Category: Artist Development Programs
Providing resources and information about programs that support the development and growth of emerging music artists.
Tems Returns to COLORSxSTUDIOS With a Quiet, Devastating Performance of “What You Need”
Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems has made a striking return to COLORSxSTUDIOS, delivering a stripped-back performance of “What You Need” that leans fully into restraint, vulnerability, and emotional precision. Premiering just over an hour ago, the session has already drawn thousands of viewers, reaffirming Tems’ rare ability to command attention without spectacle. Against COLORS’ signature minimal backdrop,…
MUSIC CUSTODIAN IS A LIVING ARCHIVE
In an era where attention is fleeting and culture is often reduced to trends, Music Custodian exists as a living archive , we think of a space where African music is not just announced, but understood; not just amplified, but contextualized; not just celebrated, but protected. From its earliest days as a bespoke communications consultancy,…
What 2025 Sounded Like: 30 Albums, Carefully Curated
As the year winds down, Music Custodian finds itself reflecting on the records that moved culture, sparked conversations, went viral, climbed charts, and ultimately soundtracked our year. Beyond numbers and accolades, these are the albums that lived with us, shaping moments and moods long after release day. 2025 was a defining year for music. Afrobeats,…
MUSIC CUSTODIAN PARTNERS WITH SHIGH TO LAUNCH “MOST WANTED” — A NEW CROSS-GENRE ANTHEM FT. BAGETTI, CANDY BLEAKZ & LADÉ
Lagos, Nigeria — Music Custodian is proud to announce press activation support for “MOST WANTED”, the new single from SHigh, featuring Bagetti, Candy Bleakz and Ladé. The track is an audacious blend of street energy and melodic modern Afrobeats — a club-ready anthem crafted to bridge scenes and amplify rising female voices in the contemporary…
Juls Baby Is Soundtracking the Diaspora & Redefining Global Music — Music Custodian Sessions Returns With a New Episode
Music Custodian announces a brand new episode of Music Custodian Sessions, featuring globally acclaimed producer Juls — the architect behind some of the most distinctive African and diasporic sounds of the last decade. In this intimate sit-down filmed in Nairobi, Juls reflects on his creative evolution, cultural identity, and the sonic philosophy shaping his next…
AfroFuture Presents Asake: Live in South Africa – Curated by Culture, January 2026
After headlining the AfroFuture Festival in Ghana, ASAKE takes center stage once again as AfroFuture—the innovative brand from Culture Management Group LLC expands its celebration of African creativity with the launch of its latest experience property, CURATED BY CULTURE (CBC). This January, South African audiences will experience ASAKE LIVE, an electrifying, intimate performance set to…
Music Custodian Attends Week 7 of Afrobeat Rebellion, Captures Exclusive Music Panel Session
Music Custodian joined the Week 7 programming of Afrobeat Rebellion, the acclaimed multi-week exhibition dedicated to tracing, preserving, and reinterpreting Fela Kuti’s legacy for a new generation. Held from Thursday to Sunday, the exhibition invited audiences into the intimate layers of Fela’s life, music, politics, and cultural influence ; a space that continues to evolve…
When Silence Becomes Sound: How Beethoven ’s Legacy Lives Through Modern Music Tech
In 1802, a distraught Ludwig van Beethoven penned a letter confessing a secret that would have destroyed most musicians — he was going deaf. Yet, in the years that followed, he composed some of the most transcendent music ever written, including his iconic Ninth Symphony. What’s astonishing isn’t just his perseverance, but how he did…
Vic Mensa ’s Sundiata: A Return to Independence, Heritage, and the Living Archive of African Music
There’s something poetic about watching an artist step into their own light — unfiltered, unbound, and unapologetically in control. For Vic Mensa, that moment has truly arrived. Long celebrated as one of hip-hop’s most fearless thinkers, the Chicago-born, LA-based rapper has spent the last decade weaving through the worlds of music, activism, and art with…
Francophone Renaissance: From Dakar to Abidjan, the New Age of Rap & Afropop
At Music Custodian, we’re tuning our ears to new frequencies. As part of a fresh editorial wave, we’re stepping beyond the familiar rhythms of Afrobeats to explore the vibrant, genre-blending soundscapes flourishing across West Africa — with a spotlight on the often-overlooked Francophone regions. From Dakar to Abidjan, a quiet renaissance is reshaping the sonic…