ACCES announces curation committee ahead of Accra music conference

The curation committee will be tasked with selecting the musical artists who will showcase at ACCES 2019, as well as advising on the broader ACCES programme.

The six-member curation committee is made up of leading music industry players from across the African continent, including musician Wiyaala (Ghana), music producer Panji Anoff, Afrikayna chairperson Ghita Khaldi (Morocco), Akum Agency founder Jess White (Australia/Mozambique), MIAF director Eddie Hatitye (South Africa) and MIAF chairperson Maimouna Dembele (Senegal).

The 2019 curation committee members are regarded as some of Africa's most influential music industry professionals and will use their vast knowledge to select the artists who will showcase in front of festival curators, promoters, booking agents and record label executives.

This year's edition of ACCES will be the third in the history of the event. In 2017, the inaugural ACCES, which takes place in a different African city every year, was held in Dakar, Senegal. Last year, the conference went to Nairobi where about 1 000 delegates from more than 40 countries converged on the Kenyan capital to exchange ideas, discover new talent and shape the continent's music sector.

The announcement of the 2019 curation committee comes after ACCES made a call to African artists who want to perform at the conference. The call's deadline is 30 April and the curation committee will get to work immediately afterwards to pick out the showcasing talent. The committee will be working according to previously set-out criteria based on, among others, gender balance, country balance, genre balance and musical originality.

"Our curation committee features some of Africa's best to ensure that ACCES is able set the benchmark on the continent," Hatitye said. "This year we invited two Ghanaian industry leaders – the incredibly talented Wiyaala and multidisciplinary genius Panji Anoff – to give us their extensive experience in the local scene so that we can present a balanced and unforgettable programme in November."

About ACCES

The Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases, or simply ACCES, is an annual music conference that hosts industry players from across the African continent and around the world. ACCES 2019 will be held in Accra from 28 to 30 November and will see music professionals gather in the Ghanaian capital to exchange ideas, discover new talent and accelerate the shaping of the music sector on the continent. The conference will offer training workshops, panel discussions, presentations, networking sessions, exhibitions, showcases, concerts and visits to key music industry hubs in Accra.

ACCES is organised by the Music In Africa Foundation, a non-profit and pan-African organisation, in partnership with Siemens Stiftung and Goethe-Institut.

For more information about the conference, visit the official ACCES website.