Ghanian songstress Efya, evergreen performer Samini and eclectic Jojo Abot have been listed among 300 other artists from all over the world for the SXSW Music Festival.

Scheduled for March 11-17, 2019 in Austin, Texas, United States, the South by Southwest is an annual conglomerate of film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences.

It began in 1987 and has continued to grow in both scope and size every year.

Earlier in November 2018, YFM Ghana’s DJ, Kess, and former BBnZ artist E.L had been announced as 2019 SXSW Showcasing Artists.

Efya

Efya (née Jane Fara Fauzzier Afia Boafowaa Yahaya Awindor) who performs under the mononym “Efya” formerly Miss Jane is a Ghanaian singer-songwriter and five-time Ghana Music Awards Best Female Vocalist, (she won the award twice in 2013 when the Maiden edition of the Europe Ghana Music Awards took place). Efya was born on the 10th of April 1987, in Kumasi, Ghana.

Samini and Band

Emmanuel Andrews Samini (born 22 December 1981 in Accra, Ghana), known by his stage name Samini (formerly as Batman Samini), is a Ghanaian Reggae and Dancehall recording artiste from Wa, Ghana. His genre of music is a melodious mixture of highlife, dancehall, reggae and hip-hop. He terms his brand of music as the “African dancehall”. He signed his first record deal with Ashanti International. Samini started his own record label later.

He started singing in a church choir at the age of 14, and became a professional musician after a musical collaboration with another musician in 1999. His debut studio album, Dankwasere, was released in 2004. He received international recognition when he won the “Best African Act” at the 2006 MOBO Awards. He also has several awards including an MTV Africa Music Award for Best Performer along many nomitations including MTV European Music Awards.

Samini now has 7 Studio Albums to his credit. The Seventh titled “untamed”, A 22 record Reggae Album was released on 22nd of December 2018 (his birthday) and is already making great strides by climbing 8th on the World Reggae Billboard Chart and also a nomination from ReggaeVille Awards for Best Album.

Jojo Abot

JOJO ABOT is a Ghanaian artist expressing herself through music, film/photography, literature and performance art. FYFYA WOTO, meaning New Birth – New Discovery serves as the theme and title for her ongoing project exploring the SELF as a provocative tool in the discovery, exchange and evolution of the subject of IDENTITY. Through her work, Abot Investigates new forms of spirituality and expression as part of a growing global conversation around shared space, identity and spirituality that exists beyond the conventional bias of color, race, class or sexual orientation.

After wrapping up an exciting year in NYC as a member of the New Museum’s incubator program, NEW INC, Abot has spent the last year touring Australia, New Zealand and Africa while creating her first multimedia immersive piece titled “POWER TO THE GOD WITHIN” as a resident at the acclaimed National Sawdust also in NYC.

Abot has toured with the incredible legend, Ms Lauryn Hill in the past year. Playing shows at Radio City Music Hall, Greek theater and others along with Common, Seun Kuti and Stephen Marley.

Having performed at iconic venues such as the Apollo Theater, Times Square on New Year’s eve to a 1 million plus audience, Museum of Modern Art, Kennedy Center and Kings Theater among others, Abot continues to connect with the global audience.

A true cultural fusion and genre bender in both sound and artistic expression, Jojo Abot is poised to take the world by storm with her uniquely coined AFRO-HYNO-SONIC sound and otherworldly perspective.