African festivals receive MIAConnects regional mobility funding

MIAConnects began its work last year with the help of Siemens Stiftung and the German Federal Foreign Office to support music professionals based in Chad, Mali, Niger, Nigeria (North), Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan. The current regional phase is part of the broader MIAConnects Artist Mobility Programme, which in 2017 supported more than 100 artists in conflict-hit countries to tour locally.

"We've done something incredible here by connecting festivals with musicians, most of whom rarely get to perform outside their countries in front of new audiences," Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) project manager Carmel Nair said. "It's unfortunate that conflict in Africa stifles so many talented musicians, and we hope that we've made a small dent to ameliorate the situation by giving artists the opportunity to ply their trade outside their borders."

In March the MIAF published a call directed at festivals across the African continent to apply for regional funding. Thirty-three festivals from Francophone and Anglophone countries in Africa applied, of which 11 were selected to receive funding in the region of €5 000 ($5 850) towards programming artists from the aforementioned countries.

The festivals that received MIAConnects mobility funding are:

• Jazz à Ouaga (Bukrina Faso)
• Waga Festival (Burkina Faso)
• El Genaina for Arts and Culture (Egypt)
• Festival International des Musiques et des Arts N'Sangu Ndji-Ndji (Congo-Brazzaville)
• Festa 2H (Senegal)
• Festival Assalamalekoum (Mauritania)
• Cultures Métisse (Mauritania)
• Eidhul ADHA Festival (Somalia)
• MTN Nyege Nyege (Uganda)
• Festival Ndjamvi (Chad)
• Les Nuits de Wassoulou à Sikasso (Mali)

The musicians who have performed or are yet to perform at the above mentioned festival are:

• Vieux Farka Touré (Mali) – Jazz à Ouaga
• Iba One (Mali) – Waga Festival     
• Ami Yerewolo (Mali) – Festa 2H
• Tal B (Mali) – Festival Assalamalekoum    
• Alsarah and The Nubatones (Sudan) – El Genaina for Arts and Culture
• Généviève Matibeye (Chad) – Festival International des Musiques et des Arts N'Sangu Ndji-Ndji
• Hiddo Maal (Kenya/Somalia) – Eidhul ADHA Festival
• Bell Stage (Niger) – MTN Nyege Nyege
• Groupe Sogha (Niger) – Les Nuits de Wassoulou à Sikasso  
• Mounira Mitchala (Chad) – Cultures Métisse
• L’Orchestre Kôrè de Ségou (Mali) –  Festival Ndjamvi

More about MIAConnects

The MIAConnects project includes other components that offer the music industries in countries affected by conflict a wider platform. One such component includes commissioning experts and academics to research topics about the music industries in the seven focus countries. The research covers areas such as how conflict has affected the music sectors in the identified countries, the opportunities that exist for local music professionals, the efforts being made towards reigniting these music industries and the role music plays as a socio-economic catalyst, among others. The research will culminate in the publishing of approximately 70 articles on the Music In Africa portal (www.musicinafrica.net).

MIAConnects also aims to develop the skills of music professionals by holding training and upskilling workshops together with arts organisations operating on the ground in the seven countries. Four countries – Mali, Chad, Sudan and Somalia – have already implemented workshops focusing on music theory, marketing, production and stagecraft, with more training areas to be identified according to music professionals’ needs in each country throughout 2018.

For more information, visit the MIAConnects page. Follow Music In Africa on Twitter, like on Facebook and subscribe to the monthly newsletter.