Eight local bands from the underground Johannesburg music scene are set to perform at a showcase dubbed Battle of the Bands, in a bid to win a chance to share the stage with international and local stars at the 2018 Afropunk Joburg Festival.
Following online voting artists who have made it to the final battles, will dual it out on November 30, 2018 and December 1, 2018 at Carfax in Newtown, Johannesburg, where a panel of expert judges will select one winner to be included on the Afropunk main stage, based on their stage-craft, energy, promotional efforts, originality, technical ability and visual image.
The panel includes electronic musician Muzi, CEO/founder of Africori Yoel Kenan, head of music at YFM Marco De Carvalho, and CEO/Co-Founder of AFROPUNK Matthew Morgan.
Dozens of unsigned acts who range in sound from neo-soul and R&B, to garage and rock applied to be included at the Battle of the Bands, however only eight made it.
The winning band will sign a distribution deal with Africa’s foremost digital music company, Africori and receive clothing and footwear from Palladium Boots; as well as a wardrobe and on-stage clothing from Free2BU and JX respectively, exclusive to Edgars.
AFROPUNK Joburg and Africori will also host a two day seminar for the Battle of the Bands finalists prior to their shows, to help all eight finalists with tools they need to take their careers to the next level.
The AFROPUNK festival began in Brooklyn in 2005 expanding around the world – to Paris, Johannesburg, London and Atlanta.
Beyond the constellation of large-scale live-music events, AFROPUNK is a worldwide community that is the engine of the global black experience, creating space and value for the intersections, embracing the plurality of our stories and individualities across borders and continents.
AFROPUNK Joburg takes place at Constitution Hill on 30 and 31 December, under the theme THE PEOPLE RESIST, a call to action against racism, patriarchy and any form of hate.
