Kenyan artists to tour Spain as part of the Cultural Exchange Project Vis a Vis
27 February 2020
Two Kenyan bands stand a chance to present their music across Spain as part of the cultural cooperation project Vis a Vis, organized by the Spanish public diplomacy institution Casa África, to promote a greater knowledge of African music in Spain.
The project is a collaboration between Casa África, the Government of Kenya, through her Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, headed by AMB. (DR.) Amina Mohamed EGH, CAV, Cabinet Secretary and implemented by the Permanent Presidential Music Commission of Kenya (PPMC), the Embassy of Spain in Kenya and the Embassy of Kenya in Spain.
This initiative offers Kenyan musicians the opportunity to participate in a competition to perform for a group of Spanish cultural programmers, most of them Festival Directors who will attend a two-day festival in Kenya between 2nd and 5th April to select as well as connect with industry stakeholders. Twelve bands are expected to participate at the festival.
“We are delighted about this exchange between Kenya and Spain. The Festival Directors will come to experience the live music scene, connect with music business as well as our hospitality as Kenyans. In return, two of Kenya’s outstanding bands shall have an opportunity to spread Kenyan music in Spain by participating at 10 to 15 festivals in Spain in July 2020,” Dr. Donald Otoyo of PPMC says of the collaboration.
Kenyan artists should apply
To stand a chance to perform at both events, Kenyan bands are encouraged to apply to the project via the platform www.africavisavis.com/kenya. The application process is open to all artists who are tour ready and who perform any genre of music. The application process is open until March 20, 2020.
“We look forward to receiving more applications by the bands. After which the Spanish Festival bookers will shortlist the 12 bands that perform at the two-day event in Nairobi,” says Juan Jaime, head of Culture and Education in Casa Africa, during his visit to Nairobi between February 21st and 24th to experience the Kenyan music landscape.
For more information on the application process, applicants can email info@kenyavisvis.com
This year marks the 11th edition of the annual cultural exchange which follows on from other collaborations with other African countries including Senegal, Cape Verde, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea and Angola. Vis a Vis aims at enabling a space for dialogue and to create new programs while strengthening communication between Spain and the African continent.
About:
Casa Africa
Casa África is a public diplomacy consortium at the service of Spanish foreign policy, integrated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of the Spanish Government, the Government of the Canary Islands and the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, city that hosts its headquarters.
Permanent Presidential Music Commission
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.
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