Africa Rising Music Conference launches in Johannesburg

This month, Johannesburg will see the opening of a new female-led event celebrating rising talent in and beyond South Africa alongside the relaunch of our beloved series, The Lab Johannesburg.

Africa Rising Music Conference celebrates up-and-coming talent in and outside of South Africa, held this year at Hallmark House Hotel on May 24 and 25 flaunting two showcase events and a busy programme.

“We are positive that this exchange will help accelerate the development of the South African and African music market by developing real expertise that can compete on a global scale,” said Sarah Jane Nicholson, founder of ARMC and Managing Director of Paradise Worldwide.

For the inaugural edition of ARMC, the unique conference features a mixture of local and international delegates focusing this year on the Netherlands alongside showcasing partner The Dutch Music Export.

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“It’s well known that the Netherlands are a stronghold when it comes to dance music,” says Bas Reeders from The Dutch Music Export.

"But their ability to make beats exceeds mere EDM. A lot of Dutch hip-hop producers express Caribbean, African and Middle-Eastern roots in their music - yet do so in a balanced, distinct and modern way, creating a cutting edge sound."

Over the course of two days, ARMC’s debut event will see a range of both local and international talent head on stage, from South African-Dutch singer Joya Mooi to Italian afro house musician MoBlack.

The conference centres around both the urban and electronic music industries while celebrating the Afro-Euro connection and chart-topping genres flooding from the music scene in South Africa.

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ARMC’s by night programme has been carefully curated to include the best forthcoming talent celebrating African-influenced genres. Acts will take to the stage after the conference each day.

Find out more about Africa Rising Music Conference here, and click here to check out who’s coming up in The Lab Johannesburg.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Editorial Assistant, follow her on Twitter