Mavin Records eyeing ‘global domination’

Tahini, who is the Don Jazzy-led label’s A&R director, revealed this in a recent interview with Music Business Worldwide (MBW) as part of the publication’s Inspiring Women series, which profiles outstanding female executives who have risen through the ranks.

Currently home to popstars Rema, Ayra Starr, Ladipoe, Boy Spyce, Bayanni, Magixx, Crayon and Johnny Drille, Mavin delivers 360-degree label services including management, publishing, sync, production and strategic partnerships.

In 2019, the company entered into an equity investment partnership with Kupanda Holdings, with Tahini as a senior associate at Kupanda Capital. Tahini officially joined Mavin in 2018.

This year, the company has been behind wholesale chart success. Rema, for example, surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify. Ayra Starr, on the other hand, has been tipped by music video network Vevo as an artist on the cusp of global breakthrough in 2023.

“We want to continue to build and build more global stars,” Tahini, who is from Sierra Leone, told MBW. “It’s great that we have Rema and Ayra Starr, we have a roster of eight people right now so six more artists to truly break out onto the global stage. That’s what we want to work on.”

She added: “We want a roster that’s robust, we want to discover new talent in the industry, grow Mavin into a global label and be part of building the systems, the infrastructure, around the music [in Nigeria].”

The company, which is credited with activating the careers of the likes of Tiwa Savage, Wande Coal and Reekado Banks, celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2022 and now boasts a workforce that grew from 10 to more than 70.

On the company’s goals for the next few years, Tahini noted that Mavin was looking into “other verticals in the industry.”

“If no one does it, you have to do it yourself, and I feel like the opportunity is there. We want to focus on music first but I see us branching out into [areas like branding and touring] in the future,” she said.

Read the full interview here.