ACCES Conference sessions (2021 programme)
Conference sessions
Thursday 25 November
Welcome address and Music In Africa Honorary Award ceremony
Doors open at 18:00
ACCES 2021 opening night features a welcome address by Music In Africa representatives and an award ceremony, where local legendary artists Thandiswa Mazwai and Vusi Mahlasela will be honoured with the 2021 Music In Africa Honorary Award, followed by music showcases.
Music showcases
ACCES showcases offer a curated platform to discover talent from across the continent's new music scenes. This year, the Reeperbahn Festival renews its partnership with ACCES and brings in some more exciting acts throughout the event.
Friday 26 November
Production essentials
This 2-day workshop addresses both established and aspiring record producers. It is facilitated by top record producers and engineers who are keen to share their top production skills on beat making, music arrangement, DAWs, plugins, mastering and useful production tools.
Return to play
Veteran live events organiser and arts practitioner Rashid Lombard (founder and festival director of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2000 to 2014, and founder of Rashid Lombard Inc.) gives an overview of the work being done in South Africa as part of the road to recovery after COVID-19. This presentation touches on the current state of the sector, growth issues and how the country will likely shift towards a new safe norm for the live music industry.
Transformations of the African Live music industry
As musicians are slowly getting back on stage, experts from across the continent unpack networks, platforms, cooperation strategies and best practices that will be helpful in bringing back live music.
Pan-Africanism, collaborations and exchange with Busiswa
With massive artistic collaborations throughout the continent, multi-award-winning singer, songwriter and performer Busiswais championing new grounds for a shared pan-African vision. While opening up about the benefits of collaborations to build a strong ecosystem for African music creators, Busiswa will also share her views on the evolution of the music industry and strategies in uniting African artists and reaching global audiences.
Amapiano to the world
How has amapiano given kwaito new life, as well as a new way for Africans to connect with each other - and the rest of the world?
This session will look into the history of amapiano in relation with jazz, house and kwaito and ring together top South African amapiano artists to discuss how Africans have responded with their own scenes, amapiano's international appeal and what the future holds for the genre.
SA hip hop, innovation & developments
South African hip hop has dominated the local industry and some parts of Africa for many years now. It continues to be a major force with exciting new talents being discovered, new innovations, and other developments. There are also challenges and opportunities for hip hop artists and this sector of the industry in general. Slikour, one of the pioneers of SA hip hop, sits down with figures in the genre to look at all these aspects, while also touching on key experiences, strategies for success, the potential future of SA hip hop and generally sharing important information about the genre.
Talent development, incubation and investment models for African creators
Development, capacity building and finances are key for African music creators to perform in and beyond Africa’s markets. Despite contrasted context and needs, how can cooperation be key in leveraging access through connections, collaborations and networks?
Music showcases
ACCES showcases offer a curated platform to discover talent from across the continent's new music scenes. This year, the Reeperbahn Festival renews its partnership with ACCES and brings in some more exciting acts throughout the event.
Saturday 27 November
Taking your music to the stores - the importance of metadata
All music creators need to fully understand how digital music distribution works. In this session, Ditto music’s Wendy Verwey Bekker will teach you to be super efficient in digital distribution, particularly focusing on metadata techniques that all creators have to know.
The state of the South African music industry
The state of affairs in any music industry can have a profound impact – both positive and negative – on musicians and other stakeholders. Some analysts have previously described the South African music industry as an enabling space for creators (in comparison with other African music industries). Is this really the case in 2021? What are the key shifts in the local industry? What are the opportunities that musicians and other stakeholders need to be aware of? These are some of the focus areas of this panel.
Release strategies, management & touring tips
Join Jess White, Akum agency’s prolific artist manager, booking expert, promoter, creative producer and consultant and learn about release strategies, management, touring and other essential aspects to develop a successful career.
Empowering African artists to get their music heard
African and global platforms have been expanding to help artists get their music out and prosper both on the continent and abroad – from playlists to accelerating programmes and brand deals. How do music distribution models and platforms (both local and global) contribute to drive inclusivity in the global music market? Distribution and promotion executives share best practices, opportunities and collaborations across markets to connect African talent with worldwide audiences.
How to build a music brand that’s true to your sound
As a musician getting to the point where you feel you’ve branded yourself and your music can take a lot of time and effort. This session will answer these questions: How is a music brand created? What process do indie musicians go through to create a brand? What steps are taken to create a music brand that resonates with an audience? How to use a brand to get sponsorships and other revenues?
Monetising music digitally : solutions and strategies for African indie talent
Music streaming revenue increased by almost 40% last year and is projected to reach $242m in 2021. This session will look at how African artists can best monetise their music and earn more income from their works. What tools and services are available to African independent artists ? Which platforms are ideal for African music? What are the dos and don'ts? How do administrative services, creatives and entrepreneurs work together for music creators to thrive on the global digital scene? These are some of the questions that will be addressed by our panellists.
Pitch sessions
ACCES offers a curated platform for international and local music companies to present innovative services, products and projects.
Discover new inititatives and trends, learn about different markets and interact with other players.
(More additions soon)
In conversation with Master KG
Master KG has had a phenomenal career. He is an inspiration to many music creators across the continent. In this session, the award-winning artist shares his views, knowledge and experience in the music industry, while also talking about the Jerusalema global phenomenon and his current strategies, projects and collaborations.
Production essentials (part 2)
This 2-day workshop addresses both established and aspiring record producers. It is facilitated by top record producers and engineers who are keen to share their top production skills on beat making, music arrangement, DAWs, plugins, mastering and useful production tools.
I am here
ACCES 2021, Reeperbahn Festival and Bassline Fest join forces on the closing day of the music conference and feature a powerful pan-African line-up.
