Despite the present boom in the culture and music industries of Africa, the major challenge facing the industries remains how to find ways to sustain the growth and spread the benefits to larger layers of the society through significant job creation and poverty alleviation.
This submission was made by the President/Executive Producer, All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), Michael Dada, during his presentation at the fourth Pan African Cultural Congress (PACC4), on May 26 at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Organised by the African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with the Department of Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa, the three-day PACC4, with the theme ‘Unity in Cultural Diversity for Africa’s Development’, opened on Monday, May 25, and was brought to a close on Wednesday, May 27. The congress featured thematic presentations and plenary and panel discussions encouraging participatory interactive discussions moderated by carefully selected experts. The presentations were prepared by experts in each of the themes and sub-themes.
Addressing participants on the theme, ‘All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA: A tool for promoting African Culture and Identity for Development’, Dada described music as an integral part of African culture to promote brotherhood, solidarity and the struggle for liberation. He referenced history, saying African musicians over the years had produced rich and inspirational songs on political independence for African countries, the problem of apartheid in South Africa, the need for African countries to unite, and, ultimately, the development of the continent.
“African musicians have also composed different songs that challenged hegemonic nations and organisations such as the United States, France, United Kingdom and most importantly the United Nations on policies which affect Africans at home and in the Diaspora. They also support the campaign for enthronement of democracy in Africa and sing against any policy of governments that is anti-people,” he added.
The AFRIMA president emphasised that this decades-long effort by African musicians has resulted in economic growth in Africa as shown in a report produced by PricewaterHouseCoopers (PWC): on the continent, South Africa is the biggest media and entertainment industry valued at $10.5 billion in 2013; Nigeria is in second place at $4 billion and Kenya is in third place at $1.7 billion.
He revealed that, already, in preparation for the 2015 edition of the continental awards project, AFRIMA, AUC held a Joint Conference/Roundtable Discussion in Addis Ababa on April 29, under the theme, ‘Using Music, Culture and Entertainment as tools for a new Africa’.
Other distinguished speakers at PACC4 included: Commissioner for Social Affairs, AUC, Mustapha Kaloko; Minister of Arts and Culture, South Africa, Nathi Mthethwa; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture, Zimbabwe, Thokozile Chitepo; Director General, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), Ferdinand Anikwe; independent curator, Ms. Ngone Fall; Secretary-General, Arterial Network, Peter Rorvik; Executive Director, Godown Art Centre Kenya, Ms. Joy Mboka; and Director-General, Afro-Arab Institute, Mohamed Soufi, among others.
The congress also featured exhibitions, music and dance as well as a celebration of the ‘World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development’ – a United Nations-sanctioned international holiday for the promotion of diversity marked on May 21.
