Marioo to perform and speak at ACCES 2023

Marioo will be joined on the ACCES live showcase platform by fellow Tanzanian artists Balaa MC, Siti Muharam and The Unguja All Stars, Kadilida, Leo Mkanyia and Damian Soul. Other confirmed performers include Sho Madjozi (South Africa), Zolani Mahola & The Feminine Force (South Africa), Nour Harkati (Tunisia), Alostmen (Ghana), Ngwaka Son Systéme (DRC), Kasiva Mutua (Kenya), Madalitso Band (Malawi) and Feli Nandi (Zimbabwe).

Marioo’s performance will take place on Saturday 11 November at the popular Warehouse venue in Masaki, Dar es Salaam.

At the conference, Marioo will give a much-anticipated keynote talk alongside top-class speakers like South African musician and entrepreneur Sho Madjozi, Voice of America’s Heather Maxwell, SymphonyOS founder Chuka Chase (US), SaveFi Tech founder Ebenezer Akachukwu (Nigeria), EMPIRE general manager of dance Moody Jones (US) and The Orchard director of distribution Mpumi Phillips (South Africa), among many others.

Featuring more than 50 speakers, ACCES will host in-depth discussions about music rights management, music entrepreneurship, music publishing, branding, touring, collaborations and tech in the music industry.

A natural hitmaker and founder of recording label Bad-Nation Company Limited, Marioo started his musical career by writing songs for local artists like Nandy, Gigy Money and Christian Bella, before his 2018 single ‘Dar Kugumu’ catapulted him to national stardom. The song kick-started his performance career, establishing him as a leading artists among the current crop of bongo flava stars.

The versatile artist can easily navigate through genres such as amapiano, Afrobeats and R&B, and seamlessly marry them with bongo flava – a skill that has earned him collaborations with local and continental artists such as Tyler ICU (South Africa), Skales (Nigeria), Harmonize (Tanzania), Sho Madjozi (South Africa) and Gnako (Tanzania).

Last year, Marioo released his debut full-length album The Kid You Know, which truly brought to the fore his talent as a vocalist and songwriter. His poignant lyrics perfectly encapsulate the human condition, expressed through songs exploring romance, success, failure, redemption and hope.

The artist won three accolades at the 2022 Tanzanian Music Awards, while his love offering ‘Mi Amor’, featuring Kenyan singer Jovial, made it onto Rolling Stone’s inaugural 40 Best Afropop Songs of 2022 list.

At this year’s edition, ACCES will take a deep dive into another exciting Tanzanian genre, singeli, with speakers and local performers shedding light on the homegrown sound that has taken over the country and captured the attention of global music aficionados.

The music conference – which also includes capacity-building workshops, exhibitions, networking and visits to music industry hubs in the Tanzanian city – is free for Africans to attend. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis via the official website. 

About ACCES

ACCES is a pan-African trade show 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 pan-African non-profit organisation, in partnership with Siemens Stiftung, Goethe-Institut, the Tanzanian Ministry of Culture, Arts and Sports, the National Arts Council of Tanzania (BASATA) and Alliance Française.

Register for ACCES 2023 here.

Listen to a video playlist of our showcasing artists here.

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