Uganda: DOADOA line-up confirmed

African artists who will showcase at the event, which is now in its seventh edition, include Ugandan musicians Shifah Musisi, Izaya the Composer, Afrigo Band, Gloria Achillah, Eli Neema and Sheebah Karungi as well as Shamsi Music (Kenya), Afro Simba Band (Kenya), Mumala Maloba (Kenya), Siti and the Band (Tanzania), Mapanya Band (Tanzania), Yves Kami (Burundi) and DJ Eric Soul (Rwanda).

The arts market will also feature daily industry panel discussions and speed networking sessions with local, regional and international experts.

Tanzania’s Leo Mkanyia, who showcased at the fourth edition of DOADOA, will this year take part in a panel discussion on the role of managers and labels in the digital age. He told Music In Africa that many East African artists were yet to fully understand the role of managers and record labels. 

“It is important to have managers and festival bookers because as an artist you can neither multitask nor solely represent yourself as a brand,” Mkanyia said. “Musicians need someone who can speak for them and broker deals on their behalf. Potential sponsors sometimes prefer not to deal directly with the artist.”

Mkanyia said he would stress the need for radio and TV stations to promote local music content.

“Using the Internet and social media to promote music can never be as successful as in Europe and the US. As much as there are local platforms that enable artists to get revenue, not all musicians benefit from such services because unlike in Europe where an artist can be popular through YouTube, a good number of East Africans still have issues accessing the Internet,” he said.

DOADOA is a platform for unlocking the potential of the East African creative industry, making it an important factor for economic, social and cultural development throughout the region, its website says.

For more information, visit the official DOADOA website.