Inaugural African Music Summit set for London 

The two-day event, organised by Strictly Entertainment Music in collaboration with the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), seeks to champion and celebrate the diversity and influence of the African music business.

Running under the theme, Leveraging Our Cultural Equity, AMS 2023 will explore the untapped potential of the African music business and its impact on the global music industry.

Speakers include gamma president for Africa and the Middle East Sipho Dlamini, who recently spoke at the ACCES 2023 music conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, BPI diversity, equity and inclusion manager Hailey Willington and International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) senior global licensing executive Jean-Elie Ilunga.

The new event was previously known as the Afrobeats Educational Roadshow (TAER) created under the educational arm of Strictly Entertainment Music to entrench the UK Afrobeats scene in the mainstream music industry. It was founded by UK-based music and tech executives Ramon Olaleye, Chiedozie Onuora and Ikechukwu Onuorah.

“While the artistic aspects of African music have flourished, there’s a critical need to equally nurture the business side of the industry,” Onuorah said. “AMS aims to spotlight this crucial aspect. We are on a mission to create an industry that is not only self-sufficient but also reshapes global music business paradigms.

“Our summit will provide a unique platform where forward-thinking and game-changing entrepreneurs and executives can engage in open dialogues about opportunities, challenges, and, most importantly, solutions tailored to the needs of Africa.”

BPI chief executive Dr Jo Twist said: “The great opportunities across both North and sub-Saharan Africa are starting to be realised as they emerge as the continent’s fastest growing and thriving music regions, largely thanks to the rising global popularity of the Afrobeats scene. We are excited to partner on this event to bring the British music business together to support the expanding music market in Africa and help realise its untapped potential.”

At the end of the summit, a new destination for AMS 2024, set to be held in Africa, will be revealed.