Ghanaian Music Executive and Afro Nation Ghana producer, Ruddy Kwakye, has been announced a guest a speaker for this year’s edition of Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases (ACCES).
This year’s ACCES takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa, at Constitution Hill and other yet-to-be-announced venues on 25, 26 and 27 November. The pan-African trade event will host industry professionals from across Africa and around the world, who will be in South Africa’s most industrialised city to share knowledge, network, exchange ideas and witness showcases by emerging and established artists from the continent and diaspora.
To coincide with the registration announcement, ACCES has also confirmed the first batch of four acts who will perform at the event, including Msaki, Urban Village, Ikati Esengxoweni and Diamond Thug. More artists will be announced soon.
Some of the top speakers added to the programme this week include Visa For Music project manager Afaf Abahoua (Morocco), singer Msaki (South Africa), Akum Agency founder Jess White (South Africa), music industry entrepreneur Siya ‘Slikour’ Metane (South Africa) and rapper Gigi Lamayne (South Africa), who join previously announced speakers Black Major’s Sevi Spanoudi, Dakar Music Expo founder Dudu Sarr (Senegal), MTN Bushfire festival director Jiggs Thorne (eSwatini), entrepreneur and content marketer Phil Chard (Zimbabwe), Ongala Festival director Aziza Ongala (Tanzania), music journalist and media strategist Shiba Melissa Mazaza (South Africa) and Composers, Authors and Publishers Association CEO Jotam Matariro.
Featuring international speakers, networkers and showcasing artists, ACCES offers a strong conference programme that includes industry talks, pitch and networking sessions, workshops, music performances and an exhibition.
In addition to the dynamic line-up of musicians based on the continent, ACCES is partnering with Reeperbahn Festival to introduce exciting acts from the diaspora, which will perform, collaborate and participate in a skills transfer workshop during the conference.
This year, ACCES is incorporating the Music In Africa Gender@Work skills development programme, which aims to address gender imbalances in the music industry by providing opportunities for African women to benefit from a wide range of upskilling options. The programme’s second iteration, which will train participants in stage management, takes place in Johannesburg from 21 to 27 November.
Registrations for the 2021 edition of the Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases (ACCES) are now open on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested individuals can register for ACCES via the easy-to-follow online registration process (registration links provided below).
This year, ACCES will install a studio space where musicians will be able to record and collaborate with artists who they’ve met at the conference.
