Our dream? Africa for the world
We are making Pan-African art music globally accessible, empowering a diverse range of communities and diasporas.
Be a part of this extraordinary
community and movement
Our Organizational Pillars
Publishing
Sheet Music • Lessons & Workshops • Blog • Community Directories
We are proud to launch the first ever nonprofit e-commerce marketplace for Pan-African art music. Buy sheet music from composers across the continent and diaspora with unique access to interpretative resources. Study Pan-African art music through our lesson and workshop programs, available both virtually and in-person. We also offer masterclasses for ensembles and universities to learn from African composers, conductors, and musicologists. Visit our blog to access articles about Pan-African music traditions, history, current practices and news. Browse our Community Directories to reach out directly to composers, artists and organizations around the world.
Concert
Pan-African Art Music Performances
Since the start of Àkójọpọ̀ we have brought Pan-African art music performances to Lagos, New York and Chicago. Our concerts highlight the global significance of Pan-African art music by amplifying the voices of our diverse range of composers and musicians, while creating new opportunities and spaces for the celebration and appreciation of Pan-African art music. Many of our concerts bring elements of cultural immersion through cuisine and visual art in addition to music.
Learn more about our past concerts, as well as our future plans to expand our concert reach with a new performance project in South Africa with a special focus on composers from Southern and East Africa.
Arts Administration
Music Business &
Arts Administration Education
This year we are running our first ever African Artist Entrepreneurship Incubator program, a 10-week professional development program for professionals interested in developing their own innovations and organizations.
The future of Pan-African art music lies in the hands of our creative communities and visionaries. We support professional development in performing arts administration, music business and nonprofit management with the goal of inspiring creative solutions, innovation, start-ups and grassroots organizations.
Àkójọpọ̀ Blog
A community of deep thinkers and revolutionaries
Our Pan-African Art Music blog offers unparalleled access to information about art music traditions, history, current practices and news across Africa and the diaspora. Our goal is to create a free and public space for the kinds of discourse that has only be found in academic journals, Facebook forums and informal discussions.
Our blog publishes articles from scholars and community members about Pan-African art music, whether documenting historical traditions, inspiring innovative solutions, encouraging career development, or bringing awareness about current news.
Community Directories
Need to find a musician or composer? Want to reach out to an organization?
Our Artist Directory connects you with musicians and composers from around the world and our Organizations Directory lists institutions, ensembles and organizations dedicated to Pan-African Music.
Whether you want to hire musicians, commission a new piece, collaborate or simply get in touch - we can help you get connected
We’re actively expanding our directory database. Please fill out our form to be listed today and share our directory with your community!
The Àkójọpọ̀ Community
To build this platform, it took a village.
To grow our platform and transform the world, we need YOU.
Join our vibrant community of donors, subscribers, sponsors, volunteers, artists, writers, advisors and innovators. Our community is built on the principle of unity in diversity, where the unique qualities and strengths of individuals come together to create something far larger than any one person.
What is Pan-African Art Music?
Pan-African art music integrates two main aspects: Pan-Africanism and art music.
Pan-Africanism connects Africa and Afro-diasporic musical traditions, transcending geographical boundaries. Pan-African art music is broadly defined as art music that is distinctly “African” and sounds African. It is an inclusive term and concept which references art music compositions that draw on African/Afrocentric musical resources, processes, approaches and elements including rhythms, language, melodies, harmonic ideas, compositional structures and instruments.
Professor Kofi Agawu defines art music as “music self-consciously composed by individuals, often notated, usually rehearsed, and performed by skilled practitioners for non-participating or minimally participating audience.”
Why YOU should perform Pan-African art music
We believe that anyone in the world can study and perform Pan-African art music, which has the power to expand musical, social, cultural, emotional, spiritual and intellectual horizons.
Pan-African art music is not just a cultural celebration and exploration, but a journey that explores new ways of thinking and approaching music. By weaving together traditions from thousands of cultures across Africa and the diaspora, there are endless possibilities for growth and learning. Even advanced musicians from other genres and cultures have much to gain from the unique musical languages, expressive tools, pedagogical techniques, and approaches to performance and interpretation that comes with Pan-African art music performance.
Changing the global narrative
The fields of art music and classical music are predominantly viewed as European, diminishing other global traditions who participate and contribute to these genres. We strive to showcase Afrocentric compositions within the art music and classical music landscape, as an effort to shed light on a true original African musical tradition. We also support composers and musicians who perform a fusion with styles that are traditionally seen as more European.
