African Renaissance

Thursday 27 June | 15:50 – 16:40 | LantarenVenster – Room six

Whereas 100 years ago, the breakthrough of Afro-American (jazz) culture in New York began with the Harlem Renaissance, today African culture is experiencing its own Renaissance – but now on a global scale. Especially in jazz and pop music, this African Renaissance can be heard and seen. African artists are receiving Grammys and Oscars, Burna Boy is in Time Magazine’s top 100 and Boy effortlessly fills entire stadiums. Blue Note Records launched Blue Note Africa, and with significant reissues, labels like Analogue Africa and Stern’s are rewriting African pop history. Meanwhile, afrobeats and amapiano dominate dance floors and music magazines everywhere. Even at jazzahead! in Bremen, three bands and two panels focused on African jazz for the first time. How to interpret these developments and what do they mean for musicians, agents and venues?

With:
Dudu Sarr (Dakar Music Expo, manager Youssou N’Dour, SN)
Stefanie Schumann (Delicious Tunes Agency, DE)
Bounaly (artist, ML)
Joep Pelt (afro-exploring guitarist, NL)

Moderator:
Stan Rijven (World Music Forum, NL)