Music In Africa to celebrate 10 years with stellar line-up in Munich

Dubbed ‘African Music Days’, the event comes at a time when the Foundation is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Audiences will have an opportunity to experience a diverse line-up of talented musicians, some of them performing in Germany for the first time.

In line with the Foundation’s goal to provide continuous exposure to emerging African musicians, the event will feature a number of artists that previously showcased at the MIAF’s ACCES music conference.

Acts on the bill include Arka'n Asrafokor (Togo), Sholo Mwamba (Tanzania), Esinam (Ghana) & Sibusile Xaba (South Africa), Blinky Bill (Kenya), Defmaa Maadef (Senegal), Fulu Miziki Kolektiv (DRC) and Ami Yerewolo (Mali).

The event, which is organised in partnership with Goethe-Institut, Muffatwerk Munich and Siemens Stiftung, will take place at the iconic Muffatwerk Munich centre. As a multicultural arts centre, Muffatwerk Munich promotes music from all over the world and African artists in particular with a series of concerts and projects. The Music In Africa platform, in turn, brings together musicians from the African continent and offers them the opportunity to network, exchange knowledge and experiences, and promote their music worldwide.

African Music Days will not only celebrate 10 years of the Music In Africa Foundation but also the 60th anniversary of the African Union. The event will offer attendees an opportunity to meet artists and influential players in the African music scene.

Before the performances, journalists will get to interview and talk to the musicians on the bill as well as Music In Africa Foundation director Eddie Hatitye, Siemens Stiftung managing director and spokesperson Dr Nina Smidt, Siemens Stiftung project manager for music Jens Cording, Goethe-Institut president Prof Dr Carola Lentz, Goethe-Institut secretary-general Johannes Ebert, and Muffatwerk Munich managing director Dietmar Lupfer.

Tickets are available here.

African Music Days programme

Day 1
Date: 24 May 2023
Venue: Ampere
Ticket price: €10
Time: Doors open at 7pm

Line up:

Defma Maadef (Senegal)

Defmaa Maadef is an exciting collaboration between two rising Senegalese hip hop stars. Mamy Victory is a vocal powerhouse and fixture in Senegal’s urban music scene while Defa is one of the most sought-after R&B voices in the country. The themes and melodies of their songs are deeply rooted in Senegalese culture and history. Full artist profile here.

Esinam & Sibusile Xaba (Ghana/South Africa)

Esinam and Sibusile Xaba represent a deep connection on an artistic and spiritual level. Esinam Dogbatse is a multi-instrumentalist from Ghana who combines traditional instruments with her warm voice and flute, opening new dimensions by combining acoustic sounds and electronic effects. South African Sibusile Xaba pushes the boundaries of music with his distincitve vocals and inimitable guitar style based on expressive picking. Together the two discover and combine their musical universes and something completely new emerges. Full artist profile here.

Arka'n Asrafokor (Togo)

Togolese band Arka'n Asrafokor stands out with its ‘Asrafo-core’, a fusion of hard rock/metal and African mysticism. The musicians express their pride in African wisdom, tradition, faith and a fighting spirit. This is how the band was able to make a name for itself in Togo, despite the fact that rock music receives little support in that countr. Full artist profile here.

Day 2
Date: 25 May 2023
Venue: Muffathalle
Ticket price: €10
Time: Doors open at 7pm

Line-up:

Blinky Bill (Kenya)

The music of Kenyan DJ Blinky Bill is a blend of futuristic African beats, funk, hip hop, pop, electronica and a touch of jazz. Blinky Bill previously achieved fame as the lead singer/songwriter of the seminal Kenyan band Just a Band. In 2018, he released his debut solo album Everyone’s Just Winging It and Other Fly Tales, which includes appearances by Sampa the Great, Petite Noir and Nneka. Full artist profile here.

Sholo Mwamba (Tanzania)

Sholo Mwamba is a popular award-winning artist in the Tanzanian music scene. His songs significantly shaped singeli, a genre-bending, uptempo musical style that was born in the backstreets of Dar es Salaam. His energetic performances and extravagant stage outfits make him one of the most popular artists in the East African region today. Full artist profile here.

Ami Yerewolo (Mali)

Ami Yerewolo is an outstanding Malian artist who has made rap more accessible to women in her country. After graduating from high school, she began studying finance while immersing herself in the hiphop scene, where she consistently challenged her male counterparts in freestyles. She is a voice for the women of her country and their challenges. Full artist profile here.

Fulu Miziki Kolektiv (DRC)

Kinshasa-based multidisciplinary Afro-futurist punk collective Fulu Miziki Kolektiv comes directly from a future where people have reconciled with Mother Earth and themselves. Making their own instruments, costumes and masks is an essential part of their identity. Their unique sound supports a pan-African message of artistic liberation, peace and a serious look at the ecological situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and around the world. For Fulu Miziki Kolektiv, everything can be reclaimed and re-enchanted. Full artist profile here.

African Music Days Munich is a cooperation of Muffatwerk Munich, Goethe-Institut, Siemens Stiftung and the Music In Africa Foundation. The event is supported by the Neustart Kultur programme of the German government.