Doadoa market expands to include Southern Africa

For the past years, Bayimba Foundation’s Doadoa performing arts market has had a focus on East African artistes, this has seen artistes from Kenya Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and of late Southern Sudan showcase in Jinja where the market used to happen and later in Kampala.
This year though, the market looks to expand to regions beyond the East and thus will be adding Southern Africa on to the list of participating regions.
Speaking to journalists at their head office in Bukoto, Faisal Kiwewa, the Bayimba Foundation founding director said that Doadoa being a market having Southern African artistes booking agents and festivals come on board, is going to benefit both regions noting that for every edition, a South Africa artiste will be invited to perform in Kampala and in the same way, a Ugandan artiste will perform in South Africa.
For this edition songstress Berita will be serenading the stage for the second time performing after a successful showcase at Bayimba International Festival last year; the soulful lady behind songs like Thandolwethu, Nguwe Wedwa and Mwana Wa Mai will be performing at 8pm on Wednesday at the Uganda Museum during the opening of the market.
Besides Berita, other artistes from East Africa like Jackie Akello, Afrigo Band, Afrosimba Band, Shifa Musisi Gloria Achilla and House of Talent among others will be performing.
And besides the performances, the market will also host summits about performing arts like the State of Dance that will host a pan-el of speakers like Grace Ibanda, Abramz Tekya and Roger Masaba among others.
The showcases start tomorrow and unlike the past years where they charged entrance for the performances this year the whole market is absolutely free; “It is a market where we programme people to showcase to potential buyers, buyers never pay to get into markets,” said Kiwewa.