Afro hip-hop musician 9ice has traveled from Nigeria to the United States for an event unlike any other. This week, he and musicians from around the world are in Austin, Texas for the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference and festival. 9ice told VOA he came to Austin to meet people in the music business. "It is to make more fans, you know? Introduce my music to people who haven’t listened to my music before," he said. What started as a music festival in the 1980s has become an event that is much bigger and harder to define. It is a giant party,” said Raymond Wong, who works as a reporter for the Mashable website. “It is a music festival. It is an entertainment festival. It is a tech show," he added. Technology and film production companies send representatives to the event. The SXSW conference and festival has grown over the years because of changes to the economy of Austin, the capital of Texas.