In 2019 Goethe Zentrum Harare/ Zimbabwe German Society collaborated with Point Black Africa on the Pungwe Sessions Vol. II project. The overall goal of The Pungwe Sessions project was to create a vehicle for artists to build marketable brands and songs that will provide recurring revenue in show bookings and royalties for years to come. This was achieved by collaborations amongst Zimbabwean artists and also with established international artists and access to marketing channels which were facilitated by Point Black.
The Pungwe Sessions Vol. II project was started in September 2019 and produced a 13-song album that was released on June 5, 2020. The project also featured a series of in person mentorship sessions with international producer Rymez and CAPASSO COO Mr Wiseman Ngubo. The educational aspect of the project culminated in a half day workshop held at Shoko Festival.
The workshops featured sessions with a number of notable Zimbabwe Music Industry professionals such as Michael Mangondoza, Keen Mushapaidze, Fungai Zvirawa and Pedzi Chimbwanda. At the time these individuals managed the biggest artists in Zimbabwe’s music indiustry, namely Takura, Jah Prayzah, Sha Sha and Tami Moyo. Along with these sessions there were also panels with Rymez and Mr Ngubo that were open to the public.
These sessions provided valuable first-hand information on what upcoming artists should look for from a manager, how to handle contracts, the importance of song making & collaboration and guidance on intellectual property.
Highlights from the recording of the album and the workshop can be seen in the Pungwe sessions documentary linked here.
To date the project has achieved several milestones which have been listed below;
- All singles that were released were featured on prominent official playlists on both Apple. Music and Spotify (a first for a Zimbabwean project)
- The songs have been playlisted on radio in at least 6 countries (Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, USA, UK)
- A full feature in Africa’s biggest music website (Okay Africa)
- Despite the adverse effects of COVID19 the artists have been invited to perform their songs on several live performances
Artist Accelerator
In 2020 Goethe Zentrum Harare/ Zimbabwe German Society and Point Black Africa wish to take this concept forward by working together on a project that focuses more on providing practical education to artists. Because of the restrictions of the COVID19 pandemic this program will be rolled out via digital channels only and will cover a number of topics such as coping with the effects of COVID19, understanding various streams of income, stage performance and how to market music. These courses will all be taught by accomplished industry professionals from across the world. The program will also feature a mentorship program that will allow artists to have ongoing conversations with music industry professionals who will help guide their careers.
The project will be completed by the end of 2020.
