HiiiWAV Unveils 'Afro AI': Empowering Black Creators With AI and AR Education
OAKLAND, Calif., September 20, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Bosko Kante, an award-winning music producer, inventor, tech founder, and artist advocate, proudly announces "Afro AI," a new program by Black creative-focused music+tech incubator HiiiWAV launching September 21, 2023.
About AFRO AI
What does it mean for black artists and creators to wield the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR)? AFRO AI, created by HiiiWAV, seeks to answer this question in a deeply transformative way. Taught by a team of industry mavens, including Don Allen III, Benin Saffo, Lance Coleman, and Nicky Saunders, this 8-week masterclass, starting on September 21, moves beyond mere technical instruction. The curriculum draws heavily from real-world experiences and inventive techniques, reflecting the ethos of HiiiWAV and Bosko Kante’s own journey as an inventor and a musician. This ensures that participants not only gain proficiency in new technologies but also understand how to fold them seamlessly into their unique voices and messages.
Here, learning culminates in the AFRO AI Demo Day, a high-stakes showcase where artists pitch their AI-empowered projects for a chance to secure a $10,000 grant. But more than that, Demo Day is a moment to shine the spotlight on the new narratives and paradigms that black creatives are setting.
About Bosko Kante and HiiiWAV
Bosko Kante is a leading talkbox artist who has also made big contributions to music and tech. He has written and performed talkbox on Grammy-winning albums for artists such as Dua Lipa and Kanye West. Trained as an Engineer at USC, Bosko invented the patented ElectroSpit ESX-1 mobile talkbox. His company ElectroSpit Inc.’s award-winning instruments are used by world-renowned artists like David Guetta and Stevie Wonder.
In 2020, Bosko Kante, Maya Kante, and Miles Dotson founded HiiiWAV to pass on the wealth of their experiences and resources to up-and-coming black musicians, creators, and entrepreneurs. As the President and Executive Director, Bosko’s vision steers HiiiWAV's AI+XR+Music Incubator project.
Impact and Achievements
Since 2022, HiiiWAV has hosted over 50 events and workshops, closely mentored 36 Black Bay Area Artists, and served 36 black creatives and six artist collectives, ranging in age from 18 to 45. These artists, all residents of Alameda County and surrounding Bay Area counties, received mentoring, studio time, and grants to grow their businesses. A total of 27 new artist projects were created, along with two public art showcases. HiiiWAV also hosted 45 free events, attended by over 3,000 people of all ages and identities, including songwriting workshops, art shows, concerts, artist networking events, movie screenings, book reviews, funding fairs, and educational panels. HiiiWAV was recognized as one of the 2023 YBCA 100 most impactful Bay Area nonprofits in addition to numerous awards such as Meta's XR Fund, Hewlett Foundation & Community Vision’s PAAF Grant, FHL Bank’s Ahead Grant, Kataly Foundation Grant, The Liberation Fund Grant, Elevate Initiative Finalist, and Bay-Area LISC Grant.
Source: HiiiWAV.org
