Swedish NPO launches virtual platform for diaspora musicians

The project will showcase the various groups and generations of diasporic musicians in Sweden and offer financial support to bands that cannot tour or stage concerts due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“The ongoing pandemic has made it difficult for these local Swedish artists to work with their profession as artists,” Selam founder and executive director Teshome Wondimu told Music In Africa.

“The economic consequences of the pandemic has been devastating for the entire creative industry. We, therefore, launched this live-streaming platform to support the local scene and highlight the diversity of Swedish music today. The African countries represented in this edition are from Sudan, Somalia, the Gambia, Senegal, Liberia and the DRC.”

The performances were recorded at Stureparken Studio in Stockholm and will be broadcasted on Wednesdays at 7pm CAT on the Selam Facebook page and Youtube channel from 31 March to 2 June. 

Selam Sessions is one of the NPO’s initiatives that support and strengthen the cultural sector. The organisation has worked in cultural development and foreign aid for more than 20 years through its offices in Stockholm and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

Last year, Selam launched the Connect for Culture capacity-building project for cultural practitioners in Ethiopia, the Gambia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia. Supported by the Swedish Institute, participants received training on cultural policy, intellectual property, artistic freedom rights and digitalisation, among other areas.

“With Connect for Culture, we have taken a new step in sharing valuable experiences from Swedish and international culture and exchanging knowledge to strengthen culture globally,” Wondimu said.

Below is the broadcast schedule for Selam Sessions:

• 31.03. Dekula Band
• 07.04. Mapei
• 14.04. Chelsea Muco 
• 21.04. Ebo Krdum
• 28.04. Ali Dhantoo
• 05.05. Los Luchitos
• 12.05. Million Stylez & Mike Yangstar
• 19.5. NJOL
• 26.5. Desmond Foster Longside the Half Past 6ix Band
• 02.06. Mary N’diaye