Search for the next Zim music superstar
…Amplifaya fest set for debut
EMERGING Bulawayo music stars Kyla Blac and MJ Sings will join a cast of promising and established stars during the inaugural Amplifaya Festival, a music showcase that is set to promote new voices and creative diversity while creating a safe space for young consumers of entertainment.
The festival will take place on 3 September in Harare at the Rainbow Towers Hotel’s Heritage Adventure Park. A brainchild of earGROUND and Gateway Stream Music, the Amplifaya Festival’s stated intention is to, “nurture and amplify the next music superstar and help them connect with the youthful consumers, the mass market, prepare and propel them to the global stage.”
In a statement, organisers of the festival said they wanted to bring to the fore new and exciting talent and innovations that had been ignored by the music industry.
“Young consumers of entertainment products such as music, fashion, dance and new innovations have a unique taste that has often been overlooked by the mainstream. It’s this unique appetite that we are seeking to service through the Amplifaya festival. With the advent of the internet, social media there is an emergence of new subcultures and trends that inform and appeal to the youthful audiences. There is also a sharp rise in new amazing voices and talents yearning for a platform and opportunity to showcase, express and grow. Amplifaya will feature some of young popular artistes and the best promising musicians from across Zimbabwe. Other youth culture elements will also be incorporated. You can expect an epic lineup featuring talented artistes representing the pinnacle of artistic expression in both commercial and underground in Zimbabwe,” the statement read.
The festival will bring to the fore voices that organisers thought had a shout at becoming the country’s next top music exports. Besides Sings and Blac, many artistes set to feature.
“The festival is targeting to have a line-up that will feature emerging and talented voices. Voices that are set to become the next global superstars. These are artistes who are waiting for an Amplifaya to blow up and be heard. These new voices are spread across the country and come in various genres. The young population already connects with some of them who are already disrupting the daily playlists and our taste buds. Our selection criteria were informed by great new talent spread across regions and genres. We made an effort to have artists from different provinces as our festival is national. To make the lineup firm we had to include a few established artistes,” the statement read.