Tsikaya

Launched in 1997 by Victor Gama, Tsikaya is a music project that invites composers and musicians in the rural areas of Angola. Participants are invited to participate in a digital platform that enables them to promote and share their music with a global audience. Field recordings of local musicians are constantly recorded in each province contributing to a digital archive of traditional and contemporary music. Tsikaya has taken place in the provinces of Cuando-Cubango, Benguela, Huíla, Cunene and Huambo and has aims to cover Angola as a whole.

Currently the Tsikaya project hosts samples of historical music archives collected by Ulrich Martini in Andulu, Bié from 1969 to 1973. Also included are the recordings by Diamang collect in the provinces of Lunda and Moxico from the 40s to the 60s. This allows for a comparison to be made between the music and instruments that existed at that time compared to what is being performed today.

In order to create a social and cultural context to better inform visitors, Tsikaya has introduced a new project called Huambo Sound Map that has images, sounds and video of places, people and events recorded in Angola in 2013.

It is produced by PangeiArt in partnership with União Nacional dos Artistas e Compositores, UNAC, Brigada Jovem de Literatura, BJL, and partners from previous editions Bismas das Acácias, ADRA Antena Huíla and Chá de Caxinde, with financial support from the Prince Claus Fund.