About Us
Concert
Pan-African art music performances in Chicago, New York and Lagos. Our concerts are cultural immersion events that engage the community in Pan-African culture.
Publishing
Our publishing initiative features our digital sheet music store with interpretative resources, lesson and workshop bookings, Pan-African art music blog, and community directories.
Arts Administration
We support professional development, creative solutions, innovation, grassroots organizations and start-ups by connecting creative professionals in Africa and beyond with resources and opportunities.
Our dream? Africa for the world
Àkójọpọ̀ empowers the world to authentically immerse themselves in the rich beauty of Pan-African art music.
Be a part of this extraordinary community and movement. Donate now to help us expand our collections.
Àkójọpọ̀ Music Foundation
Àkójọpọ̀ is a 501(c)(3) registered not-for-profit organization
Vision:
To promote and integrate Pan-African art music globally, celebrating its cultural richness and significance across diverse communities and diasporas.
Mission:
Through our concerts, e-commerce marketplace and arts administration initiatives, we empower Pan-African art music communities and raise global awareness to celebrate the diverse heritage of African and Afro-diasporic music worldwide.
Àkójọpọ̀
Àkójọpọ̀ (Yorùbá): a word that describes unity, harmony and the interweaving or collaging of elements.
Reflecting our Pan-African values of unity through diversity and community, our
organization embraces the unique skills and perspectives of everyone within our community.
Our Home: Chicago
We are currently based in Chicago, IL where we organize performances and workshops in partnership with local organizations.
Àkójọpọ̀ is more than a foundation. We are a community of vibrant people.
Like an orchestra, our community is made up of individuals with unique qualities and strengths who come together to create things that are much larger than ourselves.
Our Team:
Get to know our dedicated international team of staff and volunteers
Our core teams and leaders have volunteered countless hours since the start of Àkójọpọ̀. We hope to transition to paid staff so that our staff can support themselves whilst building incredible platforms and performances
OUR VALUES
Àkójọpọ̀
(Yorùbá, Nigeria)
Referring to unity, harmony and the interweaving or collaging of elements, this word reflects our Pan-African values of unity through diversity and community. We embrace the unique skills and perspectives of everyone within our community.
Ubuntu
(Zulu, South Africa)
Emphasizing the importance of community and collaboration, Ubuntu is the belief that humanity is inherently defined by community. It is a philosophy that the individual cannot exist without greater community, and that sharing our gains and burdens ultimately benefits everyone.
Sankofa
(Akan, Ghana)
Sankofa is a Twi term that means “to go back and retrieve”, referring to a philosophy that encourages learning from the past to create a better future. We believe that the answer to current social issues may lie in wisdom from our past. By raising awareness around Pan-African art music traditions and heritage, we can foster a deeper appreciation of cultural legacies and inspire new artistic practices and innovative solutions.
Jabali
(Swahili, East Africa)
Jabali means “strong as a rock”. We believe that our strength as a community can help us produce the highest quality of work to represent the best of Africa to the world. Many of our community members have shown incredible strength in their journeys to not only overcome systemic barriers, but to remove those barriers for good so that future generations will be empowered to build a better world.
