Call for registrations: Songwriting masterclass in Southern Africa

Cookout Africa Songwriting seeks to empower African songwriters and highlight their community's creativity, as well as promote team building and collaboration. The interactive masterclass is specially designed for the Southern African music industry and aims to engage participants as well as encourage creative writing, group function, reflection, peer learning, peer interaction and practice that culminates in a finished song.

The session will be conducted primarily in English. However, Portuguese speaking songwriters from the region are encouraged to participate. The masterclass will begin at 6pm CAT. Interested songwriters should register here and fill out the application to reserve their spot. Limited seats are available.

Who can register?

Participants from the following countries are eligible to register:

• Angola
• Botswana
• Eswatini
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• South Africa
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

The series will be hosted by US multi-Grammy Award nominated composer and producer Vincent Le Carl Berry II, who was the lead writer of ‘Sandcastles’, off Beyoncé’s 2016 Lemonade album. Berry has also contributed and written for other prominent musicians such as J. Cole, Akon, Ari Lennox, Babyface, Brandy and Chris Brown, and Estelle, among others.

Launched on 30 July, Cookout Africa Songwriting will continue across the continent over the next few months. The series is organised in collaboration with the African Union as part of the second edition of the biennial Intra-African Trade Fair, which was set to take place in September in Kigali, Rwanda, but was postponed to next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information about the Cookout Africa Songwriting masterclass, send an email to [email protected].