Music practitioners from Ghana attended the Music In Africa kick-off meeting held at the Goethe-Institut in Accra on 16 July 2014. As has been the case in previous Music In Africa events all over the continent, the meeting attracted strategic stakeholders from across the broad spectrum of the Ghanaian music scene.

The meeting was aimed at introducing local practitioners to the Music In Africa portal, as well as to enable them to identify key areas that Music In Africa should focus on in the country. The event was graced by the attendance of Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Culture, Tourism and Creative Arts, H.E. Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, who expressed the enthusiasm of her ministry for the Music In Africa initiative. Also in attendance were top names such as Highlife giants AB Crentsil, Charles Amoah, ET Mensah Jnr. and Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, reggae stars Black Rasta and Kwabena Danso, as well as esteemed musicologists Professor John Collins and Charles Azonto. Executive members of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) were also present. Over 40 professionals attended the meeting.

Music In Africa Foundation Director Eddie Hatitye introduced the Music In Africa portal and also outlined some of the offline activities of the Music In Africa Foundation. He explored in detail the relevance and importance of the Music In Africa portal – not just to the African music sector as a whole but to the Ghanaian music scene in particular. West Africa Regional Editor Edward Keazor later delivered a short presentation on content formulation and helped music industry players to identify key areas and problems that Music In Africa should focus on. One of the results of the meeting was therefore a list of topics that Music In Africa will now work on.

The event was highly successful, with serious and committed participation from Ghana’s music industry players – a sign of positive things to come going forward. We would like to thank Goethe-Institut Ghana for making this milestone event possible, as well as everyone who attended.