African Music Library selected for Oroko Radio residency

AML confirmed the news this week, saying that the residency aligns with its commitment to showcasing the diversity and depth of African musical traditions by engaging in conversations with key figures and musicologists representing diverse African genres.

“After learning about genres from all over the continent through our in-house Genre Studies programme, we are extremely excited to announce that the African Music Library is bringing Genre Studies to the public with Oroko Radio,” AML said.

The show is scheduled to air every two months, with its premiere set for 6 March. “Over 80 new artists will join us on our journey to build and support sustainable creative communities in Africa and beyond,” to online radio station said about its 2024 residencies.

AML, a social project initiated by Nigerian music intelligence company Josplay in 2022, was conceived to serve as a comprehensive and accurate database, offering the global music industry a profound understanding of African music. The library launched with data of over 3 000 artists and more than 10 million data points on recorded musical works. It tracks more than 100 genres spanning different generations. The Genre Studies programme has been a cornerstone of this initiative.

“The problems we solve with the African Music Library are crucial for proper classification of music, the assignment of appropriate credits and royalty distribution across the industry,” Josplay co-founder and chief operating officer Jideofor Okoro said.

Oroko Radio was launched in Ghana in December 2021 to promote conversation, community and collaboration among young artists. Since then, it has featured the likes of DJ and academic Kobby Ankomah Graham, rapper and activist Wanlov the Kubolor and Afro-folk artist Tommy WÁ.

“We aim to reclaim and recentre narratives from the African and diasporic artistic communities, with a particular focus on local perspectives in Accra, in addition to cultivating and nurturing relationships with like-minded projects across the globe. Oroko Radio will shine a spotlight on alternative sounds and thoughts coming from and influenced by the continent,” the station said.

To tune in, visit Oroko Radio.