Kenya: ONGEA! music summit back with 2019 edition

The line-up includes Swedish singer Adee and Kenyan artists Elani, TUK Band, K-C Mugureness, Brian Sugu, Ythera, L’Afrique, Draya Kish, Qritica, Jemedari, Elizabeth Kamau, Winnie M, Master Piece, Agolla, Konkodi, Erick Musyoka, Jackrooster, Brian, Boneye and Khuhani.

Kenyan producer Erick Musyoka will deliver a keynote speech on what makes a great producer by focussing on the creative aspects of the profession.

ONGEA’s vision is to offer delegates networking opportunities, export music from East Africa and develop a professional, transparent and profitable industry.

To achieve this, the organisers have invited three festival bookers through an agreement where they will commit to book at least one of the 20 showcasing artists to play abroad. The bookers will ensure that the selected artists receive an all-expenses paid trip including air tickets, visas, accommodation, insurance, meals, per diems and performance fees.

Live at Heart festival co-founder Peter Astedt (Sweden) will be present to scout new talent for his event, which takes place in Orebro, Sweden, between 4 and 7 September. An avid music writer and record label owner, Astedt also runs Musichelp Publishing through which he has aligned music with big brands such as Coca-Cola, Samsung, BMW, Volvo, Huawei and EA Games, among others.

Also present will be Jacaranda Festival organiser Walter Wanyama (Zimbabwe) and SIM Festival consulting board member Meithe Bertolini (Brazil). Last year, Kenyan musicians MDQ and Phy were booked by Detlef Schwarte (Germany) to perform at Hamburg's Reeperbahn Festival in September.

ONGEA! 2019 will tackle the critical issues that Kenyan musicians face in the music and entertainment scene by inviting artists, producers, policymakers and various other industry players to share their thoughts and insights through daily panel discussions. The topics will include Understanding your legal protection as an artist, Cartel vs management in the growth of artists, Play Kenyan music, Brand building and publicity, How to get booked for a festival and Mental and emotional wellness in the creative industry. 

The music summit will also host daily trade exhibitions by local industry stakeholders, including Kenyan record labels Ketebul Music and Decimal Records as well as NRG Radio, the Kenya Copyright Board, MTech Communications and Sheer Publishing Africa, to name a few.

For more information about this event, visit the ONGEA! official website.