PRESS RELEASE: Sauti za Busara Moves and Shakes the African Music Industry

PRESS RELEASE
Sauti za Busara Moves and Shakes the African Music Industry

7 FEBRUARY 2017 – Stone Town, Zanzibar: Sauti za Busara 2017 is ready to shake up the African music industry this week with a series of networking meetings designed to promote dialogue and learning in the arts community. Attracting professionals from Dar to Dakar, Movers & Shakers provides a place for music industry leaders to get together, share information, exchange ideas and network.

On Friday, the series will address the topic of digital opportunities, challenges and threats faced by the music industry. Guest panellists Jude Clark, founder of Joose Digital and Eddie Hatitye, Director of Music in Africa will share their expertise in the areas of copyrights, digitization, global music markets and information technology. Recognizing that digital capacities are crucial to professional success, attendees will explore the power of social media to connect with fans and potential investors, and increase their online presence in the global marketplace.

Musicians often find themselves at the forefront of popular movements and use their voices on behalf of the silenced. Artists also take risks that sometimes offend sensitive listeners and authorities. How do artists negotiate the fine line between freedom of expression and arts censorship? Saturday’s session will investigate ‘How Free is Free? Reflections on Freedom of Creative Expression in Africa,’ a report written by 25 authors from 14 countries and co-produced with Artwatch Africa as part of Arterial Network, which aims to defend freedom of creative expression on the continent. Panelists include Nelson Mandela of Sarabi Group, Kenya, Mamou Daffe, Director of the Festival sur le Niger, Mali and Dr. Omar Abdalla Adam Director of the Board of Censors, Zanzibar.

On Sunday, festival artists are invited to the space for an intimate Questions & Answers session. Participants are expected to include Pat Thomas and Kyekyeku from Ghana, Roland Tchakounte from Cameroun, Bi Mariam Hamdani from Zanzibar and Sahra Halgan from Somaliland. This is a special opportunity for artists from the African Continent and diaspora to meet and exchange news and information. The session will be moderated by Journey Ramadhan, festival manager.

Movers & Shakers is designed to generate unique links and connections, to build capacities and move the East African music industry forward. Sessions will convene daily from 2:00-3:30pm at Monsoon Restaurant. Admission is by invitation only, so local artists and managers are highly encouraged to contact Sauti za Busara festival if they wish to participate.

More information: busaramusic.org

Sauti za Busara 2017 is generously powered by: Norwegian Embassy, Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), ZANTEL, Africalia, Embassy of Germany, Zanlink, Memories of Zanzibar, Ethiopian Airlines, Mozeti, Coastal Aviation, Ikala Zanzibar Stone Town Lodge, Music in Africa, Chuchu FM Radio, Tifu TV and Zanzibar Media Corporation.