The Music In Africa Foundation(MIAF) has announced Ghana’s capital Accra, as the host city for the 2019 edition of the Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases (ACCES), with the pan-African music conference taking place on 14, 15 and 16 November.
The Ghanaian city will be the third African capital to host the prestigious trade event after Dakar and Nairobi welcomed delegates from around the world in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
The conference will feature panel discussions, presentations, interactive exhibitions, speed networking sessions and outings to key industry hubs in the host city such as recording studios and live venues, among many other activities.
ACCES 2019 will open with a ceremony on 14 November where the MIAF will award a Ghanaian musician with the Music In Africa Honorary Award. The award is bestowed upon African artists who have made immense contributions to the music and cultural industries in their countries and Africa as a whole.
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 with Siemens Stiftung and Goethe-Institute.
According to the Director at MIAF, Eddie Hatitye, they are incredibly excited to announce beautiful Accra as the next ACCES city to host the third successive music conference in Africa
The Director at MIAF stated that, he foresee Accra as one of the leading music hubs in Africa and can’t wait to expose participants from other African countries and around the globe to its musical treasures as well as those of Ghana as a whole.
Mr. Eddie revealed that, ACCES 2019 will give Ghana-based and West African artists, start-ups and various industry service providers the ideal platform to show off their clout.
Last year’s ACCES was held at the Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi where about 1 000 delegates from more than 40 countries gathered to exchange ideas, discover new talent and shape the continent’s music sector.
ACCES 2018 also saw the participation of 70 regional and international artists who showcased on two stages in front of industry movers and shakers as well as future collaborators.
This year, ACCES is planning a similar programme of showcases in Accra and has already published a call for applications directed at artists who would like to be considered for a slot at the conference.
According to Director, MIAF will further refine their programme; explaining that, they want to see more and more success stories emerging with every newly held ACCES conference as they believe creating bridges is one of the best ways to do that.
Replicating the last edition of the event, Mr. Eddie revealed that, they will be employing a knowledgeable curation committee of leading industry players on the continent to select the artists ahead of ACCES in November.
Director at Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF), Mr. Eddie Hatitye, urge African musicians to start applying early in the year to avoid disappointment, adding that, they’re looking for a diverse line-up made up of all genres that can impress any international audience.
The deadline for applications is 30 April 2019 (midnight CAT). Log on to, https://www.musicinafrica.net/user/register to register and apply
By: Gerrard-Israel
