Eric Wainaina to deliver keynote address at ACCES 2018

ACCES, which stands for Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases, will this year take at place at the Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi from 15 to 17 November where music industry professionals from around the world will be present to discuss pertinent industry topics, network, and discover some of the hottest acts in Africa.

Wainaina will follow in the footsteps of last year's keynote, Baaba Maal, by representing the Kenyan music industry and setting the tone of the pan-African event.

"With his immense knowledge and experience in the Kenyan music industry, Eric Wainaina is the perfect keynote to get things off to a flying start at ACCES 2018," MIAF director Eddie Hatitye said. "Wainaina is not only a musician but an activist who has done important work to empower Kenyans and Africans.”

Last year, ACCES was held in Dakar where about 500 participants from more than 40 countries were acquainted with the West African music industry through panel discussions, showcases and tours to the Senegalese capital's music venues and studios. This year the conference moves to the other side of the continent as part of its pan-African mission to support music professionals across the entire continent.

Wainaina's career began in the mid-1990s when he joined the a cappella group Five Alive, which toured Europe in 1996. In the same year, Wainaina was involved in 'Get in the Driver's Seat', a song commissioned by the UN to fight drug abuse in 20 countries. This period is credited as the singer's entry into activism, which has been a major element of his music until the present day.

In 1997, Wainaina went to study music at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, US. While in the US, he worked with producer Christian Kaufmann who helped Wainaina shape his eclectic music style. In 2001 Wainaina released 'Nchi Ya Kitu Kidogo' (Country of Bribes), a powerful rebuttal of corruption in Kenyan politics. The song became an unofficial national anthem that is still relevant today. The award-winning musician was named among the 100 most influential Kenyans by The Standard newspaper in 2007, a year after the release of his highly acclaimed Twende Twende album.

About ACCES

The Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases, or simply ACCES, is a pan-African event for music industry players to exchange ideas, discover new talent and create business linkages. ACCES 2018 will be held in Nairobi from 15 to 17 November 2018 and will offer training workshops, panel discussions, presentations, networking sessions, exhibitions, showcases, concerts and visits to key music industry hubs in Nairobi.

ACCES is organised by the Music In Africa Foundation, a non-profit and pan-African organisation, in partnership with Siemens Stiftung, Goethe-Institut, Alliance Francaise, Kenya’s Permanent Presidential Music Commission (PPMC), MagicalKenya and the Kenya Cultural Centre.