Cultural Connections Africa’s groundbreaking conference held in Harare

Cultural Connection Africa (CCA), an emerging pan-African arts non-profit recently held its inaugural conference in Harare, Zimbabwe with delegates from the U.S. and five African nations who gathered to advance the organization’s mission to promote building knowledge, awareness, and programming of African music globally.

CCA Publicity

Hosted by the Jacaranda Music Festival and Zimbabwean Arts Trust, Ngoma Nehosho, top music industry professionals came together October 4-9 to plan new initiatives in education and business development that will create opportunities and capacity building for all members, while instilling global awareness of African culture and music at home and abroad. CCA’s future plans also include continued close collaboration with Music in Africa, and with regional networks / industry conferences, as well to host an African Women in the Arts conference in 2022.

Joshua Georgiou, (SOUTH AFRICA) and Walter Wanyanya (Zimbabwe)

“One of our goals as CCA was to encourage collaborations among members and to see a whole lot more cross pollination happening across borders through the creative space and us meeting in person for the first time clearly enforced and confirmed this very valid need”,
Walter Wanyanya, CCA Co-Founder and Jacaranda Music Festival.

CCA’s first digital project, Connect Africa, a platform to facilitate communication and networking across the vast African continent among music industry professionals, received an enthusiastic response from the guests attending from many private and public organizations.

“Connect Africa is an innovative, groundbreaking digital tool that will help create capacity and cooperation across Africa and within the African diaspora outside of the continent,”
CCA’s co-founder and Director of Music Works International, Katherine McVicker.

CCA members also presented their individual projects such as Ckrowd and Amfest from Kayode Adobayo, Nigeria, Dim-Dep Musical from Atlas Duma, Durban, South Africa, World New Music Days Soweto/Johannesburg, South Africa, from Ignacio Priego, Egypt, and Anyone Can Book a Gig, from Katherine McVicker & Alice Feldman, Boston, USA.

CCA members also coordinated workshops as part of the Jacaranda Music Business Conference on 6 and 7 October, a two-day event that addressed a wide range of topics related to the developing music industry in Africa.

“The Jacaranda Music Festival and Cultural Connection Africa collaboration was a resounding success. The planning, across long distances and the execution on the ground was a showcase of skill and generosity. It was a pleasure to receive all the CCA delegates and their input in the Jacaranda conference was immensely valuable, it raised the quality of our programming and from our participants feedback; most were educated and inspired,”
Marcus Gora, Manager to Mokoomba & Jacaranda Music Festival Manager.

After four productive and inspiring days of meetings, CCA members enjoyed two days of great live music on 8 and 9 October at the 4th Jacaranda Music Festival held at the Venue in Avondale. The workshop and festival days were a hybrid of live and streamed events. Walter Wanyanya, Marcus Gora and entire Ngoma Nehosho team once again created a sold-out festival and well attended business summit demonstrating their continued commitment to growing and supporting the Zimbabwean music/cultural landscape.