By John Owoo
(In Rabat – Morocco)
A number of panel / round table discussions on the future of the music industry in Africa and the Middle East with diverse topics and subjects marked the 2022 edition of Visa for Music Festival, which is currently ongoing in the Moroccan capital Rabat.
Held largely at the Café de la Scene Renaissance and Coupole Palais Tazi in downtown Rabat, themes and topics include “The Export of Music – To Which Markets”, “Which Music for Which Industry – Restitution of CCI Work in Morocco”, Public Space and Current Music – What Actions for a Wide Territorial Attractiveness Through Music?”.
Others are “Generating Investments in CCIs in Africa – “Diversifying Sources and Methods of Financing”, “How Music can be Integrated in Revolutionary Ways Through Web 3”, “Reconsideration of Mobility of Artists and Professionals in Cultural and Creative Sectors” and “Language as a Structuring Toll for Musical Expressions – What Roles, Issues and Impacts”.
Based on figures on music exports by The Netherlands, Germany, United States, United Kingdom and France, which amounts to over 89.7% of global revenues for sheet music sold on international markets during 2021, panelists dilated on diverse strategies including collaboration, partnerships and infrastructural development to increase the share of developing countries in the global market.
Touching on the revitalization and regeneration of dead public spaces through creative practices, panelists noted the importance of bringing life back to the public realm and called for a revamp of the processes, which will ensure the effective use of public spaces for creative purposes.
New ways of bankrolling the music industry besides the traditional ones, which include self-financing, grants, subsidies, private investments, debt financing, crowdfunding and sponsorship must be set in motion so as to boost and enhance the availability of funds to improve creativity while ensuring a positive effect on various economies.
Equally, the discussions facilitated a clear roadmap on how to keep abreast with new information and communication tools – indeed, African music can make great strides and reach out to new continental and global markets through these contemporary tools.
Undeniably, Intellectual Property is important for every artiste in this digital age – nevertheless, it is critical to seek and acquire legal advice as regards to all transactions since content IP to protect copyright ownership in the digital space provides a room for massive reach as well as massive infringement.
Held under the auspices of King Mohammed VI, Visa For Music Festival aims at promoting the constitution of a music marketplace in Africa and the Middle East in order to offer greater visibility as well as an environment that favours creativity and professionalization in the cultural sector.
Directed by Brahim El Mazned, the festival is also a means to galvanize the cultural and creative industries of the concerned region in order to stimulate their economies while providing platforms for musicians to showcase the artistic creations and the stimulation of intellectual dialogues.
It is equally aimed at promoting music from Morocco, Africa and the Middle-East to Europe and northern markets, encourage artistic mobility between African countries and the Middle-East while participating in the development of local cultural sectors.
Others are develop the music scene at an international level while contributing to the improvement of the status of artists from southern countries, strengthen the North-South and South-South relationships in the cultural sector.
Visa for Music was organized by the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, Atlas Azawan, Anya, Hiba Foundation and Rabat Capitale de la Culture with sponsorship from InDrive, Institut Français, Embassy of France, La Francophonie, SACEM and Orange Foundation.
