ONGEA! – The Eastern Africa Music Summit debuts in Nairobi this Week!

26th January 2016: After 10 years as KENYA MUSIC WEEK, the largest Music Industry event in Sub-Saharan Africa, outside South Africa, Rebranded last year to ONGEA! – The Eastern Africa Music Summit. The inaugural Summit debuts this week, at Sarit Centre Expo Hall in Westlands, Nairobi – KENYA, from Thursday 28th to Sunday 31st January, from 12pm-10pm daily. Entry is Free. Building on a Decade of Success as KENYA MUSIC WEEK, ONGEA! also features the same three (3) Objectives of Trade, Learn and Showcase. The Trade Exhibition, at ONGEA! 2016, consists of fifty-seven (57) Stands occupied by Music Industry stakeholders, in the areas of: Artists (e.g. BigMan Sam L & DanGee, Wyre, etc). Bands (e.g. Adawnage, Sauti Sol, etc). Branding (e.g. Identity Partner, etc). CD Producers (e.g. Flip Experts, etc). Concert Staging (e.g. Event Managers Association of Kenya [EMAK], Extra Dimensions, Homeboyz Entertainment, Live Gigs, M.O.B., Mo Sound, etc). Education (e.g. Africa Digital Media Institute [ADMI], Kenyatta University, Music Technology Academy [MTA], Sauti Academy, Technical University of Kenya, etc). Entertainment Companies (e.g. Ark Krew Entertainment, Chap Chap Entertainment Media Africa, Fifty-Fifty Board Games, etc). Equipment Suppliers (e.g. Sound Creations, etc). Festivals (e.g. Bayimba Festival – Uganda, Broadcast Film & Music Africa [AITEC], DOADOA – East African Performing Arts Market, etc). Intellectual Property (e.g. Kenya Association of Music Producers [KAMP], Kenya Copyright Board [KECOBO], Music Copyright Society of Kenya [MCSK], Performers Rights Society of Kenya [PRISK], etc). Media (e.g. Capital FM, HBR 103.5FM, Music in Africa, PHAT!buzz, Tuko.co.ke, Unimind, Vision TV, etc). Music Distributors (e.g. Pata Ngoma, etc). Music Publishers (e.g. PHAT! Music Publishing, Sheer Publishing South Africa, etc). Record Labels (e.g. Flag 42 Records, Ketebul Music of Tabu Osusa, Ngoma Tucheze, SwaRnB of Tedd Josiah, Penya Kenya, PHAT! Records, Pure Aroma Records – Uganda, Play Communications, etc). Security (e.g. Radar, etc). Talent Agencies (e.g. Fezah – Uganda, Moving Cultures, etc). Talent Collectives (e.g. Creatives’ Garage, MadLove Lounge, Kenya Hip-Hop Zone, Rock Society of Kenya, etc). Telecommunications (e.g. Mi-Fone, etc). The objective of Learn, at ONGEA! 2016, is achieved via eight (8) Industry Panels, over the four (4) Days, as: Thursday (2.30pm): The Importance of Education in Building our Music Industry, moderated by Ian Mbugua – Brookhouse School. Thursday (4.00pm): Music Meets Tech, moderated by Roy Wachira – The Foundry. Friday (2.30pm): Music in Film, Television, Advertising and Theatre, moderated by Douglas Gichuki – Strathmore Law School. Friday (4.00pm): The Identity of our Music, in Lyrics and Melody, moderated by Davidson Ngibuini [DNG] – 254 Entertainment. Saturday (2.30pm): Monetisation and Compliance with Copyright & Related Rights, moderated by June Gachui – JGIP Consultants. Saturday (4.00pm): Financing and Investment in the Music Business, moderated by Moses Mbasu – Mi-Fone. Sunday (2.30pm): Artivism and Social Entrepreneurship, moderated by Muscat Sayye Moreno – MO’ Creative. Sunday (4.00pm): How to get Booked for Festivals, moderated by Rashid Jibril – Roots International and Thursday Nite Live at Choices. While the objective of Showcase, at ONGEA! 2016, is achieved via over thirty-two (32) Performances, in front of Bookers from Austria (http://www.glp.at/), Belgium (http://www.sfinks.be/en/), Morocco (http://www.festivaltimitar.ma/ & http://visaformusic.com/), Norway (http://www.namac.no/) and Uganda (http://bayimba.org/), over the four (4) Days, at 6.00pm-10.00pm, as: Thursday: Likizo, Sauti Academy, Wanny Angerer, Parking Lot Grass, Mswazzi, Suzan Kerunen, H_Art the Band and Jay A. Friday: Ramzey Siele, TUK Band, Rash Band, Ms. Okinda, Kimathi Marshall, Daniel Okiror, Samukat and Cannibal. Saturday: Third Hand Music Band, BigMan Sam L, Dan Gee, Sali Oyugi, MC Judge, Makadem, Jefro Katai, Span 1, Yung Nnoiz, Brian Mugenyi, Pitson and Sauti Sol. Sunday: Adawnage Band, Wyre, Suzanna Owiyo, Denise Gordon, Michel Ongaro, Muthoni Drummer Queen [MDQ] and Kidum – who shall be Launching his 5th Album. ONGEA! 2016 shall also host Open Mic sessions, from 12.00pm-2.00pm Daily, where Upcoming Musicians can Audition for a Scholarship to Sauti Academy. And there shall also be a Studio, by Ageless Muzik, where Upcoming Musicians, or even the general Public, can Record a Demo for Free. Mike Strano, the Founding Director of ONGEA! – The Eastern Africa Music Summit commented: We are very pleased with the positive Reception from the Market for our Debut, as it represents Confidence in our Eastern Africa Music Industry. This year we are featuring Professionals and Musicians from Burundi, Kenya and Uganda; and in coming years we hope to attract Participation from all sixteen (16) Countries in Eastern Africa, with Nairobi becoming the Gateway to the Eastern Africa Music Industry. For the latest Updates on Exhibitors, Panels and Showcase Performances, download the WHOVA App for Free via Google Play (for Android) or App Store (for iOS) or goto https://whova.com/webapp/e/oeams_201601 ONGEA! 2016 is proudly Supported by Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE), Breathe Sunshine African Music Conference, Capital FM, EnM Group, GLP, HBR 103.5FM, Homeboyz Entertainment, Music in Africa, PHAT!buzz, PHAT! Productions, Radar Security, Sarit Centre, Timitar Festival, Tuko.co.ke, Visa For Music and Vision TV.