – RAM
Thank You Ram Jam for allowing us to speak to you. We love your work.
@RVL__
© Angela Nimah Revolution Validates Life™
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