As Nigeria’s music community continues to seize the global spotlight, disc jockeys have become an increased necessity to the growth of African music. From boosting a cross-continental crossover of African jams, to extending the lifespan of songs on dance floors, they have become part of the new digital culture of music.
As more streaming services pitch camp in the African music scene, Apple Music has launched Spin With Engage, a joint venture with the Afro-fusion music listening community and label-servicing outfit, Engage. Owned by Bugwu Aneto-Okeke’s MAD Solutions, Spin With Engage is the new official curator of DJ mixes across Africa, helping to spotlight more talent across the continent including, DJ Neptune, DJ Xclusive, DJ Voyst, DJames, DJ Consequence, among others.
“It’s been an incredible journey over the past 5 years. MAD Solutions has grown and expanded more than I expected,” says Bugwu Aneto-Okeke, Founder and CEO of MAD Solutions. “Even with all the challenges we face in the African market, a business born in Lagos Nigeria, has now expanded into other territories including the United States & Canada, with steady and significant increase in music catalogue and revenue, consistently doubling catalogue plays and revenue each year. It’s a great time for African Music and we are proud to be enablers in the Africa to the world movement.”
According to Aneto-Okeke, Engage will create more opportunities for artistes’ communities and ensure rapid scaling of listenership through various playlist campaigns and DJ Mixes. Engage is also an official curator for Audiomack.
“The goal has always been to provide African artists with a global reach. As a member of the Global Independent rights body, Merlin, with access to the best deals, we are dealing with over 45 global DSPs across the US and Sub-Saharan Africa, and we have also partnered with Chordcash, to help independent artistes receive funding and resources into their music career. We will continue to play our part in ensuring that we bolster the growth of our creative industry,” Aneto-Okeke said.
Aneto-Okeke, who has built a legacy within the African music scene has helped spotlight several major acts including Nosa, Protek Illasheva, Simi, Reekado banks, P-Square, Runtown, Ric Hassani, Asa, among others.