Africa Rising Music Conference returns to empower artists

702's Gugs Mhlungu spoke to Founder of Africa Rising Music Conference, Sarah Jane Nicholson.

Listen to their conversation in the audio clip below.

The Africa Rising Music Conference is a female-led conference championing female leadership, artist empowerment, and music industry innovation, focusing on independence and ownership of African art.

"We're really outcomes-based. We're focused on building independence, so we're a little bit against the major system. We believe that Africans should stand on their own two feet when it comes to our art and our ownership of our art. As such, we're independent ourselves and we're really looking forward to this year's edition." 

- Sarah Jane Nicholson, Africa Rising Music Conference founder

Taking place on 22 and 23 May at Constitution Hill, the conference brings together music industry leaders from across the continent and the globe.

There will be hands-on workshops, DJ and drumming sessions, and studio collaborations between African and international artists.

"What makes it special is we're a two-day event focused on not only entry-level, grassroots-level talent, but also the top-tier executives looking to export their product. As such, we've seen many case studies of export opportunities, of business deals that have been taking place, new brands tapping into the African market, and African brands and artists tapping into the global music ecosystem." 

- Sarah Jane Nicholson, Africa Rising Music Conference founder

Nicholson says this year’s edition includes an impressive lineup of speakers, from global executives to grassroots change-makers, including Yvonne Chaka Chaka, MixMag’s Nick de Cosmas, and representatives from AudioMag. 

"We're so proud of the outcomes we've had in previous years from these practical events, from bookings overseas to endorsements to actual songs that are hitting the charts across many radio stations across the globe."  

- Sarah Jane Nicholson, Africa Rising Music Conference founder

For more information on this free event, visit africarisingmusicconference.com

Scroll up to listen to the full conversation