Before jazz, soul, R&B, rock or hip-hop, there was the beat of the djembe. Eight billion people on this planet have their ancestry on the African continent, as do many of the most commonly used sounds and rhythms that move us.
Music from the African continent continues to reach new heights and rapidly grows in popularity and popularity. Afrobeats have now become one of the continent’s biggest cultural exports, with their instantly recognizable sound heard on street corners, shopping malls, stadiums, catwalks and clubs around the world and a trend on social media.
With new partnership models, continent-wide advocacy and promotion, and the use of digital platforms, African music have the potential to drive economic growth and continental integration.
The region has potential opportunities to expand its music industry by using new partnership models to secure private sector and government support. Cooperation with other sectors such as tourism, fashion and sports could bring further benefits to Africa’s cultural economy as a whole. This could boost job growth in the music sector and create jobs for young people. Musicians and the private sector drive much of this activity, but regional governments also play an important role in the growth of the music industry in African countries.
From that first drumbeat to the present day, different musical genres across the African continent have entertained and inspired the world. They acted as a marching rhythm for social change and gained national and international attention. And with the right collaborations and investments, the impact of a growing and more dynamic music sector will reverberate across the African continent.
Over the next few years, these measures will strengthen the foundations for greater inclusion and prosperity and serve as a blueprint for other sectors of Africa’s cultural industries.