ACCES adds Mokoomba, Arka'n, Sibusile Xaba and Ifrikya Spirit to 2019 line-up

The artists are Mokoomba (Zimbabwe), Arka'n (Togo), Sibusile Xaba (South Africa) and Ifrikya Spirit (Algeria). The four will join previously announced Ghanaian acts Yaa Yaa, Kyekyeku & Ghanalogue Highlife, FOKN Bois and FRA!

This year's ACCES showcasing artists, many of whom are still to be announced, will perform at Alliance Française and The Gold Coast Hub in the Ghanaian capital, while the rest of the ACCES programme – featuring panel discussions, workshops, exhibitions, product pitches and networking sessions – will take place at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Registrations for the pan-African trade event are open and African delegates register for free.

Mokoomba

Originally from the Chinotimba township in Victoria Falls, Mokoomba is a six-piece band that sings in English, Tonga, Nyanja, Ndebele and Shona. The group fuses the traditional sounds of Zimbabwe with soukous, funk, reggae, rock and Afrobeat. The band has performed around the world and is known for staging energy-laden performances. It has released three albums to date: Kweseka (2009), Rising Tide (2012) and Luyando (2017). Jon Pareles of The New York Times called Mokoomba lead singer Mathias Muzaza's vocal range "riveting" and "griot-strength". Mokoomba comprises Muzaza, Ndaba Coster Moyo (drums), Trustworth Samende (lead guitar), Donald Moyo (keys), Miti Mugande (percussion) and Abundance Mutori (bass guitar).

Sibusile Xaba

Sibusile Xaba's music carries with it the maskandi/mbaqanga tradition of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, where he comes from. These traditional Zulu styles are masterfully intertwined with a jazz approach, while Xaba's haunting voice soars over seemingly naked and often purposefully discordant guitar lines. The genius that is Sibusile Xaba has been lauded by critics and fans alike through the intimate nature of his live performances and albums Open Letter to Adoniah and Unlearning, both released in 2017.

Arka'n

Arka'n brings arguably the most original style of music to ACCES 2019. The band is the only known outfit to combine Togolese traditional sounds and rhythms with death metal, following in the footsteps of Brazilian greats Sepultura who in 1996 released the traditionally inspired Roots album. Arka'n's members describe the band's music as 'Asrafo-core' and take pride in values such as "African wisdom, tradition, faith and a fighting spirit". The band is composed of Rock Ahavi (guitar and vocals), Francis Amevo (bass guitar), Richard Cico (drums), Mass Aholou (percussion) and Enrico Ahavi (rapping and keys).  

Ifrikya Spirit

The seven-member Ifrikya Spirit band will bring a fusion take on Algerian diwan, a Sufi-inspired musical tradition that came out of the trans-Saharan slave trade. Based in the Algerian capital, the group is credited for communicating messages of peace and African solidarity. The band is known for employing various traditional and contemporary instruments such as the goumbri, balafon, ngoni, synth and electric guitar. The band is made up of Bouzidi Chakib, Kettani Rafik, Omar Bennacer, Guebouba Samy, Nazim Bakour, Reda Morah and Hassane Khoualef.

About ACCES 

ACCES is a pan-African trade event for music industry players to exchange ideas, discover new talent and create business linkages. ACCES is held in a different African city every year, attracting active music industry players from across the globe.

ACCES is organised by the Music In Africa Foundation, a non-profit and pan-African organisation, in partnership and with the support of Siemens Stiftung, Goethe-Institut, Afrikayna, Reeperbahn Festival, Alliance Française, BMG, Africa Art Lines, Afrikayna, Media Sound Hamburg, the Gold Coast Hub, the Prince Claus Fund and the ANT Mobility Grant from Pro Helvetia Johannesburg, financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

This year ACCES has a partnership with Reeperbahn Festival – one of the most important meeting places for the music industry worldwide and Europe's largest club festival based in Hamburg, Germany. The partnership creates a framework for the festival to collaborate with ACCES in facilitating sustainable business engagements and exchange between European and African music businesses and professionals, as well as the provision of performance opportunities to musicians in both territories.

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