SEVERAL ARTISTES from Europe and Africa will meet on one stage this Monday, October 25, for the ‘MAISHA – Afro-European Music Experiment, a side event of the African Union/European Union Ministerial Meeting being held in Kigali. The concert, which seeks to showcase the diversity and unity between Europe and Africa is the first free concert to be held at Kigali Arena, since the return of events and shows. Those who will attend will be given a free Covid-19 test but they must posses proof that they are fully vaccinated or had one dose of the vaccine. As is the norm, a local guest artiste will perform with the band, alongside local DJs who will also play for the audience. “Following a successful debut in 2019, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this unique project/band is set to return with a new concert in Kigali, Rwanda. 2 continents. 11 musicians from different African and European nationalities,” the organisers announced. Maisha Band performs virtually in May 2020. Maisha Band is a magical fusion of sounds: Jazz, Dub, Electronic, Afrobeat, Hip-Hop, Rock and Reggae. The band will perform alongside Deo Munyakazi, as the guest Rwandan artiste and DJs Marnaud and Toxxyk. Arthur Nkusi and Makeda Mahadeo will be the hosts of the concert which will start at 7pm. Doors will open at 4pm for people to come in early and get tested. From Rwanda, Munyakazi, the ‘Inanga’ maestro, will be on stage to show what the country has to offer. The singer and songwriter through social media expressed his excitement to be back on stage. DJ Toxxyk will be on the decks. DJ Marnaud and DJ Toxxyk will thrill the audience with mixes that will bring back memories of a filled-up Kigali Arena. For those who won’t make it, the concert will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. About Project Maisha Convinced by the power of art to unite, the EU Delegation to the African Union created the project Maisha. The project Maisha, which means ‘life’ in Swahili, is a unique European and African music co-creation that was launched in 2019. The project gathered 12 musicians from the two continents in Addis Ababa, to engage in a two-week music residency where they had the chance to collaborate and co-create original musical pieces. On Europe Day 2019, they performed their magical fusion of sounds in a public concert at the Ethiopian National Theatre. The whole process of this fascinating musical experiment was filmed for a documentary beautifully showcasing the challenges of creating unique new sounds and defeating cultural barriers.
