ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Caroline Hillary

Caroline has never worked in a job that hasn't been in the music industry. Starting at Look & Listen and even starting her own music publication called GTFO (Get The Funk Out) which was published with a free CD of alternative local music. When the magazine was closed Caroline took a year off to travel the States, focusing on music related interests including the R.E.M. route in Athens, Georgia and partying at CBGB's in New York on a regular basis. She then returned home and studied photography full time for a year and freelanced as a researcher for the BBC and Bop Television before being head-hunted by Gallo Record Company for a publicity position.

After a year she was promoted to Imaging & Publicity Manager and a year later she was promoted to Head Art Director of the Gallo Design Studio while simultaneously being an A&R manager for the Gallo World Vision label. She personally handled the affairs of 'legendary' artists such as Miriam Makeba, Dorothy Masuka, Lucky Dube, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the Mahotella Queens.

After 6 years at Gallo she left to start her own Design Studio, focusing on imaging and branding for South African artists.

Caroline recently joined forces with Lara Preston, and their company Red Flag Design and Marketing was born. In her spare time Caroline sings in a local all girl punk band called Running With Scissors and plays gigs all over South Africa.

Lara Preston

Lara has been involved with music, events, and radio for most of her life. While born in Cape Town, she grew up in the United States and from the age of 18 secured her first radio show at college radio station WOBC-FM.

Lara also played drums in an all-girl band for two years and Little Switzerland released a 7” album. Upon graduating in 1993 she continued her love for radio and was appointed the Marketing Manager for one of the best community stations in the US, KBOO-FM in Portland, Oregon. Portland in the 90's was near the epi-centre of the grunge and indie movement and Lara was very much involved, through the radio station and through her social network of bands and indie record labels.

During that time Lara also established an on-line connection with Bush Radio in Cape Town. In 1994 she returned to Cape Town and was very much involved with Bush Radio and also became very involved in the local music scene. Lara then was one of the co-founders of Sound Zone Productions which managed Nine and Sons of Trout and handled the sound and tours for most major rock bands during that period. The company also staged the hugely successful Band Slam tour with Nine, Sugardrive, Lithium, Squeal and The Springbok Nude Girls.

After the closure of Sound Zone, Lara went onto work for Rainbow Productions working on the production of international concerts including Toto, Kenny G, Rodriguez and others. In 2001 she joined CD Wherehouse as the Cape Town store's Promotions Manager and was quickly promoted to National Marketing Manager. She left CD Wherehouse in 2004 and recently joined forces with Caroline Hillary to form Red Flag.