AMA grantees Yannick Proenca, Stachys Nzolani and Joonho Wantete, of Sahad and the Nataal Patchwork, traveled last week from Dakar (Senegal) to Nairobi (Kenya) to attend and perform in ACCESS – Music in Africa Conference 2018 (15-17 November).
Yannick, Stachys and Joonho are members of the band Sahad and the Nataal Patchwork. Formed by singer Sahad, the group is a cultural crossroads where musicians from different backgrounds meet and together reinvent the sounds of African music. Their music is a kaleidoscopic constellation of Malian blues, Afrobeat, rock and jazz, overlain with lyrics in different languages that transport listeners and stoke the soul with a universal message of peace, love and tolerance. They have performed across Senegal and Europe as well as in the USA, Tunisia and Morocco.
Aged 23 and hailing from a family of musicians in Dakar, Yannick Proenca is the drummer for the group. Also 23, Joon-ho Wantete is the group’s pianist, while Stachys Nzolani, originally from Congo-Brazzaville, is on the trombone. ACCES is a pan-African event for music industry players to exchange ideas, discover new talent and create business linkages.
ACCES is held in a different African city every year attracting active music industry players from across the globe. The group will be performing as well as attending events and networking with musicians from around Africa and the globe.
We wish them much success on their future journeys!
Photo credit: Sahad and the Nataal Patchwork
