Nine artists from the continent, six of which are from South Africa, are among the first wave of Showcasing Artists on the South by Southwest (SXSW) 2020 line-up. AKA, Cassper Nyovest, Amanda Black, Samthing Soweto, Nadia Nakai and Moonchild Sanelly will be representing South Africa in the festival which takes place in Austin, Texas annually. Nigeria’s Simi and Lady Donli and Lesotho’s Morena Leraba are also on the line-up of showcasing artists, which consists of artists from 51 countries.
James Minor, Head of Music Festival at SXSW said: “This season’s first artist reveal is a compelling and diverse list of artists from all corners of the globe. In the continued spirit of discovery, we’re pleased to give the world a glimpse of what it can expect to see next March; a genre-spanning and defying lineup of artists you’ll undoubtedly be hearing about in the future.”
The first wave of African artists is a great mixture of mainstream and niche artists, and it’s highly likely to get even better with more artists being added in the near future before the festival takes place. SXSW is taking place in Austin, TX between March 16 and 22.
The 288 Showcasing Artists announced today span 51 countries and include UK Afrobeat octet Kokoroko; 2019 NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner Quinn Christopherson; Dirty Hit signing and soon-to-be indie rock darling Beabadoobee; South Korean K-Pop singer and BTS, Exo and Red Velvet producer/collaborator SUMIN; introspective Atlanta rapper GRIP; Ghostly International’s moody Melbourne-based minimal dub-influenced electronic duo HTRK.
Psychedelic Afro-Columbian futurists Ghetto Kumbé; buzzy Irish post-rock shoegazers Just Mustard, Houston gospel/soul/funk group The Jones Family Singers; former Throwing Muses singer/guitarist Kristin Hersh; Indigenous Australian rapper Baker Boy; Norwegian unhinged pop act and new Bella Union signing Pom Poko; The Weather Girls’ Martha Wash (yes, the same one from “It’s Raining Men”); rising Columbian latin-urban artist Nanpa Básico; and the Robert Smith-approved Icelandic darkwave trio Kælan Mikla.
South by Southwest (abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By) is an annual conglomerate of film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas, United States. It began in 1987 and has continued to grow in both scope and size every year. In 2017, the conference lasted for 10 days with the interactive track lasting for five days, music for seven days, and film for nine days.
SXSW is run by the company SXSW, LLC which organizes conferences, trade shows, festivals, and other events. In addition to the three main South by Southwest festivals, the company runs other conferences: SXSW EDU, a conference on educational innovation, held in Austin, and the me Convention (Started in 2017), held in Frankfurt, Germany, in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz. Former conferences run by the SXSW organization were SXSW Eco, an environmental conference held in Austin from 2011 to 2016; and one in Las Vegas: SXSW V2V, a conference focused on innovative startups which ran from 2013 to 2015.
The SXSW Film Festival celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent from both behind and in front of the camera. Featuring provocative dramas, documentaries, comedies, genre standouts, and more, the festival has become known for the high caliber and diversity of films presented, and for its smart, enthusiastic audiences.
The SXSW Music Festival invites artists, industry professionals, and fans from all over the world to Austin, Texas for a week every March to attend performances by iconic artists, make professional connections, elevate their musical careers, and discover the next wave of musical talent and SXSW Interactive is focused on emerging technology. The festival includes a trade show, speakers, parties, and a startup accelerator.
Growing from a one-night celebration of comedy’s biggest names into a week-long whirlwind of a festival, the SXSW Comedy Festival presents uniquely diverse programming that highlights exceptional emerging and established talent. SXSW Festivals offer a unique opportunity to explore the worlds of Film, Music, and Comedy with parties, awards, screenings, and showcases.
View the current line-up here.
Watch SXSW 2020 Trailer below;
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