By Bethsheba Achitsa
Published March 4, 2020
Musicians in Kenya interested in performing across Spain through an initiative that seeks to give more exposure to Kenyan music have till March 20, 2020 to apply for the opportunity.
This project offers Kenyan musicians the opportunity to perform before a group of Spanish cultural and festival programmers and directors who are set to attend a two-day festival in Kenya in April 2020 to select as well as connect with industry stakeholders. Twelve bands are expected to take part in the festival.
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“We are delighted about this exchange between Kenya and Spain,” says Donald Otoyo of Permanent Presidential Music Commission of Kenya (PPMC) that is collaborating with Spanish public diplomacy institution called Casa África on its music cultural cooperation project, Vis a Vis. “The Festival Directors will come to experience the live music scene, connect with music business as well as our hospitality as Kenyans and two of Kenya’s outstanding bands shall have the opportunity to spread Kenyan music in Spain by participating in 10 – 15 festivals in Spain in July 2020.”
However, to stand the chance to perform at both events, Kenyan artists who are tour-ready and who perform any genre of music are encouraged to apply for the opportunity via the africavisavis.com/kenya website by March 20, 2020.
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This year marks the 11th edition of the annual Vis a Vis cultural exchange which follows on from other collaborations with other African countries including Senegal, Cape Verde, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea and Angola.
“We look forward to receiving more applications by the bands. The Spanish Festival bookers will then shortlist the 12 bands that perform at the two-day event in Nairobi,” said Juan Jaime, head of Culture and Education at Casa Africa, during his visit to explore the Kenyan music landscape in Nairobi, February 21 – 24, 2020.
This is a collaborative initiative between Casa África and the Government of Kenya.
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While PPMC is a Department within the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage mandated to promote the development of Music and dance, spearhead the growth and development of the music industry and to contribute to the understanding and preservation of Kenyan musical arts and expression, Casa África is a public diplomacy consortium at the service of Spanish foreign policy.
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Meanwhile, OGOVA ONDEGO reports, the Audiovisual Cooperation Service of the Embassy of France in Kenya and Somalia has announced the 4th annual edition of the Kalasha International TV and Film Market to be held in Nairobi.
“Last year, about 70 exhibitors and more than 800 visitors attended this major event for the audiovisual and film sector in East Africa,” the Embassy says in a statement issued to the media in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on February 27, 2020. “We hope to see more participation in 2020.”
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