2014 Schedule
Interactive: March 7–11  •  Film: March 7–15  •  Music: March 11–16

Packed With Electronic Beats: Africa's Next Music Coming to America

Numerous musicians and DJs are emerging from across Africa, enriching the global music scene. They reflect a new generation of socially networked artists who are just as comfortable in the tough areas of Africa's largest cities as they are performing at European nightclubs and festivals. How can this innovative music make the transition from Africa to Europe to North America, specifically the USA?

Presenters

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MODERATOR

Rab Bakari

Pres CTO

Mixerpot LLC

Rab Bakari is an indispensable linchpin in the entertainment business. He has decades of hands-on experience as an authentic New York Hip Hop creator and a music corporate person.

Rab Bakari has taken his experience as a DJ/Music Producer; Break Dancer; Graffiti Artist and Tech Geek in the heyday of New York’s 1980s/90s Hip Hop boom, around the world, mentoring and producing young, cutting edge Hip Hop artists in unusual places. Unafraid to push Hip Hop past the borders of the USA; Bakari has been a driving force in creating the sound that is African Hip Hop today. He is one of the architects of Ghana Hip Life and a participant of Hip Hop in in many countries on the African continent. He is now expanding into other areas of entertainment such as television production; music publishing; animation; mobile apps; video editing/production; strategies for digital workflows; social network marketing and webcasts.
He is based in New York and does frequent business in West Africa with Accra, Ghana as his base. Besides working for Universal Music Group over ten years, He has an entrepreneurial start-up called MixerPot. Come visit me at 1755 Broadway on the fourth floor.

What do I have to offer?

Welcome to MixerPot LLC; Social Marketing & Strategic Creative Development Company

MixerPot LLC was founded as a partnership between Rab Bakari and Jesse Weaver Shipley in 2010. As a music and entertainment company, MixerPot’s primary focus is to represent and
help develop musicians, songwriters, directors, screenwriters and audio/video production types ranging from the independent to the well established coming from the continent of Africa and within the Diaspora. MixerPot essentially is a management, promotion, marketing, production & booking company based in North America with various arrangements for an array artists.

MixerPot LLC offers these three main services to musicians/artists:

Social Marketing Development
Performance Management and Booking
Technical and Video Production
Clients: Reggie Rockstone; FOKN BOIS; M3nsa, WanLov, Koku Gonza, Gibril Da African, M.Anifest; E.L.; DJ Kofi; Kobi Onyame; Sway; Tawiah; Efya, Daz Dua, Blitz The Ambassador.
http://mixerpot.com/

We welcome all to work with MixerPot LLC in various capacities to promote and elevate artists to a level of visibility that will help them reach more effectively audiences and markets in North America as welll as globally. Contact MixerPot today to learn more about how we work to stragetically enhance artist visibility and help manage artist development.

Please note that most these artists revolve around the African country called Ghana. Many of them tour constantly. We are always open for shows; festivals anywhere. Timing is the key though. Many do not reside in the USA. Please take about 30 minutes to watch their vids; read their paragraphs; listen to their audio and follow them on Twitter.
Be sure to share any links of these artists on to your business connections as soon as possible.

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Rickie Davies

Ent Publicist

Rickie Davies PR

Rickie Davies is an Entertainment Publicist and has been actively involved in the African Music Industry for over four years. From building new brands to managing reputations and event strategies, Rickie has worked with some of the biggest brands in entertainment such as Ginuwine, Eddie Kadi, J Holiday, 2face Idibia, Samini, as well as leading campaigns for top African events in the UK such as

- Wizkid's sold- out concert at the HMV Apollo

- Davido's UK Tour 2013

- Iyanya's Album Launch (UK)

- British Council's New World Nigeria Concert as part of the London 2012 Olympiad activities and many more.

Current Clients include: Chocolate City Music (MI, Ice Prince, Victoria Kimani, Nosa, Pryse) Eddie Kadi, EL, R2bees

Ovie Ofugara

Co-Owner/Head of Content

Not Just OK

Ovie Ofugara, more commonly known as "Ovie O" is the Head of Content and Co-Owner of Nigeria's #1 Music Blog/Website NotJustOk.com, which is also the most visited music site in Africa.

Ovie has played a huge part in the growth of Nigerian music online by running notjustOk.com alongside his partner and CEO Ademola Ogundele since 2008.

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Moses "Buddha Blaze" Mbasu

Artist Developer, Social Media Strategist for Mi-Fone

Spark Africa

Buddha Blaze is an urban music journalist, historian, MC, entrepreneur and event organizer in Africa. He was the editor of East Africa’s first entertainment magazine, PHAT! Magazine. He is an active promoter of urban culture development + Music in Kenya. His passion has been for hip-hop, spoken word poetry and house music. His work is evident through his writings, events and lifestyle. As an activist Buddha Blaze has been on the forefront of championing for hip-hop music and culture in Africa. He is responsible bringing New York based Dead Prez to Kenya and Tanzania for the Ni Wakati Tour; they performed for thousands and did workshops in Dandora, Arusha and Dar. Buddha Blaze has watched urban music in Kenya revolutionize itself to become embraced by many Kenyans and importantly the corporate world. He founded Spark Africa to be able to connect the streets to the business world, he has managed many events notably the monthly British Council event WAPI, and its results are endless.

Russell Kenya

Music/Film Producer

Black Medley

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Elom "EL" Adablah

Artist/Composer/Producer

BBnZ Live

Elom Adablah better known by his stage name E.L is an award winning Ghanaian Rapper and record producer. The enterprising young music icon began music during his secondary education and despite the skepticism of close friends and family; EL invested all his funds into building his own recording studio so he could focus on his music career. He developed a musical style fusing R&B, hip-hop and alternative genres.

EL has produced for major Ghanaian artists including V.I.P, Sarkodie, Trigmatic, Asem, Tinny and many more.
In 2011 EL signed with BBnZ Live management, and released his most talked about album – something else. He made history in the books of the Ghanaian Music Industry when he released this 25-track album.

EL has performed alongside the likes of Rick Ross, Fabolous, 9ice, MI and many more. His current single, No size was released in May 2013.

Studio Albums
•Something Else (2012)
 Obuu Mo
 One Ghana
 Kaalu,
 Mame Wossop
Mixtapes
•The Project HipHop Mixtape(With C-Real) (2011)
•Songs for Girls-the Valentine’s Day Mixtape 2012)

Awards and nominations
•2010 African Movie Academy Awards: Best Original Soundtrack 'A sting in a tale'
•2010 Ghana Movie Awards: Best Score Award, Checkmate And more
•2011 Ghana Music Awards: Hip-hop Song of the Year award, Get On the Dance Floor, Producer

Nominations
•2012 Ghana Music Awards: Best New Artist, Best Rapper, Best Collaboraton ('You Go Kill Me' with Sarkodie)
•2012 Channel O Music Video Awards: Best Newcomer ('Turn The Lights Down')
•2013 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards: Album of the Year (Something Else)

Thanks to our sponsors

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Music sponsor

Sonic Bids

Interactive sponsors

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