“Music In Africa” brings together the creative potential of 54 African countries: More than 120 English- and French-speaking authors from the entire continent write here about Africa’s musical landscape. The website is primarily aimed at African musicians, concert organizers, fans and journalists – but also at interested individuals from all over of the world. A number of important elements have now been added to it, including a booking tool and free video streaming.
In November 2014, “Music In Africa” went online and has been posting articles and well-researched background information provided by African journalists and music experts ever since. The Music In Africa Foundation, which has a team of 15 people in offices in Johannesburg, Nairobi, Kinshasa, Lagos and Dakar, handles the editorial work. “Within two years, Music In Africa has become the largest and most important information platform on the continent,” says Eddington Hatitye, the Director of the Music In Africa Foundation.
Following extensive user analysis, musicinafrica.net has been completely reworked in terms of content, structure and look and feel. It now offers even more networking and continuing educational opportunities. Music fans can also enjoy an extremely wide variety of soundtracks in addition to mainstream ones.
The website covers a broad range of topics: The opportunities presented by digitalization and the social and political impact of music throughout many African countries are equally vital focal points. Jens Cording, project manager at Siemens Stiftung, says: “Music reveals so much about Africa, for example about society, politics and people’s everyday lives. Music In Africa enables cultural exchange accross borders, which strengthens local identities and fosters mutual understanding.” Noemie Njangiru of the Goethe-Institut Johannesburg adds: “We are really excited about the high level of acceptance that Music In Africa enjoys among the continent’s music scene. The African team conducts an intensive dialog with local musicians, which is clearly illustrated on the site.”
The offerings of “Music In Africa” at a glance:
• Music magazine with daily concert news and reviews
• Profiles of more than 18,000 musicians and cultural organizations
• More than 550 quality-checked overview texts
• Online and offline training
• Free music and video streaming – NEW
• Electronic press kits – NEW
• Messaging and booking tool – NEW
• Personalized news feed for registered users – NEW
You will find a detailed description of the new services in the press release issued by the Music In Africa Foundation:
www.musicinafrica.net
Background
“Music in Africa” is an Internet platform dedicated to information and exchange and devoted to the African music sector. The Goethe-Institut and Siemens Stiftung support the establishment and development of the portal. The aim of this partnership is to create a sustainable structure with local partners, which contributes to a pulsating music scene on the continent. The pan-African Music In Africa Foundation acts as a governing organization.