In a bid to correct the stereotypes surrounding African music, radio and television personality, Olisa Adibua, has released ‘The Oligarchy African Playlist’.
Described as “an eclectic, unique and sublime Pan-African playlist, with a slice of modern-day”, the playlist is a specially curated five-hour-selection.
Speaking on the playlist, Adibua said: “Africa is such a melting pot of people, cultures, languages, ideas, styles, and all sorts of diversities, and this is reflected in our music. As someone who has promoted African music for more than thirty years, I believe it is time for us to take back control of the narrative of our music. For over 20 years, the Western World has pigeonholed our music into World Music and Afrobeats, but it is much more than that. There are over 200 genres of music obtainable in Africa – Makossa, Juju, Highlife, Fuji, Soukous, Kwaito, Isicathamiya, Bongo Flava, and Raï amongst others, and so just giving our sound a tag does not properly tell our story.”
Continuing, he said: “It’s time to put African music on the pedestal it deserves. I’m using this playlist to promote the diversity of African music, to change the tag with which our music has been labeled, and also promote our stars and the next generation of African music stars, as there are not enough platforms to do that. I also want this playlist to correct the idea that only a few African artists can be global at the same time”.
His playlist includes songs by superstars on the continent including Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Shatta Wale, Sauti Sol, Diamond Platnumz, Nasty C, Mi Casa, LBENJ, Aminux, Maitre Gims, Fireboy, Joeboy, Harmonize, Perruzzi, Hiro, Di’ja, Simi, Teni and King Promise amongst others.
“There’s this fallacy that African music is big; it isn’t yet. It is cool now, but we want to take it beyond a passing trend and make it mainstream: as the core listeners are Africans and Africans in the diaspora. This is why it is hosted on these streaming platforms: to make it accessible to everyone,” he enthused.
‘The Oligarchy African Playlist’ is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Boomplay, Amazon, Deezer, and YouTube.