ACCES 2020 curation committee announced

The curation committee is tasked with selecting musical artists who will showcase at ACCES 2020, as well as advising on the broader ACCES programme.

The six-member committee is made up of leading music industry players from across the African continent, including music producer Panji Anoff (Ghana), the founder and CEO of music production company Black Major, Sevi Spanoudi (South Africa), Sauti za Busara festival organiser Yusuf Mahmoud (Tanzania), Ongala Music Festival founder Aziza Ongala (Tanzania), Music In Africa Foundation chairperson Maimouna Dambele (Senegal) and Music In Africa Foundation director Eddie Hatitye (South Africa).

This year’s curators are regarded as some of the most influential music industry professionals and cultural players in Africa and will employ their vast knowledge to select a diverse group of artists who will showcase in front of festival curators, promoters, booking agents and record label executives.

ACCES 2020 will be the fourth in the history of the event, which takes place in a different African city every year. In 2017, the inaugural ACCES was held in Dakar, Senegal. In 2018, the conference went to Nairobi, Kenya, and a year later to Accra where hundreds of delegates from across Africa and around the world converged on the Ghanaian capital for three action-packed days of networking, exhibitions, presentations, workshops, showcases and panel discussions.

The announcement of the committee comes after ACCES made a call for applications to all African artists who want to perform at the event. The call's deadline is 20 May 2020 and the curation committee will get to work immediately afterwards to pick out the showcasing talent.

"Our curation committee represents a good cross-section of African music professionals  who will select the best applicants to showcase at ACCES 2020. We are particularly delighted to welcome three new members who have exceptional curatorial experience, and are very keen to support the work of the Foundation,” Hatitye said.

About ACCES 

The Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases, or simply ACCES, is an annual music conference that hosts industry players from across the African continent and around the world. ACCES 2020 will be held in Dar es Salaam from 26 to 28 November 2020 and will see music professionals form Africa and around the world gather to exchange ideas, discover new talent and accelerate the shaping of the music sector on the continent. The conference will offer training workshops, panel discussions, presentations, networking sessions, exhibitions, showcases, concerts and visits to key music industry hubs in Dar es Salaam.

ACCES is organised by the Music In Africa Foundation, a non-profit and pan-African organisation, in partnership with Siemens Stiftung, Goethe-Institut and Reeperbahn Festival International.

COVID-19

In light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we would like to assure our community that we are closely monitoring and assessing developments with a view to make an informed decision. ACCES remains scheduled for 26-28 November 2020. The overriding priority for the Music In Africa Foundation is the safety and security of our broader music community and everyone involved in staging this high-profile event. We are hopeful that “the show will go on” and encourage people to continue to register for the conference, and apply for showcases and conference proposals. We will continue to communicate transparently with all stakeholders, and event partners as the situation develops.
 
Please follow our online platforms for further updates: https://www.musicinafrica.net/acces