Every generation of African music eventually reaches a moment where established stars begin creating not simply for their audiences, but alongside the artists who will inherit the future. This week’s edition of Afrobeats Heat Different captures that transition beautifully. Leading the playlist is Davido, whose latest single “Gimme Dat Ting” featuring rising Nigerian artist NO11…
Nairobi’s live music calendar is set to welcome one of contemporary jazz’s most celebrated voices as acclaimed British drummer, composer and producer Yussef Dayes heads to Kenya this September for a special performance presented by Nairobi RnB. Scheduled for 12 September 2026, the concert promises to bring together some of the most exciting names shaping…
On Sunday evening, as Spain lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy before more than 80,000 fans inside New York New Jersey Stadium and millions more watching around the world, football introduced a new tradition. For the first time in the tournament’s 96-year history, the FIFA World Cup Final paused for a halftime show. The spectacle…
Spotify Greasy Tunes arrives in Kenya as a 12-day cultural programme celebrating the communities, conversations and creativity shaping one of Africa’s youngest music cities. By Music Custodian For years, streaming has changed the way we discover music. Playlists have become modern mixtapes, algorithms have introduced us to artists we’d never have found otherwise, and a…
African music’s infrastructure continues to mature as independent music company CINQ Music and D’Banj’s C.R.E.A.M platform announce a partnership aimed at creating new pathways for emerging African artists through talent discovery, development and global distribution. The story of African music’s global rise has often been told through chart-topping singles, sold-out arenas and streaming milestones. Increasingly,…
Nigerian singer-songwriter Mich Straaw joins Music Custodian for an intimate conversation exploring creativity, surrender, faith, integrity and the making of Beautiful Hearts. From the Editor Every so often, Music Custodian encounters conversations that resist being reduced to promotional interviews. This was one of them. What began as a discussion around Beautiful Hearts gradually evolved into…
How African Music Became One of the Defining Sounds of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Every FIFA World Cup leaves the world with two enduring memories. The first belongs to football. The second belongs to music. Long after the final whistle blows, long after medals have been lifted and trophies paraded through city streets, the…
Timaya and Duncan Mighty return with Kontrol, a record that effortlessly bridges nostalgia and contemporary Afropop. Every generation of African music eventually asks the same question: what becomes of the artists who built the sound once a new generation arrives? This week’s edition offers a compelling answer, arriving and anchored by one of Nigerian music’s…
For much of the past decade, Future has built one of hip-hop’s most influential catalogues by turning pain, excess, ambition and emotional contradiction into an unmistakable sound. Now, the Atlanta icon appears ready to open another chapter. Across a series of posts shared on Instagram, Future officially began unveiling what appears to be his forthcoming…
Inside Music Custodian’s “Afrobeats Heat Different” – New Music Friday Edition (4 July 2026) EDITORIAL OVERVIEW Every Friday, African music tells us where it is heading. Sometimes those stories arrive through carefully orchestrated album campaigns. Other times, they emerge without warning – through a surprise collaboration, an unexpected feature, or a record that seems to…
