Open call: The SampleBar Kenya music exhibition project

The SampleBar Kenya is an interactive ethnomusicological exhibit aimed at preserving and showcasing Kenya's cultural heritage through digitised music recordings. The project entails archiving, documentation and exhibition of sounds and melodies of the diversity of Kenyan traditional instruments that are facing extinction, while relying on an innovative digital technology product. 

The project

The ongoing project consists of research and fieldwork across Kenya, field and studio recording of a variety of traditional music and content development in terms of appropriate ethnomusicological and cultural information on the recorded instruments and musical styles, and the documentation of the above. The team is equally collecting musical instruments to compliment the digital exhibit with an authentic physical component.

The objective

The final objective is to permanently exhibit the SampleBar installation at the Bomas of Kenya cultural centre with a total of eight SampleBar tables to cover the musical diversity of eight regions of Kenya – Central, Coast, Eastern, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western Kenya and Nairobi city. While the different regional tables will focus on traditional instruments from specific ethnic communities residing in these regions, the Nairobi table will represent the blending of cultures, showcase the contemporary development of Kenyan musical identity and feature popular music genres and instruments.

To accompany these installations, Kenyan visual artists are invited to develop commissioned works interpreting the cultural mood of a selected region through painting (mural or canvas), sculpture, mixed media or digital art.

Application

To take part, fill the application form and upload the necessary documents. Applicants will receive technical details and detailed instructions after the open-call deadline.

The application deadline is 10 October 2023.

Implementing partners

This is a partnership project developed with Swedish company Libido Music AB and supported by a grant from Ignite Culture: ACP-EU Culture Programme (Eastern Africa). This fund is implemented by HEVA, in partnership with the British Council Kenya with the financial contribution of the European Union, and with further support from the Organisation of ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) States. It is part of the global ACP-EU Culture Programme.

View the original call here.