Apple Music launches “Africa Rising” – A program to discover African music talents.
With the program, every two months the editorial team at Apple Music will select one artist from the continent. Subsequently, they will also amplify their music to its users in 167 countries.
The Africa Rising initiative also includes an accompanying playlist featuring songs from some of the continent’s new and emerging artists. For example, Its current playlist includes music from Nigeria’s Rema, South Africa’s Tellaman, and Kenya’s Bensoul.
The first act enlisted for this program is Nigerian Afrofusion artist Omah Lay. Whose real name is Stanley Omah Didia.
“I have always used Apple Music. Seeing my favorite artists on playlist covers and features but here I am looking pretty as Apple Music’s first Africa Rising artist. I am overwhelmed, dreams really do come true,” he said in a statement. The Nigerian artist started making music as a teenager. However, he got his introduction into the mainstream 2019. He released two songs that earned him air time on the radio in Rivers, Southern Nigeria.
Enjoying a lot of success at the moment, he seems to be on a roll. Music from his debut EP, “Get Layd,” which was released in May, is currently featured on the Nigerian Top 100 singles chart on Apple Music. However, this is not the first time Apple Music is investing in talent across Africa. In May, the music streaming platform launched its first radio show in Africa called the “Africa Now Radio with Cuppy.” Presented by Nigerian producer and DJ Cuppy, the show showcases the latest African sounds.