From Blaqbonez and Seyi Vibez to KiDi, Sarkodie, Sofiya Nzau, Phyno and King Paluta, Music Custodian’s latest playlist update captures African music moving confidently across scenes, borders and generations. The final New Music Friday of August does not arrive with one dominant story. That might be its most interesting quality. This week’s Afrobeats Heat Different…
From Whitney Houston’s transformation of “I Will Always Love You” to Beyoncé’s reimagining of “Jolene,” Dolly Parton ’s relationship with Black artistry offers another way to remember a songwriter who understood ownership without confusing it with possession. Dolly Parton belonged unmistakably to country music. Born in rural East Tennessee, raised in Appalachia and eventually transformed…
The Headies has officially unveiled the nominations for its 18th edition, setting the stage for another expansive assessment of Nigerian music’s changing centre of gravity – and this year’s list finds established heavyweights increasingly sharing space with a generation whose ascent has unfolded at remarkable speed. Covering eligible music released and distributed on digital streaming…
Afrobeats Heat Different returns with Victony at the centre of a 15-track New Music Friday edition that moves through Lagos street rap, contemporary Afropop, Afro-house, alternative experimentation and Francophone Africa. There is something particularly satisfying about watching an artist reach the point where experimentation no longer feels like risk. For Victony, STARLIFE appears to be…
Cinq Music Group is expanding its footprint in African music through a new distribution and artist-services partnership with Nairobi-based Soul HQ, bringing Xenia Manasseh, AYLØ and Altair Saïd into a global infrastructure designed to connect locally developed African talent with international audiences. Barely a month after announcing a partnership with D’Banj’s C.R.E.A.M platform in Nigeria,…
Nairobi, Kenya – August 2026 — Sebuleni, Nairobi’s independent listening house dedicated to Deep House culture and intentional community gathering, returns to Shelter KE on Sunday, 30 August 2026, for a special edition that brings together music lovers, selectors, and cultural enthusiasts for twelve hours of carefully curated sound. Rooted in Deep House as its…
Across Africa, artists are increasingly turning to indigenous musical traditions to create entirely new contemporary sounds. In Uganda, that journey has given rise to Bakisimbatronics – a genre pioneered by Maganda Shakul that fuses the rhythmic foundations of Bakisimba with electronic music. In this feature, Furaha Ruguru explores the origins of the movement, the community…
Every generation of Afrobeats eventually reaches a moment when its defining voices remind the world why they earned their place. This week’s edition of Afrobeats Heat Different captures exactly that moment. Every Friday, African music writes another chapter of its own story. Sometimes that chapter belongs to an emerging artist taking their first confident steps…
As CKay prepares to usher in a new chapter with his forthcoming album BANGER BOY, one of the defining records of his career is once again in the spotlight. Producer Tempoe recently shared images of a commemorative Spotify plaque recognizing “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)” for surpassing one billion streams on the platform – a…
Nairobi continues to strengthen its position as one of Africa’s emerging creative capitals following the launch of the INDVSTRY Exchange Artist Accelerator, a new initiative designed to equip East African artists with the knowledge, networks and professional infrastructure needed to build sustainable international careers. The accelerator brings together music executives, creative entrepreneurs and industry professionals…
