I recommend Mr. Marks and the Hidden Years project without reservation for whatever consideration can be given to ensure the success of the project, the support of its tireless and dedicated protector of important music, and the archiving of invaluable cultural treasures.

(1b) Part 2 is the complete referrence as follows:

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

I write in support of my colleague Dave Marks; musician, researcher, writer, archivist and protector of South African music and musicians. As a South African, I of course grew up knowing the name of Dave Marks as a prominent personality in the music business, primarily as the phenomenally successful songwriter who had composed some of the most popular and memorable songs of my childhood years. In an era before television, those songs were not only South African hits on the radio at the time, but were also those that have lasted as enduring classics of the time. A song like 'Master Jack' defined an era for us - and this song in particular was one of the first songs to contain a far deeper meaning and connotations than the seemingly innocuous tone of the 'pop' genre it seemed to represent. And that is where the genius of Dave Marks has always lain- his messages and talents were often hidden far behind the obvious. Even at that early stage in a trend that would later become a powerful musical weapon in a political war, Dave realized that in the highly censored world of South African music, subtlety and ingenuity were the only weapons that would outwit the watchdogs of social commentary, or outsmart the suppressors of political dissent.

What I, and many others, weren't aware of at the time was the unpublicised mission that Mr. Marks was on, as a personal aside to his songwriting; namely the recording and archiving of other influential, dissenting music, musicians and performances, starting in the late sixties and seventies until the present.

My first awareness of this project came not so much as a surprise- it came as an epiphany. Since the early-eighties I had been involved in, and fascinated by the musical exploits of those musicians who used subtle musical components imaginatively to express resignification, resistance and revolution in my country, and in so doing, could outwit the censors and relay vital messages that could revolutionize a society. Political critique, social commentary, humour, cynicism, and irony were all expressed through the careful construction, revival, reconstruction, manipulation and superimposition of varied themes, rhythms, and harmonies in such music, and the treasures within the music are infinite. When I came to America to do my Ph.D. in the phenomenon, I realized that most histories of South African music referred to the 60's until the 80's as the 'lean years' in white popular music, concentrating mostly on black musicians as significant in the protest struggle. My interest as an anthropologist lies not in the agenda of a single exclusive group, but in the multidirectional discourses (what I call the 'music indaba') between musical cultures in South Africa at the time. As a researcher, I found it frustrating that there was no good record, research or archive of culturally inclusive protest music- a shortfall that incorrectly suggested a deep political void: namely, that there was a huge indifference on the part of white musicians to the dilemma of the vast majority of South Africans living under Apartheid. Only halfway through my doctoral work did some insiders to the music world (and colleagues of mine), allude to the work of Dave Marks. I contacted Mr. Marks immediately on my next field research trip to South Africa, and was delighted by not only his accessibility, but by what I was to uncover in getting to know him. I discovered a man with a treasure of invaluable recordings of the time, an insider's knowledge of the era unlike any I had come across, and a willingness to share that was highly unusual. Mr. Marks had started his mission in the sixties and seventies- before anybody else was taking note of seemingly obscure musicians who would turn out to be critically important in the liberation struggle. Not only was he highly attentive to these individuals, but he was also documenting their efforts - both in writing and through recordings.

Dave Marks could identify, see and hear what others could not yet identify, see and hear in music, and he appreciated what musicians were doing while others were either ignoring them (privately) as inconsequential and insignificant, or arresting them (publicly) as dangerous and antagonistic.

Mr. Marks had dedicated his life to the preservation and appreciation of the music and musicians who were as instrumental in ending Apartheid as any prominent politicians holding discussions around negotiation tables. Many would in fact say musicians were even more influential, for they changed perceptions gradually and persistently from the inside, and issued in an entirely new, inclusive culture that would reshape South African history and society. Scholars like myself, who hold similar respect for the numerous artists that risked their careers and lives in the interests of truth and change, find the work of Mr. Marks a remarkable achievement - and unfortunately, an unrecognised one to date. His perseverance in trying to maintain the integrity of the recordings - often at great financial expense to himself- reveals a dedication to a cause that many would have given up on long ago if they did not have the conviction of Mr. Marks that the music said critically important things, and that it is worth treasuring both from the perspective of their meaning and their artistry. He furthermore believed that those musicians who created and performed it, however suppressed or distant their work may have become, are seminal figures in the South African transition to democracy. Not only is the archive of Mr. Marks a national treasure, it is also an invaluable research site for ethnomusicologists like myself, and one cannot find an individual more willing to share his work and his treasures than Mr. Marks. Others with more selfish ambition and less sincere dedication to the contents, would have guarded the treasure far more jealously, but it is a testament to Mr. Marks magnanimous motives that he is willing to help those interested in his collection so sincerely. A visit to the premises of his collection will quickly reveal the warmth with which both Dave and his wife Fran receive those who are interested in their project. Fran has travelled this long road with him, and is greatly supportive, and surprisingly informed about the phenomenon of music throughout the transition years.

The project is called 'The Hidden Years', for it contains the treasures of a time previously only seen and documented as the 'lean years'. I believe that whoever is interested in the preservation of culture, not only for arts sake, but also for the infinite secrets it reveals about a society in transition, should seriously re-evaluate the worth of the Hidden Years archives, and support it enthusiastically. Mr. Marks should be applauded for his dedication, for his altruism and for his determination.

I recommend Mr. Marks and the Hidden Years project without reservation for whatever consideration can be given to ensure the success of the project, the support of its tireless and dedicated protector of important music, and the archiving of invaluable cultural treasures.

Dr. Ingrid Byerly
Duke University, United States of America.