UMAIZI DESK

What's Happening in the African Music Business?

In this interview, I had the great pleasure of having a conversation with Bari Bentley, who is an independent artist based out of the US, but originally from Nigeria. And in my conversation with Bari, we dive a bit into his background. He talks about how he got started with music and the role that his childhood played in his eventual interest in pursuing a career in music.Bari grew up in Bariga, a district in Lagos, which he describes as the “trenches.” He spent most of his childhood in the chur

Podcast · Bobby Nishimwe · Formerly Afro Banta Beats, now Umaizi Desk: Exploring insights, trends, and stories within the African music landscape.

What's Happening in the African Music Business?

There’s a new scramble for Africa, but unlike the 1884 Berlin Conference, where European powers carved out pieces of the continent as colonial projects, this 21st-century scramble has more to do with Western brands' increased collaborations with African artists. These partnerships between global brands and African acts present great economic opportunities for the artists while raising questions about their overall impact on the creative trajectory of African music and the role of African-owned b

The world started getting familiarized with Afrobeats in the mid to late 2010s from acts such as Davido, Wizkid and Burna boy. Afro Banta blog discusses current topics relating to Afrobeats, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Francophone & other African music genres.

The African music industry continues to experience growth and key investments from home and abroad.The media landscape in Africa presents traditional and non-traditional mediums for artists to promote their music, with podcasting offering a new channel for artists to tap into as it gains traction across key markets. The South African genre, Amapiano, reigned supreme across the African music industry in 2024. African artists graced major stages and platforms from around the world and snagged awar