Esinam and Christian Bella join ACCES 2023 line-up

They join previously announced showcasing acts like Marioo (Tanzania), Sho Madjozi (South Africa), Zolani Mahola & The Feminine Force (South Africa), Siti Muharam and The Unguja All Stars (Tanzania), Feli Nandi (Zimbabwe), Alostmen (Ghana), Leo Mkanyia (Tanzania), Kasiva Mutua (Kenya), Madalitso Band (Malawi), Damian Soul (Tanzania), Balaa MC (Tanzania) and Kadilida (Tanzania).

This year’s ACCES showcases will take place at the Warehouse live venues over three nights, with Esinam performing on 9 November and Christian Bella on 10 November.

Esinam, a Belgian-Ghanaian multi-instrumentalist based in Brussels, began her solo career as a “one-woman band”, handling all instruments through sampling and looping, and later expanded to include other musicians for her live performances. Her sound is characterised by a rich blend of soulful vocals, traditional African percussion, electronic influences and flute improvisations.

Her compositions, which also weave together traces of house, trip hop, hip hop, traditional, blues and psychedelia, reflect a diverse range of cultural and geographical influences, drawn from her personal history and global travels. She is behind her eponymous EP (2018), and debut album Shapes in Twilights of Infinity (2021). Esinam has collaborated with various musicians including South Africa’s Sibusile Xaba.

Christian Bella, also known as ‘The King of Voices’ (Mfalme wa Masauti) due to his ability to manipulate his voice, began his musical journey at the age of 15 when he led a music band called Chateau. A Tanzanian musician with Congolese roots, he later collaborated with well-known musician Fally Ipupa and also played in Akudo Impact, during which time he released his first single ‘Walimwengu Si Binadamu’.

He followed this up with ‘Yako Wapi Mapenzi’, which became a massive hit, changing his life and anchoring him in the Tanzanian music scene. Since then, Christian Bella has continued to release hit songs and to collaborate with various artists, including Koffi Olomide, Hamisa Mobetto and Khaligraph Jones. He currently leads the Malaika Band, based in Dar es Salaam.

Register for ACCES 2023 here. African delegates register for free.

View the full conference programme here.

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.

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