By Dipo Olowookere
A funding package aimed to support African creators telling underrepresented stories and perspectives in podcasting has been created by Spotify.
The initiative, Africa Podcast Grant, was announced by the streaming giant on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at an event held to celebrate a crop of African creators who are making their voices heard and, through that, showing the world the vast array of African talent.
Spotify disclosed that it would provide a $100,000 grant for 10 creators telling Africa’s story, giving them the opportunity to take their trades to greater heights.
At the programme held on Wednesday dubbed Sounds of Africa, six artists and six podcasters, who came to life through a social media campaign in the week leading up to May 25, were celebrated in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The six podcasters included Kenya’s Mantalk.ke and The Sandwich Podcast, Nigeria’s I Said What I Said and Tea with Tay and South Africa’s True Crime ZA and After School is After School with Sis G.U. The six artists were Kenya’s Chris Kaiga and Nikita Kering’, Nigeria’s Ladipoe and Preyé, and South Africa’s Nomfundo Moh and Zoë Modiga.
The host for the evening, Patricia Kihoro, kicked off the event with a fireside chat with Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Spotify Africa’s Managing Director.
In her first ever interview in the role, Muhutu-Remy shared about the Spotify journey in Africa and how platforms like Spotify can help out African storytelling on the map.
A creator panel featuring Eli and Oscar of Mantalk.ke, Jola from I Said What I Said podcast and South African artist Zoë Modiga reiterated the importance of telling our own stories as a way of changing the perceptions of the continent.
The party officially kicked off with Blinky Bill, who delivered an electrifying set that got everyone dancing, and a couple of Kenyans in the house even joined him on stage. South African dancer-turned-artist Kamo Mphela took the stage right after with a building shaking performance.
DBN Gogo was next with an Amapiano set, before the main act of the night, Nasty C took the stage. The Coolest Kid in Africa definitely delivered, ending with his hit song Particular. To close off the night, Juls took to the decks for an Afrobeats set that left everyone wanting more.
“This is the first of many initiatives to come. We would like to highlight even more African creators on an even bigger scale, to ensure that the whole world knows that Africa is not just a moment, it is here to stay,” Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Managing Director, Spotify SSA, stated.
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