Ongalaverse

BIO

The ONGALAverse is a weekly live music showcase platform soon to evolve into a thriving community hub fostering creative and artistic innovation and growth. Its diverse musical repertoire encompasses Traditional, Neo-Traditional, Afro Beat/Soul, Roots, and Reggae, featuring acoustic, semi-acoustic, and three-to six-piece band performances. ONGALAverse delivers top-tier live sound experiences with both emerging and established artists and musicians hailing from across the region.

African music epitomizes a rich tapestry of cultural exchange, spanning not only various countries and cultures on the continent and the diaspora but also traversing different generations and genres, transcending its physical borders. The burgeoning youth population, technological progress, and remarkable talent in Tanzania, and indeed, throughout Africa, have positioned it as the next frontier for major international labels and digital streaming platforms, offering a fresh perspective on African music.

The brainchild and organizers behind Wikiendi Live and the Ongala Music Festival, Aziza Ongala and Ambasa Mandela of Ongala Music Africa join forces with Akula Akwabi and Leanne Martin-Pollock of Krescendo Communications. Their combined decades-long dedication to the creative industries in East Africa and beyond is underscored by numerous tracks and collaborations produced under Mandugu Digital, regional and inter-regional festivals organized by Music Crossroads TZ, B-Connected festivals by Music Mayday TZ, and consultancy services rendered to entities such as Sauti za Busara, The British Council, Goethe Institute, the EU, and more, focusing on industry development and management. Together, they introduce this innovative live music experience in Dar es Salaam.