Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Sangie started making music at a young age and is a qualified vocal trainer. Born Angel Mbekeani, Sangie has grown up in Blantyre (Ndirande) and made her first single, “I Do It All For Love” when she attempted the Don Foxxy Riddim. The Riddim was initially produced in 2012 by Don Foxxy at Step Up Records and had featured other artists such as Nepman, Desert Eagle, Vigil, Saint and Nepman. “I Do It All For Love” which was released as a video, topped Makwerero 10 on MBC TV for a month and has enjoyed airplay on various TV stations.

Morena Leraba is a Mosotho musician and shepherd from of Ha-Mojela in Mafeteng district, located south of Lesotho’s capital Maseru. Lebara’s music (especially lyrics) is deeply rooted in Lesotho’s traditional music, poetry, and it’s sub-genre, Famo, which was introduced as early as the 1920s when Basotho men were migrant workers in South African mines. However, the approach in the beat is significantly different as it hurls almost everything from Electro, Electronica, Afro-House, Folk, and Hip-Hop.

Pompi is a Musician, Artist, Entrepreneur, and CEO of Atmosphere Nation & Lota House (House of dreamers) , who are Innovators and leaders in the Zambian media industry. Pompi, above many Zambian musicians has had the opportunity to be recognised on an all African level, with videos that have played on commercial channels such as MTV Base and Channel O (where he finished off 2009 as number one on young gifted and African).He is acting as an ambassador to African youth, showing the achievements that can be made off talent, of which he has abundantly and has been recognised by credible individuals such as Chief Igbinedion of Nigerias Benin State, Prince Africa Zulu South Africa and the 4th president of Zambia His Excellency Rupiah Banda.

Pompi who is both a singer and a rapper, besides making good music is a marvel to watch when performing because of his creative buildups and coordinated movements. Pompis major objectives are to make music that inspires and to highlight the beauty of our African culture which he believes is being lost due to the westernised perception of the world that is always shown by the media. He believes Africans should have an identity with features unique to them such as the type of music, fashion e.t.c.

Leshie Lovesong is a Singing Performance Poet, based in Botswana. In 2006, she became Exodus Live Poetry’s Slam Champion, and became a member of the collective itself in 2007. As of November 2007, the young poetess has displayed her craft at every Infinite Word Festival in Gaborone. As an advocate for Environmental Sustainability, the poet has work shopped drama scripts which included her poetry in Angola, Luanda, and Namibia, Rundu, the focus being on the Okavango River.

“Mtingo”, a band of Chagga elders (and youth!) living in Tema village on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, has been carrying the legacy of conservation-themed music for over 150 years, since their grandfathers began the tradition in the year 1860.

Together we composed a song describing the challenges they face as glacial melting leads to decreasing water supply, and farming on steep slopes requires communal investment in terraces and tree planting for agroforestry. Recording and filming with these guys was unforgettable and we hope to continue to support them however possible moving forward.

Livingstone, Zambia

Joka is a compassionate and generous soul, and a proud resident of Livingstone’s ghettos. He built his own studio by hand over the course of three years, which he allowed us to use. He sat in with us and dropped a few lines in his distinctive gravelly voice, and told us stories of his troubled past and the hope he found in helping other people beat addiction and avoid hard drugs. A truly inspirational character.

Msafiri Zawose is one among the prominent contemporary Gogo musicians. His name is associated with his traditional Gogo style music, which relies heavily on the zeze and ilimba in combination with distinct lyrical harmonies.

Msafiri Zawose is the fifth child of Dr. Hukwe Zawose, The name Zawose is synonymous with Tanzanian music and tradition.

Surrounded by musicians and spending his days at the art college, Msafiri began learning music and picked up the ilimba at a young age. By his 13th birthday, he had already mastered all of the signature Gogo instruments and was already touring widely throughout the country. His international debut was a three-month tour to Japan singing, dancing, and playing ndono, ngoma, and marimba with his father’s group Chibite.

After his father’s untimely death in 2003, Msafiri resolved to pick up where his father left off.

“Music. It is the voice for my thoughts, experiences and faith in God. It speaks of my life. Not only through the lyrics I write or the melodies I sing, but also through the instruments that play. It is the most natural way for me to share who I am.”

“Natural” most definitely describes the musical talent of James Sakala. His melodic vocals and clean harmonies seem to flow so easily with the dynamic percussion and guitar sounds in his songs. One can only wonder where such a talent came from.

As a young boy in Mkushi, he grew up expressing himself through music and drama. “At a very young age, I started feeling music in me, and I became more convinced of my passion for it when I learnt to sing “Namusonda” by P.K. Chishala.” Soon after, he set out to hone his craft.

Over the years, James Sakala has nurtured his skills by working as a producer, session guitarist, and singer/songwriter at local recording studios in and around Lusaka. Now, he is focusing on recording his debut Afro-Jazz/Kalindula album.

Bringing a refreshing sound to Afro-Jazz by fusing it with the liveliness of Kalindula, James Sakala hopes to touch millions through his faith-driven music and “preserve a sound that has died here [in Zambia].”

Mosi Oa Tunya or simply referred to as MOT by its numerous followers both in Zambia and Kenya, was a band which walked in the path of ensembles like the once powerful Afro Rock giants, the Osibisa. Its demise towards the close of the 70s has not short-circuited its deep roots in the Zamrock bowels which still simmer with sounds that reveal the kind of music upon which this country thrived.