Category: Regional Soundscapes
Explore the diverse musical traditions and contemporary sounds from different regions across Africa
The Ultimate December Kickoff: A First Look at Detty December Festival 2025’s Grand Opening Night
Detty December Festival 2025, produced by Livespot360, ignited Lagos with its grand opening, and Music Custodian was right at the center of the pulse at Ilubirin Mixed Use Development, Ikoyi. Branded as Africa’s Real Summer, the opening night on Sunday, December 7th, delivered a cinematic spectacle — one made for memory. If you believe the…
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…
Kehlani Speaks Out on Rise of AI Artists: “It’s Erasing Songwriters, Producers, and Our Humanity”
In a new interview with @thecruzshow, Kehlani opened up about her concerns around the rapid rise of AI-generated artists — using viral AI R&B act Xania Monet as a recent example of how artificial intelligence is reshaping the music landscape. Xania Monet recently made history as the first AI artist to debut on a Billboard…
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…
Detty December Festival Takes Over Lagos : Star-Studded Lineup Includes Busta Rhymes, Bella Shmurda & Juma Jux
Lagos city’s signature season of music, performance and cultural celebration grows even larger in 2025 as Livespot360 unveils Detty December Festival, a citywide, multi-stage celebration of music, culture, and nightlife running from 6–31 December 2025 across Lagos. Branded “Africa’s Real Summer,” the festival offers a month-long immersion of world-class performances, pop-up stage takeovers, day-to-night parties,…
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…
The Rebellion Lives On: Lagos Welcomes Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s Afrobeat Legacy
October 12, 2025, arrived with a familiar jolt of rhythm and rebellion as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti: Afrobeat Rebellion debuted at the Ecobank Pan African Centre — a triumphant cultural return of the legendary Paris showcase, now reborn through a distinctly Lagos pulse. What began at the Philharmonie de Paris has now been reimagined and rebuilt for…
Rolling Stone’s “250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century”: A Global Canon and the Call for a More Expansive Sound Memory
When Rolling Stone unveiled its list of the 250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century So Far, it wasn’t merely another chart exercise; it was an attempt to define the sound of a generation. The list, headlined by Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On”, is a sonic mosaic of the past 25 years — a…
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…
Sebuleni X Chenza: Deep House Meets Benga in One Magical Night
Sebuleni X Chenza. Deep house X Benga. Vibe X nostalgia. If I had to sum up the night of 5th September 2025 at Muze Nairobi, those are the words I’d reach for. But honestly, they barely scratch the surface of what turned out to be a cultural feast—one that stirred up music, fashion, art, and…