The Role of African Music Festivals in Supporting Africa's Growing Music Industry.

Breakfast Connect

Over the last few years, African festivals have increased during summer across the Diaspora and over the Continent. However, many music professionals have often called for better integration, harmonisation and promotion across the different African regions to ensure that more opportunities are unlocked across the African music landscape and enterprises to help access financing, promoting tourism and economic development. On the show, Nonso Mordi speaks with Katherine McVicker on the role of African music festivals and events in supporting Africa's growing music industry, increment revenues and tourism and what policymakers and various African tourist agencies need to do to facilitate this and deliver socio-economic impact and foster employment. Katherine McVicker is the Founder and Director of Music Works International and co-founder of ACA. An experienced public speaker and booking agent, in her 30-year career specializing in jazz and world music, she has helped to develop the international careers of a wide range of artists, including Norah Jones, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joshua Redman, Branford Marsalis, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. She has developed promoter networks in Europe and Scandinavia and is currently working on developing similar networks in South America and the Asia-Pacific region.