We have Launched Our Web Application
Our new ACA web application is now online. The Arts Connect Africa web application is a new platform where business people in the African can come together and be part of charting a new course for African music. The vision for the web application is that it will help us in advancing our three main goals, which are: What is exciting about The ACA Web Application How Do You Register on the ACA Web Application? The web application is in a current ACA members-only phase for now, but there is a waitlist that you can be a part of. Visit https://www.artsconnectafrica.com/ and click the “become a member” button to start your ACA registration journey. We will be sharing more exciting details about the web app in the coming days, so follow us online and on social media for more details.
Visa for Music Festival 2024 holds in Rabat, Morocco
The 11th edition of the Visa for Music Festival will hold in Rabat, Morocco from November 20nd to 23th, 2024. As it has been with the last 10 editions of the festival, VFM will be a musical journey that will be a total experience for both fans and music professionals. The festival organized by Brahim El Mazned a Moroccan cultural manager and director of World Music Festivals, who has participated in the development of popular musical festivals around the world, with a focus on Moroccan and African culture. Typically, as it has been celebrated since 2013, the major feature of the VFM will be the Concerts. This year, VISA for music concerts will feature upcoming and popular Artistes from 75 countries in Europe, Africa and the middle East as well over 76 000 Live spectators, over 1.5 M Digital spectators and a total youth population of over 70% of the attendees. As of now the event has already pre sold 19 000 tickets However, the VISA for music festival is not just about the concerts, The event is also reputed for its Market. This year as usual the Market will feature professionals from the music and culture sector from 5 continents who will connect with one another via conferences, speed meetings, trainings, and workshops. It will be an opportunity for these professionals to expose their artistic projects, create partnership opportunities and establish new links. This year the event will feature 8400+ music professionals from 85 countries and over 500 networking events. One of the highlights of VISA for music this year is the Arts Connect Africa Annual congress. On the agenda for the ACA congress this year is creating strong regional professional music and culture networks across the continent. It will also be an opportunity for the ACA as a network to meet with other music professionals’ networks from around the world such as the Cultural Conexxions Latino America and the European Jazz Network, in to strengthen cross cultural connections. Furthermore, ACA members will also feature as resource persons for the VISA for music market events. Follow us for more updates as we count down to this momentous festival… For More Information Check out the profile of Brahim El-Mazned, VFM festival coordinator https://www.artsconnectafrica.com/a-profile-of-brahim-el-mazned-festival-coordinator-visa-for-music/ Check out our initial overview of VFM https://www.artsconnectafrica.com/visa-for-music-hosts-aca-annual-congress/ Check out the official VFM website https://www.visaformusic.com/en/accueil-2/
ACA INTERNATIONAL MARKETS: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
After a successful first phase in which we got insights from African music industry professionals from across the four regions of the continent on “Building A strong touring circuit in the African music industry”. The ACA Industry Conversations” series is entering its second phase. In this phase titled “International Markets: Global Perspectives in Music Business” we will have an interview series with music business professionals outside Africa. Our resource persons have been drawn from Latin America, Asia, Europe and North America and they will provide their perspectives on important music industry issues such as cultural connections between Africa music and music from other continents, how the African music industry can achieve global standards, economic and creative opportunities within the global music ecosystem, success stories of collaborations between African and international artists, building continental networks within the global music industry, and other pertinent issues.
Rhythms of Africa: Professionalizing Traditional African Music Genres
The Power of Traditional African Music As of the time of writing this, Afrobeats music star Asake has just released his third studio album “Lungu Boy”. In “Fuji Vibe” one of the bonus tracks in the album, Asake drops his Afrobeats artistry and goes into full on Fuji mode. One of the main tracks in Seyi Vibes’s 2023 “ NAHAMciaga”, is “Apala Interlude” which Seyi delivers a full track worth of Apala music, a traditional Yoruba music genre popularized by the likes of Ayinla Omowura, and Haruna Ishola in the 1970s. Recently Wizkid, who has in the past talked about how the Fuji genre heavily influenced his music, jumped on DJ Tunez’s Apala Disco remix alongside Seyi Vibez and Terry Apala. These are only a few of the most recent examples of the influence of Traditional African music on modern Afrobeats and other contemporary music genres. The influence of the likes of Fuji, Juju, Sakara (another genre of Yoruba folk music popularized by the likes of Yusuf Olatunji, Sanusi Aka, and Abibu Oluwa in the 1950s and 1960s) and Apala as the bedrock of contemporary Afrobeats is visible in lyrics, rhythm and language. In Nigeria in particular, and Africa in general, traditional musical genres serve as vital expression of community, history, and identity. Each region, tribe, and community boasts of unique musical styles, instruments, and rhythms that have been passed down through generations. These musical traditions encapsulate stories, values, and rituals, playing an integral role in community cohesion and cultural continuity. Traditional music genres in Africa are no doubt unique and melodious, but the reason the likes of Wizkid and Asake are returning to their Fuji roots, and Terry “Terry Apala” Ejeh An Isoko musician from Delta State is now the face of contemporary Apala is not just because of the melodies, it is also because they know that there is commercial value to be derived from fusing those sounds with their regular hip-hop and Afrobeats fare. Afterall the likes of I.K Dairo, KSA and Ebenezer Obey (Juju) Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Kolawole Ayinla (Fuji) Haruna Ishola and Ayinla Omowura (Apala) have been going on world tours even before the current generation of Afrobeats artistes were born. Even in contemporary times the likes of KWAM1, Alhaji Wasiu Alabi Pasuma and “King (Dr.)” Saheed Osupa are still performing shows for their teaming fanbase around the globe. All these points to the fact that African traditional genres have always been sellable. In other words, while a Fuji artist might not be able to the O2 Arena in London like say a Burna Boy (because of the genre’s language barrier and niche audience), he can shut down a venue half as big with the right professionals around him. On the surface, it looks as if everything is all good with the Nigerian traditional music genres. Afterall if “Fuji Vibes” can become the track generating the biggest buzz in the Lungu Boy album, and the likes of Seyi Vibes and Wizkid are lining up traditional genres in sold out concerts in North America and Europe, it means more publicity for the genre. But the question from a value perspective is: beyond the fact that Asake adding Fuji to his afrobeats album makes his discography more unique and appealing, how much does it contribute to the development of Fuji as a unique genre rather than one that needs a co-sign from of Afrobeats (or whatever “Afro-“ is in demand these days)? More importantly, how does it ensure that Fuji (and by extension other traditional genres) can be professionalized and professionals within the industry can a value chain that will benefit not just the artist, but even the owners of the culture that inspires the genre The Arts Connect Africa/CKrowd/PMAN Rhythms of Africa Project Our Nigerian secretariat is partnering with Ckrowd Africa and Performing Musicians and Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) in launching a social impact project known as Rhythms of Africa. Rhythms of Africa is a social impact project is structured around two core pillars: exposure and empowerment for music industry professionals in traditional music genres. The project is starting in collaboration with PMAN Oyo State, chapter and it is the first step of a wider ACA network initiative that will put the spotlight on traditional music genres across the continent. We believe that this project will take us further in achieving our goal of making social and economic impact within the African music space. 1.Exposure: The project will deep dive into different traditional music genres, interact with PMAN members within the space, identify the issues and the opportunities and use our digital assets to create including recordings, interviews, and documentaries, to reach global audiences and raise awareness about the opportunities available within the Nigerian traditional African music space. 2.Empowerment We hope that through our efforts in highlighting the issues and leveraging our networks will help link the professionals in the Nigerian local music space up with global opportunities that can help them earn from their skills and experience and further help create a value chain around the traditional music industry that will ensure that the creators of the culture behind these sounds can benefit from it. Impact and Future Aspirations of the “Rhythms of Africa” Project The impact of our project extends beyond individual musicians; it contributes to the broader cultural and economic landscape. By professionalizing traditional African music, we aim to create sustainable career paths for music professionals in these genres, foster cultural pride, and ensure the continuity of these musical traditions for future generations. Looking ahead, we aspire to expand our reach across more African countries, build partnerships with cultural institutions, and explore innovative ways to integrate traditional music into mainstream media and education systems. We believe that by investing in the next generation of traditional African music professionals, we are not only preserving a precious cultural heritage but also enriching the global music tapestry. Join Us in Our Journey We invite you to join us in this transformative journey. Whether
Building a Strong Touring Circuit in the African Music Industry
The African music industry is one of the fastest growing music industries in the world. From Afrobeats to Highlife, to Amapiano, to Soukous to Bongo Flava. Creatives across the continent are creating global sounds inspired by their native music. This has resulted in increased continental and global interest in and demand for African music. Unfortunately, African talent and African music industry professionals have been unable to take advantage of the unique cultural experiences and the diverse audience base that Africa offers because there are no strong regional touring networks for musical talent like it obtains elsewhere in the world. A few artistes have been able to break the mould, collaborating with talent from other regions, however to the majority of talent and talent promoters, the wall seems impenetrable. Thus, as part of our network’s commitment to shaping the African music industry and culture, we are starting a new series called the ACA Industry Conversations. In our “ACA Industry Conversations” series, we will be discussing with African music industry professionals from across the continent on “building a strong touring circuit in the African music industry”. Our resource persons, all of whom have decades of experience in managing musical talents and events in Africa, will provide their perspectives on germane issues such as challenges in the African music touring circuit, economic and creative opportunities within the African music ecosystem, success stories, building regional networks within the industry, and other pertinent issues.
Arts Connect Africa Partners with Cultural Connections Latin America
Arts Connect Africa is proud to announce our partnership with Cultural Connections Latin America (CCLA) a collaborative network that connects professionals in the music industry in the Latin American region. Currently present in 11 countries, CCLA members include festivals, venues, as well as agents and producers. Our partnership aims to strengthen professional ties between African and Latino American music industry professionals, resulting in greater visibility of contemporary musical creation. The partnership will also stimulate artistic mobility within our respective regions, multiplying business opportunities and fostering professional development of the sector, through the exchange of ideas and the creation of specific collaboration projects between the two regions. The partnership with CCLA is one of the ACA’s means of achieving its aim of creating a mechanism that will ensure that 1. Cultural exchanges between Africa and Latin America happen more frequently, 2. That such a culture exchange is a true cultural exchange that both parties benefit as equally as possible. And 3. Both the ACA and the CCLA can leverage their partnership to connect with other networks from around the world. That music lovers from around the world can enjoy the taste of African music, and African music can bring some value to the African continent itself. Building that structure is what we are trying to achieve at Arts Connect Africa.