Mazano

What a crazy week it's been. Euphonik caused uproar when he tweeted the following:

True or false? pic.twitter.com/DtYaKRWuSy

We decided to get some of the best DJs in the game: Gremlin (Red Bull Freestyle Champ), Mark Akol, Glen Stylez, VJ Jonno and Pro-G to zone in on what was said and give us their thoughts on whether DJs have a mandate to teach listeners new music.

Absolute fire episode!

I decided to bring back Cape Town producer and DJ @ProGIsTheName to the show to talk about what’s happening in the producer world of late…

This Zambian star is going places! We discuss his music and career.

The African Music Industry podcast takes us to Zimbabwe this time around! As you know, I am from Zim myself so it’s always an honour to host a fellow Zimbo! We get to know a bit more about singer and songwriter, Millicent.

For some musicians out there, making music is a true calling. You want it, you feel it, you live it! South African-based Zimbabwean musician, Millicent, is blessed with a voice for the ages. She has embraced this from a very early age. But who is the person behind the voice? How did Millicent become Millicent the musician breaking barriers and making a name for herself? This is part of what we find out on the podcast today.

Hers is a calling she had to be patient for. You know how it goes with African parents. How would you ever tell them that you really want to become a musician without facing resistance?! The question really is if you will be allowed to follow that dream or not. Even the rebels can attest. Millicent had to face that at some point in her life. For all the waiting she had to do, her career is skyrocketing to the top. She has been part of some exciting projects outside working on her own material. This has given her exclusive industry insight and a lot of experience. Right timing perhaps??!

We discuss all this, her music and so much more on the podcast today. Help yourself to a listen!

What do you do when you want to do something but ‘they’ always shut the door on you? You set up your own platform and do your own thing!

Today MJ speaks with Tiisetso Mosholi from South Africa who heads Centre Stage Media.

MJ talks to Michele Baldini Di Sant’Archangelo from Panamusiq about the African Music Industry from the perspectives of artist management, professionalism and growing the business.

For any industry to be considered an industry, all major points of the value chain must be handled by professionals. This is where many music markets fall short across Africa. How can we change that and start to build longevity and sustainability?

Visit the Panamusiq website

It was great to get a chance to speak with Barrister Emeka Obidiebube who is an Entertainment Lawyer specialising in contracts, Talent Manager and Music Promoter. He is also the CEO of Boop One Time. We discussed the role of an Entertainment Lawyer in the music industry, how Boop One Time is unearthing raw talent in Nigeria and more among a host of topics!

Kenyan girl group LINDA have been in the music industry for over a year now and in that time have established themselves as easily one of the best groups in Africa. With a buzzing social media presence and plenty of material, they have defined what consistency means in the music industry. MJ chats with the members, Beryl, Alexis and Raych about what it means to them to be gaining momentum in a competitive industry and realising their dreams. This conversation is worth every minute!

Getting your house in order as a musician is quite a task. It involves surrounding yourself with the right team. Many artists don’t really understand what publicity is. In turn the value of publicists is often grossly understated. Publicists are underrated in the music industry yet they bring undeniable value.

2017 was a good year for Namibian music with some of the biggest musical influences releasing albums and gaining more recognition on the African front. For a relatively small country in terms of population, Namibia also has its struggles which affect their wider music industry.

To be able to discuss the above and more at length made for an excellent and engaging conversation. My guest on the show, ML, is well-respected in the Namibian music industry as a musician and entrepreneur. She made a name for herself as manager to Exit, one of Namibia’s most celebrated musicians of our time as well as a featuring as an artist on numerous hits over the last decade. In 2017 she decided to launch her solo career by releasing The Diplomat which is her debut album.

We talked about empowering Africans by driving the narrative. Music plays a huge part in this, as something many Africans understand as cultural and providing social commentary. When it is consumed beyond the borders of the continent, it is an opportunity to show a different side to what and who we are. The role of women in the music industry is often understated and we discussed the fantastic work being done by Namibian female musicians of late.

Listen and enjoy!

Follow ML on Twitter