All Africa Music Awards …

The African Union Commission (AUC) has officially invited the governments of Nigeria and South Africa to take advantage of the hosting rights benefits of the next two editions of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA).

In a letter signed by the AUC’s Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development, Her Excellency, Ambassador Minata Samate Cessouma, the AU said the call aligns with its policies for the strategic transformation of Africa through social integration, as outlined in AU Agenda 2063, the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance, and the AU Plan for Action on Cultural and Creative Industry.

The AU has described AFRIMA as a global platform for celebrating and developing Africa’s diverse musical talents and cultural heritage, highlighting the significant opportunities hosting the prestigious awards presents for the selected host country.

According to organisers, AFRIMAs hosting rights are “usually bestowed on a country that shows capacity and commitment to meet up with the requirements and conditions.” 

AUC’s acting director for social development, culture, and sports, Angela Martins, noted that hosting AFRIMAs offers the host country opportunities for cultural showcasing, music sector development, tourism promotion and economic growth.

“This call to action comes as part of the AU’s commitment to promoting cultural exchange, unity, and economic development across the African continent,” she said. “We urge the governments of Nigeria and South Africa to seize this opportunity to strengthen intra-African collaboration in line with AfCFTA [the African Continental Free Trade Area] within the music industry and enhance their international visibility positively.

“AFRIMAs serve as a premier platform for African artists in Africa and diaspora to showcase their talent, gain international exposure and connect with audiences worldwide.”

The AFRIMAs, first held in 2014, operate based on core pillars encompassing awards, festivals, a creative academy, talent discovery and promotion, a music business hub, advocacy, and advisory and policy debates. It is usually broadcast live to over 84 countries.

Last year’s edition, tagged the “Teranga Edition”, was held in Senegal, and marked the first time that the awards ceremony was held in a Francophone African country. Afrobeats superstar Davido was the biggest winner on the night, clinching four awards: Best Male Artist in African Inspirational Music, Best Artist in African Pop categories, Best African Collaboration and Best Duo Group in African Electro. The Artist of the Year accolade went to Burna Boy, who also bagged Album of the Year.

Learn more about the AFRIMAs by visiting their official website.

The Ghana Music Awards USA has announced the nominations list for its fifth edition. 

The nominees were unveiled at an announcement and anniversary party held in New Jersey on 20th April 2024.

This year’s edition will reward outstanding musical works released by Ghanaian acts between 1 January and 31 December 2023. Some of the categories in contention include Songwriter of the Year, Hip-Hop Artiste of the Year, Gospel Song of the Year, New Artiste of the Year, Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year, Emerging Artiste of the Year (USA), Afrobeats Artiste of the Year, Best Collaboration of the Year, Most Popular Song of the Year, Artiste of the Year, Gospel Artiste of the Year, Highlife Song of the Year, Rapper of the Year, and others.

Leading the pack for nominations are US-based duo TooWan8 who are nominated in eight categories, followed by Kuami Eugene (seven), Amerado (six) and Stonebwoy (five).

Now in its fifth year, the Ghana Music Awards USA, spearheaded by US-based entertainment agency Don’s Music Production, spotlights Ghanaian musicians plying their trade on the African continent and in the diaspora. The award aims to promote Ghanaian music and culture to the international market. 

Last year, the scheme rewarded more than 20 musicians for their work. Notable winners included Black Sherif (who took home the trophy for Hip Hop/Hiplife Artist of the Year), Camidoh (who emerged winner in the Afrobeats/Afropop Artist of the Year category), and Samini (who won the Reggae/Dancehall Artist of the Year category).

This year’s Ghana Music awards will be held on 17th August 2024. See the full list of nominees here.

Ghana is set to host the first-ever West Africa Music and Arts Festival this Summer.

Scheduled to take place in Accra (the country’s capital), the festival spans four days starting 19th June at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.

This adds to a growing list of international arts festivals in the country, such as the Chale Wote Street Art Festival, AfroFuture and Black Star Line Festival.

The West Africa Music and Arts Festival, endorsed by the Ghana Tourism Authority and supported by Warner Music Africa, coincides with Ghana’s official Juneteenth celebration. It will feature a music industry conference with panel discussions, workshops, art installations and showcases encompassing Afrobeats, highlife and hip-hop. The organisers say the programme will help the discovery of emerging talent across the continent. 

Jasmine Young, co-founder of the Festival, noted that the industry showcase was created to strengthen diaspora connections and celebrate the sub-region’s cultural richness globally through community engagement and the arts. 

“It’s about creating meaningful connections and inspiring positive change. We invite everyone to join us in Accra for an unforgettable celebration of music, arts and culture that will resonate far beyond the festival grounds”, said Young.

Ghana Tourism Authority CEO, Akwasi Agyeman, added: “We are proud to support the West Africa Music and Arts Festival. This festival not only celebrates our vibrant music and arts scene but also promotes tourism and economic development in our region. We eagerly anticipate welcoming visitors from near and far to immerse themselves in the beauty and creativity of Ghana.”

The West Africa Music and Arts Festival is integrated into the “Beyond the Return”, campaign, a follow-up to the successful “Year Of Return” campaign (launched by Ghana in 2019) that celebrated African resilience and encouraged people of African origin to return to Africa.

The West Africa Music and Arts festival runs from 19th – 22nd June. Find out more here.

“FIRST WAVE OF #AND2024 LINEUP IS HERE!!

African pop megastars Rema, Amaarae and Adekunle Gold have been unveiled as part of the first wave of artists scheduled to perform at this year’s Afro Nation Detroit music festival.

The lineup was revealed via a post published on Afro Nation US’ official Instagram account.

“FIRST WAVE OF #AND2024 LINEUP IS HERE!! We’re bringing cultures together to celebrate over a weekend of music magic. We’re coming in hot this year, and this is just the beginning! Watch this space, more headliners coming soon!”, the post read.

Other top African acts billed to perform at this year’s festival include Nigeria’s Ayra Starr and Ruger, Ghanaian superstar King Promise, Swazi-born record producer Uncle Waffles, and Sudanese-born DJ Moma. South Africa will also be represented by a sizeable contingent which comprises Musa Keys, DBN Gogo, Kamo Mphela and 2wo Bunnies.

According to the festival’s organisers, Detroit’s rich history of African American culture made it easy to select the city as the venue for this year’s edition of Afro Nation US.

“Bringing Afro Nation back to Detroit, the home of Motown and Techno music was an easy decision,” said Smade, Co-Founder of Afro Nation, in a statement. “Detroit embodies culture, creativity, and pride. The energy here is electric, echoing the heartbeat of Afro Nation’s spirit. In Detroit, we found a community that welcomed us with open arms, sharing our passion for unity and celebration, giving us a home away from home. Afro Nation Detroit 2024 will be even bigger than last year, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you.”

Afro Nation is the world’s biggest music festival primarily focused on African music. Following the success of editions held in Portugal, Ghana and Puerto Rico, the festival hosted its US leg for the first time in 2023 at the LoanDepot Park, Miami.

The 2024 Detroit edition of Afro Nation will bring together the best artists in Afrobeats, Hip Hop, RnB, Dancehall, Amapiano, Afro House and more across two stages. It is scheduled to take place on 17th and 18th August 2024 and will be hosted at the Bedrock’s Douglass Site, Detroit, Michigan, United States.

To learn more about Afro Nation Detroit 2024, click here:

Ghana’s Wiyaala and Stonebwoy, Cameroon’s Stanley Enow, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Innoss’B, and Gabon’s Emma’a have been announced as performers for the closing ceremony of this year’s African Games in Accra.

The event is slated for Sunday March 24th at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium, where earlier this month, Ghanaian highlife vets Ebo Taylor and Pat Thomas, dancehall act Shatta Wale, Afropop singer King Promise and South Africa amapiano sensation Kamo Mphela opened the competition. 

In its 13th edition, the multi-sport event, owned and organised by the African Union on behalf of its member states, entailed 15 days of contests with 5,000 elite athletes from across the continent.

“I will be performing at the African Games closing ceremony,” Wiyaala, best known for her fusion of folk and pop, and popular for tracks like ‘Rock My Body,’ ‘Make Me Dance’, ‘Tinambanyi (Here We Come)’ and ‘Africa’, confirmed ahead of the event. “See you all there!”

On his part, Stonebwoy, whose craft fuses Afropop, dancehall and reggae said: “As a pan-Africanist music artist who has consistently represented Ghana and the African continent at every stage throughout my career, it is truly an honour to be chosen to perform at the closing ceremony of the 2024 African Games. This event holds immense significance in celebrating African talent and fostering unity among nations. Rest assured, I am committed to bringing vibrant energy and electrifying vibes to the stage, ensuring that Saturday’s performance is nothing short of magical. Africa isn’t ready for the spectacle we have in store!”

Speaking ahead of the commencement of the event, Ghana’s Youth and Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, expressed confidence in its success, highlighting significant investment in state-of-the-art sporting facilities across 23 disciplines as a testament to showcasing the power of sport to unite Africa.

The African Games, formally known as the All-Africa Games or the Pan African Games, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years, organized by the African Union (AU) with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC). This year’s edition, hosted by Ghana, kicked off on March 8th. It was originally scheduled to hold in August 2023, but was postponed for logistical reasons.

Egypt is currently leading the medals haul, with Nigeria in second place and South Africa in third place.

Ayra Starr To Tour The US …

Nigerian Afrobeats singer Ayra Starr has been confirmed as one of the special guests on U.S. R&B star Chris Brown’s upcoming tour in support of the latter’s recently-released album 11: 11.

Ayra Starr was named alongside Florida-born singer and songwriter Muni Long for the marathon, which includes nearly 30 dates across the US starting in Detroit on 5th June and ending in Los Angeles on 6th August.

Reacting to the confirmation, Ayra Starr expressed her excitement via a post published on her Instagram account.

“So excited to announce I’m going on tour with Breezy! Can’t wait”, she wrote.

There were mixed reactions to her post in the comment section, with some alluding to Chris Brown’s controversial public image. Still, the overarching sentiment expressed by her fan base was joy at getting the opportunity to tour alongside one of the U.S.’ major headlining acts and perform in front of large crowds for several nights.

At only 21 years old, Ayra Starr has quickly blossomed into one of Africa’s biggest pop stars in the space of three years. She was discovered in 2019 via Instagram by record executive Don Jazzy, CEO of Mavin Records, who had been impressed by the cover performances and an original song she published on her page. Upon signing for Mavin, she released her self-titled debut EP in January 2021, and later that year, she released her well-received debut album 19 and Dangerous, which spawned the smash hit “Bloody Samaritan.

In 2022, Ayra Starr gained mainstream international recognition with the release of “Rush”, which charted in several territories, including Switzerland, Ireland and the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number 24. The song earned her a nomination for Best African Music Performance at the 2024 Grammy Awards, where she lost out to Tyla’s “Water.”

Peter Edwards is the award-winning Musical Director for the acclaimed Nu Civilisation Orchestra (NCO)

In October 2022, Edwards was announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in partnership with Mercury Studios, as one of two recipients selected for the Jonas Gwangwa Music Composition Initiative, a one-year career development program for Black British musicians interested in composing music for film.

We spoke to him about his journey as a composer and what projects he has coming up next …

Please introduce yourself …

My name’s Peter Edwards. I am a composer and musical director and pianist. I’m musical director of the Nu Civilisation Orchestra. I’m from London and my family are from the Caribbean, Grenzada and  Guyana. I grew up in Harrow and currently living in Walthamstow.

Describe your life right now in a word or one sentence …

Hectic, but in the good sense.

You have been on quite an exciting journey, firstly please tell us how life as a composer has evolved since you won a spot on The Academy’s Jonas Gwangwa Music Composition Initiative alongside Oleta Haffner?

Yeah, my composing career has evolved. It happened very quickly following the Jonas Gangwa Award and I’ve been given lots of opportunities to write for film, which is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and it’s a very exciting journey. I’ve been introduced to lots of other composers, I’ve had mentoring from composer Segun Akinola. I’m learning how to write music in a very different way. It’s all about storytelling, conveying emotion and collaboration. So that’s been amazing to learn about the whole industry of film making and this opportunity has really stretched me. The mentoring has helped me build my confidence and allowed me to learn more about the craft of writing for film and TV. It has also showed me that a lot of the skills that I already have are quite transferable. And there are other aspects like learning to manage your work but remembering your values. My family life is really important to me – there is more to life than just work. It’s been really helpful to be aware of that going forward.

What was composing life for you like before you were involved with the Jonas Gwangwa initiative?

Well, a lot of my compositions previously were more commission based. I’ve written a lot of things for Nu Civilisation Orchestra and composing for my small band and so I was writing fairly regularly, but mainly for performance purposes. As opposed to writing for screen TV.

Who or what fired up your interest in composing?

I was really curious about how music was put together. I grew up playing in orchestras and was always interested in scores and how composers came up with musical themes and ideas. When I started to see other people like me, like Jason Yarde, then I could see it was possible to have a career in in composing and arranging. Then it was just a case of getting the opportunity. A lot of work came through Tomorrow’s Warriors, lots of opportunities to write things with small bands. Then I went to university to study performance. I had the opportunity to write and do arrangements for larger ensembles. It’s not a huge step to go from arranging music for large ensembles to actually composing. 

You’re currently the Musical Director for  Nu Civilisation Orchestra, tell us more …

Being MD of Nu Civilisation Orchestra, it’s more project to project than it is day-to-day. The projects come together through conversations between myself and the artistic director, Gary Crosby. Between us, we talk about the types of things that we want the orchestra to do, whether it be Charles Mingus projects or doing the Joni Mitchell project. Once we decide what type of project it is, I’ll do some research on that particular album or music or particular artist. The next process is trying to devise a set list. I will speak to the producer of the show, Fish Krish, and we’ll talk about rehearsals, how much time, what resources are needed etc. I think about that period as devising, trying to shape a project. And then in the meantime, I’m thinking about what is it actually going to look like on stage and have we got guest artists? What do they need? Then there’s lots of meetings that are put together to work out how the show’s going to work. Then later along the line I’ll do the arrangement. And over a period of weeks we put together a band. We’ll rehearse the week before the show. Whilst we’re working on one project, another project comes through for later in the year or the following year and so that process starts again. That’s normally how it works. A combination of devising the actual project, doing the actual writing of the music, then doing the performance and make making sure all of that runs really smoothly.

Please tell us about Focus taking place at the Royal Festival Hall, the Southbank Centre in September …

‘Focus’ is an album that myself and Gary Crosby have been talking about for years, and it’s a very famous album featuring tenor saxophonist Stan Getz. It features strings and is something we’ve wanted to use to help develop Nu Civilisation Orchestra string players. The style of music is not 100% jazz or classical music. It’s somewhere in in the middle and the term that’s used for it is Third stream. Which is a really exciting concept that we wanted to incorporate into the orchestra’s repertoire. Particularly seeing as we have string players who are also very interested in improvisation. The prospect of working with Nubya Garcia is exciting, as she is going to be performing in the role of Stan Getz. I worked with her when she was starting out, and it was a really good opportunity to work with her again, seeing how far she’s come.

Lessons learned from working with the legend Gary Crosby OBE?

Lessons I’ve learned from Gary Crosby. I’ve learned to have confidence in in myself and my abilities. And then also to share what I have learned with other younger musicians who are on their way up. And not to forget where you’ve come from. Gary’s motto ‘Each one teach one’ is so important, there’s very much to continue to try and pass on.

How did the performance of ‘Aladdin Sane’ live at Royal Festival Hall in April go?

Aladdin Sane Live went really well. It was a sell out show and there was just an incredible feeling all the way through and the audience were with us. The guest artists were fantastic and I really thought we did a great show. In terms of highlights, I think all the artists brought a completely different approach to Bowie’s music. I think for me, one of the standout moments was Tawiah and her performance of Drive In Saturday which was given a standing ovation. Which happened quite early on into the set. That was amazing. Also seeing Lynks running around stage in the full Bowie costume was pretty amazing. It was great doing the encore with all the artists coming back on stage to sing ‘Rebel Rebel’. It was an amazing night and looking forward to doing something equally innovative next year. 

Highs, lows, solutions …

The highlights and obstacles of putting on Focus – we are at the earliest stages. So right now we’re putting together a string group. I’m trying to create the musical approach that we’re going to take and how we’re going to do our version of the record. And I’m working on the music right now. But I definitely wanted to have our distinctive Nu Civilisation Orchestra stamp on it. Most of the time obstacles or problems get solved during rehearsals. The musicians that we work with are of such a high quality many times they will solve the many musical problems themselves, or we will work them out altogether. Highs points, well I’m looking forward to getting into the rehearsal studio with the musicians and Nubya. For me the high points always in these projects are the actual process of the music making, and the performance for me is always like the cherry on the top. It’s when we get to show everybody what we’ve been working on.

The biggest misconception about being a composer, getting into composing is … ?

The biggest misconception is that you don’t necessarily have to have gone to music college to study composing. Because I never did a degree in composition, I studied performance and was interested in composing and tried to find as many opportunities as I could to compose.  Sometimes there is a worry about not having studied composing, when actually the best way to learn is to just do it and ask lots of questions of people who do have some of these skills. 

Is the world of classical composing becoming more representational?

I’ve seen a few changes. Small changes. I think diversity is now something that is becoming valued more and talked about more. I think there’s still a long way in terms of the culture and music making in the classical composing world. To change that you need to give people from diverse backgrounds more opportunity and support and encourage more diverse audiences. It’s a long term process, it’s not something that will happen in a year or two. We’re talking about 15-20 years. Trying to change things and encourage lots of different people from different backgrounds. It’s going to take time.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU …

What’s your current plan B?

To be honest, I tried Plan B. I worked in the city for a little while, it didn’t suit me. So I went back to Plan A which was to become a musician and composer. So B has been implemented and didn’t work.

What’s made you Sad, Mad, Glad this week?

This week in the news, it was hearing about the deaths on Bournemouth beach. That was really sad. And when Tina Turner passed away, that was really sad. What made me glad is I’ve had the opportunity to meet composers George Fenton and Alexandre Desplat. I was invited to an event and I got to meet them in person and got to speak with him. Both incredible composers and lovely people.

What are you watching right now?

Succession.

What are you reading right now?

How To Be An Anti Racist by Ibrahim X Kendi

What are you listening to right now?

To be honest, I’ve just been listening to Focus album by Stan Getz.

The last thing you saw on stage?

Hamilton.

What’s on your bucket list? 

I’d love to travel to Brazil. I’d love to work on a feature length film. I would love to perform with Nu Civilisation Orchestra at Glastonbury.

Where’s your happy place?

With my family at the dinner table.

Celebrate someone else …

Right now, a composer based player called Renell Shaw. He is someone who’s won awards for composition and is really a fantastic bass player, but also very good musical director and composer.

Whose footsteps are you following in?

I feel like the a lot of the doors that have been opened to me have come from people like Gary Crosby and Jason Yarde. British musicians who have actually forged a path and opened a lot of doors that some of our younger musicians have been able to walk through and have benefited from. There’s other people from the past that I found out about recently. Leslie Jiver Hutchinson, who’s a very celebrated trumpeter and musical director from the 40s and 50s.

What’s Next?

The Focus concert is next. I’m working on three short films and they’re due to come out very soon. Within the next month or two Ted and Noel (Happenstance Films), George the film and The Golden Boy (both from Slick Films ) These have all come from being on the Jonas Gangwa Initiative. 

Where can we find you?

I’m on Twitter and Instagram @peteredwardsmus and I’ve got a website peteredwardsmusic.co.uk

Where can we find your latest work?

You can see and hear my work on my website. There’s that’s the best way to find me.

Focus will take place at Royal Festival Hall, the Southbank Centre on 15th September 2023.

Simi Agbaje is the founder of The Blues Project, a leading R&B / soul media platform. 

Simi launched The Blues Project six years ago now, with the aim to showcase the journeys of emerging R&B and soul-inspired artists. It has since become the leading voice and home of discovery for new-age Soul, R&B, hip-hop Soul and neo-jazz, platforming the best of the scene through their BLUES100 soul cyphers.

Simi’s latest branch of The Blues Project is SENSES a live music event at The Jazz Cafe.

We spoke to Simi about SENSES and her mission to make The Blues Project the leading voice and home of discovery for new-age Soul, R&B, hip-hop Soul and neo-jazz …

Please tell us who you are, what you do and where you’re from …

Gosh, the simplest questions really are always the hardest to answer. ‘Who I am‘ is probably best described as a woman trying to love God, love people and loves music. My love for music, tech and media led me to start The Blues Project, the UK’s leading community-led platform for forward-thinking Soul, R&B and Nu-Jazz. I was born and bred in Nigeria until I moved to the UK at 16.

Describe your life right now in a word or one sentence …

Transition … I feel like I’m in a very transitional time in life right now – I’m about to turn 30 and will also be leaving my full-time job at eBay to focus on growing The Blues Project, doubling down on our content, lived experiences and community engagement, while expanding our partnerships into a community-led agency serving brands, artists and music labels.

Tell us about The Blues Project and your latest project SENSES …

SENSES is our headline live experience series at The Jazz Cafe. SENSES is an invigorating live music experience designed to awaken the senses and showcase the phenomenal UK talent pushing boundaries and the sound of Soul and R&B forward. It features a stellar line-up, a world-class house band and live cyphers. We’re proud to be taking it to Manchester for the first time, as well as bringing it back to London in February 2023.

What’s your role in it?

As Founder, I bring our team together to think carefully about and work hard on making SENSES an incredible night for our community – our goal is for people to leave SENSES and think of it as one of the best live shows of their life. It’s a high bar but the feedback has been that it’s been just that for many so we only ever want to top that.

How did it come about?

In 2020 and 2021, we were lucky to do a number of event partnerships with Somerset House, Sofar Sounds and Soho House, as well as a showcase at Cross The Tracks festival. We knew we were on to something with those – we were proud of the feedback we received and learnt a lot. Our next goal was to create an experience we could really curate in our own voice and style for our community. We were offered the amazing opportunity to do it at the iconic Jazz Cafe and ran with it!

Highs, lows, solutions (tell us the high points, any obstacles to getting the project completed and how you resolved the obstacles)

Live events always bring a myriad of unforeseen mishaps. I love the essence of live experiences but find it nerve-wracking also that you’ll never know what challenges will be thrown your way. We’ve had people (including myself) get COVID close to a date, artist scheduling conflicts, issues coordinating so many diaries for rehearsals, etc. I’ve just learnt to roll with it and think as agile as possible – having a great team helps.

What’s your current plan B? (if it all goes wrong what’s the plan?)

Haha don’t want to think about this. But my career background is in tech and so I guess I would go back to a full-time tech job, preferably in media / social media. I’m a media nerd and love the business of media.

What’s made you Sad, Mad, Glad this week?

Sad – Honestly, running The Blues Project while still in full-time work is stressful.
Mad – Social media! I have a love/hate relationship. I enjoy it thoroughly but the most annoying opinions have a field day on there.
Glad – Started reading Searching For Enough by Tyler Staton and so far I’ve found it to be a delightfully refreshing take on faith and doubt. Would highly recommend it.

What are you watching right now?

I always feel ashamed to say I watch very little traditional TV and watch mostly YouTube. I watch several podcasts and creators on there. My faves are Higher Learning with Van Lathan & Rachel Lindsay, The Holy Post and Kimberly Nicole Foster – For Harriet.

What are you reading right now?

Searching For Enough by Tyler Staton. Can’t recommend it enough!

What are you listening to right now?

Ooo a lot of Ari Lennox, Durand Bernarr, Ojerime, Cleo Sol, Ravyn Lenae.

The last thing you saw on stage?

Til Death Do Us Part. A play that manages to be hilarious while focused on suicide, marital and family troubles directed by my amazing friend Justina Kehinde (who you can currently catch on tour).

What’s on your bucket list?

Another thing to be ashamed of … to learn to drive. I honestly can’t say how I got to about to be 30 without completing a course but here we are. I lovee travelling and want to properly learn to pole dance too.

Celebrate someone else (who do you rate right now?)

Justina Kehinde, actress, director and producer extraordinaire. Sahara Jones is an amazing designer.

Celebrate yourself … (make us proud of you)

I guess I am most proud of how far I’ve been able to take The Blues Project as a “side hustle“. I don’t think it comes across as one and I’m proud of that. I am very proud to have a great team of people who believe in the vision enough to commit to it. We’ve just reached a high of reaching over 650K people in October which is wild to me.

Where can we find you / watch/listen/read your project?

To keep up with us, sign up to our mailing list and follow us on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

The workshop and performance will feed into the creation of an artistic film that will premiere this month.

Musician and artist Love Ssega started his career as the original frontman of band Clean Bandit after leaving the band to study for his PHD Ssega went on to work with Philharmonia Orchestra, tour China as a Musician in Residence for British Council and PRS Foundation and release music with Parisian fashion house Kitsuné to name but a few things the artist has achieved in his career. He is currently Arts Foundation Music For Change Fellow 2022.

Along with his many contributions to music Love Ssega has moved into campaigning for climate justice and has recently collaborated with the National Gallery X (National Gallery and King’s College London) and Nesta to create Love Ssega’s HOME-Zero.

We spoke to Love Ssega about the project, what it means to him, how Climate change affects us all and what we can do to make a change…

Please introduce yourself…

Hi, I’m Love Ssega, a songwriter, artist and musician

Please share a word or sentence which best describes your life right now.

Being creative for not just myself but the people around me too.

Firstly, on becoming Artist and current Arts Foundation Music For Change Fellow 2022 – How did it feel to be recognised with this accolade?

This was a huge accolade as it shows that people not just in music but in the broader art world feel like my work is worth supporting and highlighting.

People often forget that music is an art form, and not just a commodity and I believe art should change people one way or another. We need change right now and I think the UK is changing because it has to. I’m proud of my Black identity and East African heritage and so I’m compelled to use my art to highlight Black Lives Matter beyond just the black square. I feel compelled to use my art to highlight air pollution in areas of South London that are heavily Black and thus affect us more than whether a dance move goes viral on Tiktok. I also feel compelled and humbled to realise I am not the only voice out there and getting such an award gives me a chance to platform an all-black cast in the UK’s most prominent art museum, right in Trafalgar Square. For me, that’s the exciting part of it all.

Can you tell us a bit about the fellowship and what it allows you to do?

The Fellowship offered financial support which enabled me to see my visual art piece at MoMA PS1 in Queens, New York in April and also meet US art and music representatives interested in my work on that side of the pond. Having the likes of Daniel Kaluuya and John Boyega continue to blaze a Black British trail in the US, following the likes of Sir Steve McQueen and Sir David Adjaye is motivation to expand your horizons. In fact, when I was in New York I was able to see “Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room” at The Met Gallery which features rising Black Brits in director Jenn Nkiru of Beyonce’s Brown Skin Girl video fame and design-storyteller Yinka Ilori.

Further to this, previous people to have been awarded Arts Foundation Fellowships early in their careers include Oscar-winning Director Asif Kapadia and future Royal Ballet resident choreographer Wayne McGregor. So a lot to live up to.

You first started with the group Clean Bandit and have had an extensive career in the arts working with Philharmonia Orchestra and touring China as a Musician in Residence for British Council and PRS Foundation to name but a few of your many achievements. Did you ever imagine that your career would expand to this and far beyond?

I had no idea my career would expand this far at all, be it geographically or artistically! In a funny way, and a message to other artists is that if one door closes, another one opens. After finishing my PhD, I did have a chance to go back full time to Clean Bandit, however, if I did that then I wouldn’t have done all the things listed above. I’ve had to fight to get to this position, but now I’m here it feels great. Some ideas are worth fighting for and to be honest, I feel like I’m just getting started. The naysayers have been rolled down the hill!

In recent years you have turned to campaign for climate justice and will be collaborating with the National Gallery X (National Gallery and King’s College London) and NESTA to create Love Ssega’s HOME-Zero. Can you tell us about the project and what it aims to do?

I brought people aged 18-35 from black and ethnic minorities together for a workshop to discuss climate change in the context of the need for better and more sustainable social housing. That workshop then informed a promenade performance in three of the National Gallery’s largest rooms on Earth Day. I directed and wrote all the music for this 30-minute performance which featured an all-black cast of poets including Solomon O.B. and Kieron Rennie and choreographer-dancers Krystal S. Lowe and Paris Crossley. There’s a film of this all to come. We also upcycled instruments created from radiators and gas canisters that I’m hoping to tour with the arts organisation, Shadwell. A film of the project is to be released soon so watch this space…

Where did the idea for Love Ssega’s HOME-Zero come from?

My work of late is about giving people a voice and from my perspective, as a Black person in Britain, I need to start close to home and with those from communities around me. In this case of HOME-Zero, I can’t thank NESTA and National Gallery X enough as in a short period of time they managed to amplify my evolving and changing artistic requests to create a performance, just one part of the project for example, that had the biggest National Gallery Lates crowd since before the pandemic.

In what ways do you use your music to bring attention to the social issues you are affected by and how do you think the messages are translated through your music?

As a musician, you are also a person first, so I always look for issues on my doorstep, which at the moment isn’t actually that hard. For instance, the cost of living crisis is gripping everyone and it’s caused by our structural addiction to fossil fuels, which links to, surprise surprise, the climate crisis. Once we start seeing these things we realise how much we’re being played. HOME-Zero in this case shows that musicians and artists can tackle these issues with the backing of our big cultural institutions. The music I compose can provide the link and platform to, not only bring different audiences together but also different artists and voices to social issues such as climate action in a creative, positive and uplifting way.

Can you tell us a bit about how you got into music and songwriting, was your home always filled with music?

My home was filled with music and really I have to thank my Dad for that. He loved jazz and funk, with John Coltrane being his favourite artist, but he also had East African vinyls of Congolese superstars such as Franco. Music is everywhere in Uganda, where my family is from, so you can’t ignore it. It was only when going back to Uganda as an adult that I realise how much Ugandans love to party and have a social function, therefore, I guess it’s in our blood. In terms of songwriting, I just picked that up myself really, with help from my Dad’s collection of Stevie Wonder, Marvyn Gaye, and Teddy Pendergrass. It was at university that I started doing open mic nights to avoid studying and then formed a little band to avoid having to pay to get into graduation events. It then went from there.

Aside from your own whose performance are you most looking forward to and why?

Without a doubt Kendrick Lamar. I went to his last tour with my close school friends and now his new album has come out we’re itching to reform the Kung Fu Kenny group to see this show. Kendrick is just on another level. Growing up my sister and I listened to a lot of New York rap, from Nas to Jay Z to Mobb Deep to A Tribe Called Quest. Hip Hop and Rap were exciting back then and only Kendrick makes the modern era feel exciting in terms of lyricism, comedy to straight-up bangers like King Kunta. Now I feel we get too much algorithm rap, i.e. formulaic.

What is the most important thing about campaigning for climate justice and how can our readers get involved with and outside of the Love Ssega’s HOME-Zero project?

Think about climate change and our addiction to fossil fuels as a real, current and local issue. Make noise about it and let’s dispel the myth that Black people only care about certain issues (with climate action allegedly not being one of them). Climate action is interlinked with racial inequality and also colonialism. If we had cleaner energy we wouldn’t have as much air pollution and there would be less oil and gas from corrupt regimes. Change your bank account to a bank that doesn’t invest in fossil fuels too. And keep a look out for the Home-Zero film coming soon and hopefully be inspired more.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU…

A book you have to have in your collection? Sita Brahmachari – When Shadows Fall – a book I’m trying to get as many young people to read as possible. I wish I had it as a teenager

A song / album that defines the soundtrack of your life to date? Roots Manuva – Run Come Save Me – growing up at a time when believe it or not, some UK rappers didn’t rap with their accent. Roots was a complete breath of fresh air. Transformational

A film / TV show that you can watch/have watched repeatedly? Lupin – Omar Sy is a don.

The first stage production you saw and what it meant to you (play, dance or concert)? Percussionist Evelyn Glennie at Royal Festival Hall. My sister’s godmother took us when I was way too small to know anything other than nursery rhymes really. My parents didn’t play any instruments but always made sure we listened to stuff outside of what they might have listened to growing up. So always expand your mind.

What’s made you sad, mad, and glad this week?

Sad – The cost of living affecting everyone
Mad – state of the UK and the fact the Prime Minister broke the law he set.
Glad – that I went to a Youth Centre in Streatham and despite everything that is going on, children today still have the energy and fearlessness to grab life with both hands.

Love Ssega’s Home-Zero will be premiered in June 2022 and will be free to access for all. To find out more visit lovessega.com

The Mobo Awards returns to our screen on December 9th hosted by presenter Maya Jama and nusic artist & comedian Chunkz.

The music awards show will be streamed on YouTube at 7 pm GMT, followed by a full broadcast on BBC One at 10:45 pm GMT with a highlight special on BBC iPlayer with supporting content on BBC Sounds.

There will be exclusive performances on the night from Headie One feauturing M Huncho, Tiwa Savage, Ms Banks, and Kojey Radical with more acts to be confirmed. Leading the nominations this year are Mahalia, Nines, and Lianne La Havas.

BBC Radio 1Xtra will also be covering the awards starting on Sunday 6 December (9-10pm) with a special 1Xtra Talks show hosted by Richie Brave that will look back at the last 24 years of MOBO history and look at how music has changed and evolved over the last two decades. Then, on Wednesday 9 December (7-9pm), DJ Target will dedicate his show to the MOBO Awards 2020 which will include special performances and interviews with some of this year’s nominees.

The awards, established in 1996 by founder Kanya King MBE to honour exceptional, Black talent will be live-streamed for the first time. The 90-minute ceremony will not only celebrate but shine a light on the social and cultural events that have impacted us this year.

The Mobo awards have made a massive contribution to UK music over its 24 years with star-studded shows featuring a host of global superstars including Rihanna, John Legend, and Lionel Richie, Sade, Jay-z, and Beyonce. It has been the platform where some of the biggest names in Uk music began their career from Stormzy, Krept and Konan, Chip to Beverley Knight and Emelie Sandie.

MOBO Founder, Kanya King, said: “Recognising the unique role the MOBO Awards plays for so many, and the challenging year we find ourselves in, it is now more important than ever to be there and to continue the rich history of showcasing the very best of Black music and culture. We are proud to partner with YouTube and the BBC to bring this year’s celebration to millions of music fans, and continue to uplift creative voices here in the UK and around the world. A special thanks to Arts Council England, ISAW IT First, and Accenture for supporting us on this journey – we see you!”

YouTube Music’s Director of EMEA, Dan Chalmers said: “It’s a real privilege to be partnering with The MOBO Awards to bring a global audience to such an important British music event. It’s vital that artists and creators from across all backgrounds, genres, and sounds are given a platform to build an audience and fanbase. I’m honoured to continue to lift up and support the Black British music community, which continues to be at the heart of the music experience in the UK. I look forward to watching the nominees and winners on this special night and supporting them on their journey forwards.”

Kate Phillips, Acting Controller BBC One said: “It’s fantastic to be partnering with the MOBO Awards this year and showcasing the UK’s biggest celebration of Black music and culture on BBC One and iPlayer.”

The Mobo Awards take place December 9th 2020. You can vote new categories and act here