By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Kundum Trio Plus, a quartet led by guitar wizard Akablay on Wednesday exhibited an extraordinary level of improvisation as they fused jazz, highlife, folk and Kumdum rhythms from the Western region of Ghana.

In a virtual performance at the Goethe-Institut in Accra, the group established a reflective interchange between themselves as distinct and infectious rhythms flowed freely in the hall, which was largely empty due to Covid 19 protocols. 

With Akablay (guitar), Gaddiel Amoah (bass / cowbell), James Seibu (percussion / trap drums) and Prince Sakason (muted trumpet), the quartet descended into their own world and took the camera crew on a journey that showcased the rich culture of the people of Nzema and other parts of the Western region.  

Undeniably, the language of the group is intelligent, streamlined, intricately woven and quietly intense - the musicians seemed to be enjoying themselves as they performed in a relaxed manner while refreshing solos intermittently rocked the performance hall.

Interspersed with stories on the Nzema’s, the music exemplified the band’s divergent style, which freely incorporates elements of various genres that are either scripted or spontaneous thereby creating a multi-cultural mood on stage.

Indeed, during Kundum festival, nights in the Nzema area are turned into a spectacular sight of silhouettes, bright nights and a wonderful ambience filled with infectious Kundum rhythms as waves from the Atlantic Ocean gently pound the beaches.  

Kundum Trio Plus is project that was borne out of limitations relating to the Covid 19 pandemic. With four members, the band is able to offer concerts while fully obeying the Covid 19 procedures and restrictions. Indeed, it has engaged in several virtual concerts following the easing of restrictions in Ghana.

Goethe-Institut Ghana supported the concert, which forms part of a series of virtual concerts organized by the Institut in response to Covid 19 restraints and measures.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

An exhibition of works by Ghanaian artist / academic Dr. Agyeman Ossei will on Friday September 4 open at the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA) in the Northern regional capital, Tamale.

Curated by Kwasi Ohene-Ayeh, Adjoa Amoah and Naa Koshie Thompson, the exhibition is set to amplify the dialogic relations between the linguistic, structural and formal elements operative in Ossei’s work, which are largely inspired by Asante proverbial culture, philosophy and folk / highlife music.  

Others are poetry translated via collage, drama, literature, painting, sculpture, video and new media alongside a cross-disciplinary practice that attempts a linkage of the symbolic, semiotic and metaphysical in art. His works celebrate cultural classics, literature and poetry while memorializing them through carving, modeling, painting and dramaturgy.

Indeed, as an artist whose aesthetic and cultural sensibilities have been shaped by formal education as well as “farmers and so called bums” he encountered during the early 1990s, Ossei experimentally weaves a secular linkage between the traditional, modernist and extra-modernist elements in his practice.  

Titled “Akutia: Blindfolding the Sun and the Poetics of Peace”, this ground-breaking exhibition marks twenty-seven years since the artist’s preceding solo exhibition and will run between SCCA and its sister institution Red Clay Studios, which is located in Janna Kpeŋŋ, also in the Northern region.  

Other activities lined up to complement the main exhibitions include live and virtual events encompassing other areas of the artist’s interests. These range from musical concerts, theater performances, workshops and film screenings.

Popularly known as Dota, Ossei was the artistic director of Abibigromma, a resident theater group at the University of Ghana from 2005 to 2009 and served as acting Executive Director of the National Theater of Ghana between 2012 and 2014.

He has directed and produced concerts with legendary Palm Wine Highlife musician Agya Koo Nimo and the National Symphony Orchestra as well as skits and jingles for radio in local Ghanaian languages such as Twi, Dagbani, Frafra, Ewe and Wala.

Ossei has contributed to numerous academic journals and publications worldwide and has translated and adapted literary works into theatre plays. Notable among them are Ayi Kwei Armah’s “The Beautiful Ones are Not Yet Born”, “Osiris Rising” and “The Healers”.

SCCA is an artist-run institution that functions as a project / exhibition space, research hub, cultural repository and artist’s residency. It is the initiative of the internationally acclaimed Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama as a contribution to the development and expansion of infrastructure for contemporary art in Ghana.

The exhibition ends on Thursday March 7, 2021.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Artworks by Esinam Damalie, Bernice Ameyaw, Yussif Mussah, Rufai Zakari, Winfred Nana Amoah and complimented by writings / doodling by poet Jo Nketia are currently on display at the Nubuke Foundation in Accra.

The untitled show carry elements of sobriety, audacity, insouciance, hope and vivacious vibes while reflecting personal anxieties, fleeting relationships, rooted connectedness as well as chance encounters with diverse personalities.

Linked by dreams, ambitions and fears - the works, which were created through vivid assemblages from medical texts, money transfer cards, fabrics, water and food wrappers together with their contexts, histories and narratives - generate an easy connection between the viewer and the artworks.

Inspired by hair salon aesthetics, sculptures by Damalie are fashioned out of techniques of craftsmanship. Using human hair and elastic materials among others, the artist produces intimate pieces through a long, laborious process of weaving.

Ameyaw’s work extend the limitations placed on disused everyday objects, which she collects from various parts of the country. These substances are then refashioned through various processes including assemblage and welding thereby producing artworks that simply engage observers.

A Hohoe based artist, Amoah employs the use of textiles, used phone cards, plastic bags and others to explore personal identities and community belonging within the Ghanaian contemporary context. Indeed, his mixed media works depict scenes from the Volta regional town, where he lives.

Working in Kumasi, Yussif uses Islamic and Sirigu patterns alongside charcoal, pastel and metallic paints. He creates fictional narratives related to the idea of death, anxiety and fear that are influenced by movies, books and real-life events.  

Sharing his practice between Accra and Bawku, Zakari examines consumerism, environmental pollution, labour, trade and the perils of industrialization in the contemporary Ghanaian society. He uses discarded objects including plastic bags / bottles and food packages.

Nubuke Foundation is a private visual arts and cultural institution based in Accra and serves as a nexus for arts and culture across the country. It equally supports the artistic practice of Ghanaians with various programmes including exhibitions, art talks, seminars and workshops while providing spaces for drama, poetry, music and film collaborations.

The exhibition ends on Friday October 2, 2020.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Inside the cozy offices and studios of Accra based Asaase Radio - the latest network adding up to dozens dotted around the country - are murals dedicated to veteran journalists by Ghanaian muralist Nicholas Wayo.

The murals, which are intertwined with texts, comprise images of the late Joy FM / BBC presenter Komla Dumor, US based National Public Radio (NPR) correspondent Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, former Daily Graphic Editor / BBC presenter Elizabeth Ohene, ex Radio Zoy (now GBC) presenter Isa Keita and the veteran sports commentator Joe Lartey.  

In spite of a lack of attention to detail, Wayo created warm, perceptive and creative images alongside the use of cool tints that managed to transform the walls into incredible magical spaces. Indeed, walls that would daily inspire Asaase Radio reporters, presenters and producers to aim high and uphold the ethics of the profession.

As they create a tranquil atmosphere and vibrancy, these murals effectively connect with other artworks collected by the new media house while reminding entrepreneurs of the need to utilize the skills of muralists to enhance the walls of their work places, offices and homes.

Designated as one of the 100 most influential Africans of 2013 by New African Magazine, Dumor established himself as one of the emerging African faces of global broadcasting while a lead presenter for the BBC. Undeniably, his professionalism, poise, intelligence and skill coupled with his infectious smiles, heavily influenced radio and television coverage across the African continent.

An award-winning broadcaster, Quist-Arcton is currently the NPR’s Africa Correspondent.  She spent her early years in Ghana, Italy, Kenya and the United Kingdom and has lived and worked in Europe, the United States and other parts of Africa. She was recently based in Senegal traveling across the continent as a journalist, commentator, host and media trainer.

A Minister of State for Tertiary Education under the John Kufour regime, Ohene was a senior producer on BBC World Service / British Domestic Radio, Researcher and Columnist on the erstwhile Focus on Africa Magazine and Deputy Editor at the BBC African Service as well as being in charge of the operational budget.

Keita, who was a former secretary to the Emir of Katsina (Nigeria), worked at the then Accra based Radio Zoy in the 1940s and was noted with his news dispatches on World War II and other related issues. Born to a noble Fulani family, he went on to carve a memorable political career in the Republic of Nigeria.

A veteran sports commentator and first President of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana, 92-year-old Lartey worked with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, where he operated with the ace Nigerian commentator Ishola Folorunsho.

Currently, the director of Nima Munimmanchi Art, Wayo, whose work largely deals with murals and portraits among others, has exhibited his works in Ghana, Italy and the United States. He has collaborated with several artists including Kofi Setordji (Ghana), Virginia Ryan Izzo (Italy), Lyle Ashton Harris, Prof. Steven Feld (USA) and Matt Baker (Scotland).

A privately-owned radio station, Asaase began official transmission in June 2020 and is operated by owners of the Daily Statesman newspaper. It operates under the tagline “The Voice of Our land”.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

An exhibition of crafts, fashion and other products by trainees at the Kawukudi Community Youth Cultural Centre (CYCC) is currently underway at the Sankofa Arts and Craft Shop, which is located at the National Commission on Culture in Accra.

The exhibition forms part of the 30^th anniversary celebrations of the CYCC, which was initiated among others to provide vocational training in skills development, performing arts and sports and its related activities for the youth.

Products on display include paintings, men / ladies clothing fashioned out of African prints, beads, conference / shopping bags, African print purses, leather / beaded slippers, raffia bags / fans, shopping baskets, shea butter packaged in calabash, T shirts designed with African prints and honey.

Founded in 1989, the CYCC programme aims at responding and satisfying the out-of-school recreational needs of the youth, identify and realize the latent talents of young people, enhance the creative and cultural abilities of the youth and channel their energies into positive use.

Others are to promote the positive values of patriotism, cooperation and internationalism among the youth, prepare the youth as an important manpower resource for development and set the basis for the evolution of Youth Cultural Movement in the country.

Activities include performing arts, fine art and cottage craft, physical culture, literary / environmental programmes. Participants are trained in traditional / contemporary dances, music, drama, puppetry, weaving, embroidery, painting, sculpture, pottery, sewing, batik, sports and writing skills. 

A cardinal aspect of CYCC programmes is the involvement of the Community in the affairs and programmes of the Centre. This opens up a cordial relationship with the political and administrative, chiefs, parents and guardians as well as the schools, religious institutions, social clubs and residents in general.

Other events lined up for the anniversary include a webinar conference dubbed “CYCC @ 30: Towards a Sustainable Creative Arts Economy and Youth Empowerment”, “Recorded Theatre for Development Skills on Topical Issues”, “Covid 19 Protocols”, “Teenage Pregnancy” and “Drug / Substance Abuse”.

Barbara Oteng Gyasi, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture will on Wednesday July 22, formally open the exhibition.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Flute magician Dela Botri together with some members of Hewale Sounds intertwined jazz with traditional and contemporary Ghanaian rhythms thereby creating an absorbing experience of distinct quality at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.

In a virtual performance owing to Covid - 19 restrictions, the group showcased an unmistakable traditional African hypnotic groove as they vividly portrayed the power, capabilities and competencies of instruments fashioned out of wood and animal skin.

Performing compositions by Botri during the three-week partial lockdown in Accra and Kumasi, the musicians demonstrated their individual skills as they fused into a greater whole with sounds that are not only refreshing but equally therapeutic.

Employing an atenteben flute, xylophone, guitar, bass, calabash drum and other percussive instruments, Botri, who is noted for his dedication to traditional music, exhibited amazing skill on the atenteten as absolutely sublime sounds flowed from the stage.

Undeniably, Botri’s fingers moved along the flute with nimble dexterity as a myriad of rhythms flowed through the empty hall. In the process, enchanting compositions from the group appeared to possess the power to nourish the souls of listeners in these uncertain times. 

With Edzi Konu (drums), Emmanuel Ohene (bells / rattles), Evans Eduful (guitar), David Odoom (percussion / calabash drum), Maxwell Dagarti (xylophone), Beda Ehrensperger (bass) and Botri on atenteben, the band exhibited their brand of Afro jazz, which has been enriched by the verve of young musicians.

Clad in a colourful costume, the virtuosic flutist revealed an extraordinary fusion where jazz and traditional / contemporary Ghanaian rhythms co-habited in harmony thus ending up in a progressive and compelling manner.

An apostle of traditional / contemporary Ghanaian music, Botri has held workshops in a number of universities and performed to varied audiences in the Middle East, Europe, USA and several countries in Africa.

In 2011, he joined Liberian star Miatah Fanbulleh to perform at the 2011 Novel Peace Prize Awards in the Norwegian capital, Oslo and performed with the late acclaimed Malian balafon player Keletigui Diabate in Bamako (Mali) and Accra (Ghana).

Lockdown-Jazzkompositionen stellen Goethe-Institut in den Schatten

Von John Owoo

(In Accra - Ghana)

Der Flöten-Magier Dela Botri und einige Mitglieder von Hewale Sounds verflochten Jazz mit traditionellen und zeitgenössischen ghanaischen Rhythmen und sorgten so für ein fesselndes Erlebnis von besonderer Qualität am Goethe-Institut in Accra.

In einer (aufgrund von Covid - 19 Restriktionen nur virtuell erfahrbaren) Aufführung zeigte die Gruppe einen unverkennbaren traditionell-afrikanischen hypnotischen Groove, indem sie mit Instrumenten aus Holz und Tierhaut deren Kraft, Fähigkeiten und Kompetenzen anschaulich darstellte.

Bei der Aufführung von Kompositionen, die Botri während der dreiwöchigen teilweisen Abriegelung in Accra und Kumasi geschaffen hatte, demonstrierten die Musiker ihr individuelles Können mit Klängen, die nicht nur erfrischend, sondern ebenso therapeutisch sind und zu einem größeren Ganzen verschmolzen.

Botri, der für seine Hingabe an die traditionelle Musik bekannt ist, setzte eine Atentebenflöte, ebenso wie Xylophon, Gitarre, Bass, sowie eine Kalebasstrommel und andere perkussive Instrumente ein und zeigte seine Virtuosität an der Atentebenflöte, um erhabene Klänge von der Bühne erklingen zu lassen.

Botris Finger bewegten sich mit unbestreitbarer Fingerfertigkeit auf der Flöte, während eine Myriade von Rhythmen durch den leeren Saal floss. Die zauberhaften Kompositionen der Gruppe schienen die Kraft zu besitzen, den Seelen der Zuhörer in diesen unsicheren Zeiten Kraft zu geben.

Mit Edzi Konu (Schlagzeug), Emmanuel Ohene (Glocken/Rasseln), Evans Eduful (Gitarre), David Odoom (Perkussion/Kalebasstrommel), Maxwell Dagarti (Xylophon), Beda Ehrensperger (Bass) und Botri am Atenteben zeigte die Band den ihr eigenen Afro-Jazz, der durch den Elan der jungen Musiker noch zusätzlich bereichert wurde.

Der Flötenvirtuose, der in einem farbenfrohen Kostüm auf der Bühne stand, trug eine außergewöhnliche Verbindung von Jazz und traditionellen wie zeitgenössischen ghanaischen Rhythmen vor, die in eindrucksvoller Weise miteinander harmonierten und Neues schufen. 

In seiner Eigenschaft als Botschafter für traditionelle und zeitgenössische ghanaische Musik hat Botri bereits an zahlreichen Universitäten workshops gegeben und ist vor internationalem Publikum im Nahen Osten, Europa, USA und verschiedenen afrikanischen Ländern aufgetreten.

2011 spielte er gemeinsam mit dem liberischen Star Miatah Fanbulleh bei der Verleihung des Friedensnobelpreises in der norwegischen Hauptstadt Oslo. Er spielte auch mit dem inzwischen verstorbenen berühmten malischen Balafonspieler Keletigui Diabate in Bamako (Mali) und Accra.​

Translated by Heike Friesel

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

US based Ghanaian artist Tijay Mohammed recently participated in a Black Lives Matter project that ended with a gigantic mural, which stretched across three city blocks in Manhattan - New York (USA).

Conceived by the Manhattan Borough and Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, the 600 feet mural was designed by artists Sophia Dawson, Patrice Payne and Tijay Mohammed, who is currently participating in the Materials For The Arts Artist-in-Residence programme in New York.

Mohammed employed the use of Ghanaian Adinkra symbols and Kente cloth motifs on the word BLACK while Dawson incorporated images of mothers she has met over the years on the word LIVES alongside those of Payne, who identified what her ancestors have experienced in her design of the word MATTER.

Applied directly to the street, the mural harmoniously blended with the surroundings while powerfully delivering a message that seeks to bring justice, healing and freedom to black people in America, Europe and elsewhere thereby promoting a sense of identity, belonging and openness.

Commenting on the mural, Justin Garrett Moore, Executive Director of the Public Design Commission said the mural at New York’s Civic Center is strong and beautiful and carries a very important message to mankind while praising the collaboration by activists, artists and designers in the creation of the mural.

Department of Transport (DOT) Chief Operations Officer Margaret Forgione added that the DOT is honored to play a role in utilizing public space for artistic expression by communicating such a powerful message at an iconic location in the Civic Center. She expressed profound thanks to architects and artists among others for bringing these Black Lives Matter murals to the streets.

Mohammed has exhibited his works locally and internationally including features at the Longwood Art Gallery, Katonah Museum of Art, Hudson River Museum, Materials for the Arts (all in New York), Art League (Huston - USA), Green Drake Art Gallery (Pennsylvania - USA) and the National Museum in the Ghanaian capital Accra.

He has equally organized workshops and community-based projects with numerous organizations including Studio Museum Harlem, Wallach Art Gallery, Brooklyn Museum, Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling (all in New York), University of Ghana and Pinto Road Community Centre (Trinidad / Tobago).

In addition, he has received numerous accolades and residencies from The Laundromat Project, Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Hudson River Museum (all in New York), Ravel d’Art (Cote d’Ivoire), Harmattan Workshop (Nigeria), Global Crit Clinic and Asiko Artist Residency (Ghana).

Since March 2020, Mohammed has been an Artist-in-Residence at Materials for the Arts while participating in virtual public programming and art making that engages the ongoing protest movement, including being tapped to help design the Black Lives Matter mural.

Organizers of the mural project include Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer, Department of Transportation, WXY Studio, TATS CRU, Department of Cultural Affairs-Percent for Art, Black Lives Matter of Greater New York and Thrive Collective among others.  

Supporters of the mural include Architecture Research Office, BBB, BJH Associate, Caples Jefferson, COOKFOX, Elizabeth Kennedy Landscape Architect, Fred Clarke, Fogarty Finger, FRONT Inc, FXCollaborative, G TECTS, Ken Smith Workshop, LERA Engineering, LTL, MdeAS Architects, ODA, Paula Scher and Rafael Pelli.

Others are Richard Gonzalez Architects, Rodney Leon Architects, Rogers Partners, Sara Lopergolo, SCAPE Studio, SHoP Architects, Silman Associates, Snøhetta, Susan T. Rodriguez Architecture Design, Victor Body-Lawson Associates and WXY Architecture + Urban Design with special thanks to Jose Torres.

Pictures - Joe Russo

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

The Constant Boty Group on Wednesday delivered an eclectic jumble of rhythms and sounds that easily reflected it’s brilliance during a virtual performance at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.

Led by guitar magician Constant Boty alongside Nii Keyz (keyboard), Eugene Lomo (bass) and Nana Ofori (drums), the quartet presented an exuberant mix of tunes that were inspired by African folk tunes, jazz and world music.

With compositions from a debut album titled “Guru Guru” and an upcoming one titled “Shine On”, which will be dedicated to the late UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the group churned out a dramatic blend of originals, standards and scintillating improvisations.

With tunes such as “Venus In Gemini”, “Mali”, “Coup De Foudre”, “My People” and “Guru Guru” – all composed by Boty - and “My Favorite Things”, a composition by Richard Rodgers, which was popularized by the saxophone legend John Coltrane, the musicians delivered well crafted, catchy and infectious tunes.

A respected guitarist, Boty turned the stage into a tsunami of energy as the group’s manipulation of texture and rhythmic cycles revealed their capabilities – in the process, surprising bass-lines and heavy hammered keyboard chords filled the air of the auditorium.

Boty is a member of the Jazz Education Network and is an enthusiastic and experienced music educator. He taught guitar and West African music at the German Swiss International School in Accra and conducts music workshops in jazz, world music and West African folkloric music in Europe, United States and other parts of Africa.

“Shine On”, which is scheduled to be released in 2021, featured a bevy of musicians from around the globe including bass clarinetist Oran Etkin, pianist Benito Gonzalez, master bassist Lonnie Plaxico, vocalist Heather Maxwell, saxophonist Kris Allen, drummers Daniel Freedman, Francisco Mela, Daniel Prim and Luiz Santos.

The performance was sponsored by Goethe-Institut Ghana.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Portraits with dark purple skins, pink lower lips and shaded eyes set against monochromatic backgrounds by Kwesi Botchway are currently on show at Gallery 1957, which is located in the luxurious Kempinski Hotel in Accra.

Employing deep melanin skin tones alongside sensuous sparks, his paintings vividly portray a dramatic new way of communicating colour consciousness while linking black with beauty, royalty, wealth, luxury and strength.

Undeniably, just as we were getting used to his portraits of elderly members of the society, Botchway has come out with a message that is powerful in colours and hues while homing in on the noticeable features of his community in Accra and beyond.  

With a dramatic combination of 19^th Century French Impressionism and contemporary African social realism, the young painter subtly complains about the aesthetic norms generated by non-black and black populations alike while imposing the real identity of black people.

These portraits together with their peppy eyes provide an insight into the lives of its subjects - told and untold stories, experiences and non-experiences, struggles and non-struggles as well as individual / collective hopes and aspirations.

His portraits appear to cry out for real or symbolic spaces of expression and specific attributes of social appearances alongside subtle undertones on political, philosophical and socio-cultural issues. Indeed, he refused decorative and distracting details thereby vividly sending out his messages.

With blue, red, pink, blue and cream backgrounds, Botchway creates a range of lifestyles, characters and perceptions while capturing the spirit, essence and heritage of his subjects. In the process, he provides viewers the opportunity to peep into their lives, troubles, challenges and difficulties. 

Currently an artist in residence at Gallery 1957, he focuses on portraiture painting which he effectively combines with practicality and impressionism thereby forming a new visual language. His works have been exhibited in South Africa, Denmark and Ghana.

The exhibition is being curated by Katherine Finerty, an Assistant Curator and Communications / Development Manager at The Showroom, London – United Kingdom. Titled “Dark Purple is Everything Black”, it ends on Tuesday June 9, 2020.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Goethe-Institut Ghana last week offered a cybernetic platform to GHjazz Collective in a bid to satisfy the demand by musicians and audiences for live-music in the midst of restrictions aimed at containing Covid 19.

Performing at the premises of the Institut in Accra without an appreciative / cheering audience, the group showcased a vivid fusion of traditional Ghanaian elements with jazz that was characterized by refined improvisations and pitch-bending harmonies alongside infectious rhythms.

With Bernard Ayisa (saxophone), Victor Dey (keyboard), Frank Kissi (drums) and Bright Osei (bass), the quartet performed with intense passion revealing in the process a superlative artistry, an alluring stage presence and compositions that are stamped by emotional power and sensitivity.

Alongside a rich repertoire comprising “Friends With Benefits”, “Highlife Suite”, “Mr. P.K. Ambrose” (Victor Dey), “Spur of the Moment” (Bruce Winston) and “Human Intent (Max Von Broch), the group exhibited high professionalism through compositions characterized by climaxes of wide-ranging sounds.

The performance, which will be shared on the website of Goethe-Institut Ghana as well as other Instituts and their social media outlets, also forms part of a move by the Institut in Ghana to assist artists migrate to the digital world as part of strategies to survive Covid 19 and its attendant restrictions.

Indeed, the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in the cancellation and postponement of arts events while social distancing and quarantines have made live music shows all but impossible at this time when music is truly needed to help curb anxiety, stress and depression.

Notwithstanding the limitations, a number of musicians including many who have released albums and were preparing to embark on performance tours have also performed on social media platforms while interacting with their fans.

In spite of reservations about the longevity of the live stream boom, experts predict a rosy picture of concerts in the digital space in the future. Whatever the situation, a loyal audience will be critical for sustainable online performances.