Sony Music Entertainment Africa (SMEA) is a record label, based in Africa, [1] a subsidiary of Sony Music. [2]
| Sony Music Entertainment Africa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | Sony Music Entertainment |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Country of origin | South Africa |
| Location | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Official website | store |
Sony Music in Africa has a rich history intertwined with the global evolution of Sony Music Entertainment. Founded in 1991, Sony Music Entertainment Africa is the local arm of Sony Music, which was established as American Record Corporation in 1929 and later rebranded to Columbia Recording Corporation. [3]
Over the years, Sony Music has expanded its presence in Africa, including South Africa, with offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The company's strategic growth in Africa involves opening offices in key markets like Lagos, Nigeria, [4] and Nairobi, Kenya, to promote local talent globally. [5]
South Africa is one of the largest and most influential music markets in Africa. Sony Music South Africa is based in Johannesburg and serves as the hub for Sony Music Africa's operations in the region. The division works with a diverse range of artists across different genres, including amapiano, [6] pop, hip-hop, house, and traditional South African music. [7]
Nigeria is another major music market in Africa, known for its vibrant Afrobeat, Afropop, and hip-hop scenes. Sony Music West Africa, based in Lagos, Nigeria, [8] focuses on discovering and promoting Nigerian talent both within Africa and internationally. The division collaborates with artists, producers, and record labels to develop and distribute music across various platforms. [9] Godwin Tom was appointed as its first managing director. [10]
Kenya has a thriving music industry with diverse influences from traditional African music, Afro-fusion, and contemporary pop. Sony Music East Africa, [11] based in Nairobi, Kenya, works with local artists and labels to amplify Kenyan music on both regional and global scales. The division also supports artist development and distribution efforts within the East African region appointing Christine Mosha [12] as its head of marketing.
Ghana has emerged as a significant player in the African music scene, [13] particularly in genres like highlife, hiplife, and Afrobeats. Sony Music Ghana, based in Accra, collaborates with Ghanaian artists, producers, songwriters and music industry stakeholders to showcase the country's musical talent to the world. [14] The division also facilitates partnerships and collaborations between Ghanaian artists and international counterparts. [15]
Former Members
Current Members
Bongo Flava is a nickname for Tanzanian music. The genre was developed in the 1990s, mainly as a derivative of American hip hop and traditional Tanzanian styles such as taarab and dansi. Lyrics are usually in Swahili or English.
G-Day is a series of large-scale events held by Google in Latin America, Middle East, Africa and India for developers, tech enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. It started as a part of the G-Africa Initiative that was expanded to Latin America countries in 2012. These events typically lasted for two days, split into the developer day and the business day with the aim of showing them how to leverage Google tools in taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the Internet and mobile.
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Naseeb Abdul Juma Issack, professionally known as Diamond Platnumz, is a Tanzanian bongo flava recording artist, dancer, philanthropist and businessman. He is the founder and CEO of WCB Wasafi Record Label, Wasafi Bet and Wasafi Media. Diamond has gained a massive following in East and Central Africa. He became the first Africa-based artist to reach 900 million views on YouTube.
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Desmond Kwesi Blackmore, known by his stage name D-Black, is an anglophone hip-hop and Afrobeat musician and entrepreneur from Ghana. He has been described as "a successful entertainment mogul"
Ali Saleh Kiba, best known as Alikiba or occasionally as King Kiba, is a Tanzanian musician and songwriter. He is one of the most talented musicians in East Africa and mostly considered the King of Bongo Flava music Genre. He is from Kigoma and the owner of both Kings Music label and Crown Media Group. With hit songs such as Mwana, Aje, Chekecha Cheketua, Cinderella, Nakshi Mrembo, Usiniseme, Dushelele, Single Boy with Lady Jaydee, Mapenzi Yana Run Dunia,mahaba,mama with legendary yvone chaka chaka and Macmuga. Ali Kiba is usually regarded as one of the most successful Bongo Flava stars usually associated with his close rival Diamond Platnumz.
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Boomplay, or Boomplay Music, is an Africa-focused media streaming and download service. Developed by Transsnet Music Limited, the platform was first launched in Nigeria in 2015 by TECNO Mobile, Transsion Holdings. Boomplay has a freemium and subscription based service; basic features are free with advertisements or limitations, while additional features, such as download for offline play and ad-free listening are offered via paid subscriptions. The service is currently available for Web, Android and iOS. As of August 3, 2018, Boomplay Music recorded 10 million installations off the Google Play and App store. It currently has over 75 million monthly users (MAU) with a catalogue of over 100 million songs by 7.5 million artists.
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Celestine Donkor is a Ghanaian gospel musician and songwriter. In March 2021, she was among the Top 30 Most Influential Women in Music by the 3Music Awards Women's Brunch. She founded the Celestial Praise, an annual Gospel music concert.
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Jackline Acheampong, known professionally as Gyakie, aka Song Bird is a Ghanaian R&B and afro-fusion singer. In 2019, Gyakie released her first single titled "Love is Pretty", which paved the way for another single, "Never Like This". In August 2020, the "Forever" song from her five-track EP Seed enjoyed airplay and led the charts in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria. Gyakie's father is Nana Acheampong.
Mohammed Ismail Sherif Kwaku Frimpong, professionally known as Black Sherif, formerly Blacko, is a Ghanaian singer, rapper and fashion model. He initially gained popularity in 2021 with his song "First Sermon," which he released in May 2021. This was followed up with the "Second Sermon" in July 2021.
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