Setting Global Goals for Music Policy & the SDJs with Silja Fischer (International Music Council)

01/31/23 • 25 min

In this episode of JM International’s ‘The Power of Music’, we will talk about music and policy. Silja Fischer is the Secretary General of the International Music Council (IMC). She will present the values and work of the Culture2030Goal campaign, which advocates for an explicit goal for culture within the Sustainable Development Goals framework. We will discuss her journey to the IMC, how she stays motivated to lobby for more emphasis on culture, and - of course - the power of music.

JMI is a global network of NGOs that empowers young people through music across all boundaries. For more info go to www.jmi.net or check out all the amazing opportunities for musicians at www.mubazar.com.
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Silja Fischer studied at the Humboldt University in Berlin and at the Foreign Languages Institute in Moscow. Ms Fischer joined the General Secretariat of the International Music Council in 1993 and served until 2002 as Executive Assistant to the Secretary General. She has since worked as Executive Director a.i., Operations Manager and Executive Officer, before she was appointed Secretary General of the IMC in April 2009. In this capacity, she is in charge of the day-to-day business, official representation as well as programme implementation.

Next Episode

The Son of a Preacher Man: Music for Social Change with Faith Mussa

In this episode of JM International’s ‘The Power of Music’, we will talk about music and social change. Faith Mussa is an award-winning singer-songwriter, guitarist and one of Malawi's most popular artists, known for his soulful voice as well as energetic performances. His music combines traditional Malawian vibes with modern sounds to create a unique sound. We will discuss his musical upbringing, what his music has meant for Malawi, and - of course - the power of music.

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Faith Mussa was born in August 1985 in Ndirande, Malawi. Faith began playing hand-made gallon guitars when he was just 10 years-old in Blantyre, Malawi. He played in his family’s band called The Mussa Family Band that toured throughout the country playing weddings, parties, churches and anywhere else that would have them.

This early craving to pluck music from apparently nowhere and to do so with impassioned autonomy continued for years and now he has become Malawi’s first and only one-man electronic band – a position that has taken him from his dusty hometown to collaborating with global stars Rudimental & Martinez Brothers on their single ‘Sitigwana’.

Musically, Faith Mussa represents the multidimensional nature of being a one-man band and playing a variety of instruments – including traditional ones such the badza, manjerenjeza and the mbalule. “I am a fusionist,” he says. “I love to fuse modern musical sounds with my Malawian traditional vibes – my music is rich in African traditional and modern sounds.”