Genre Spotlight: Maskandi in South AfricaBy Josplay | 11/24/2025 | GenresMaskandi is a Zulu folk sound rooted in migrant history, blending storytelling, guitar traditions, and modern influences. Its resurgence among young South Africans shows how the genre is evolving into a bold expression of pride, identity, and cultural memory
A Case for African Female ArtistsBy Josplay | 11/21/2025 | PeopleA deep look at female African artists, their rising global influence, the barriers they face, and why the music industry must create stronger pathways for women.
Genre Spotlight: Mahraganat in EgyptBy Josplay | 11/19/2025 | GenresMahraganat music, Egypt’s electrifying blend of Shaabi rhythms, hip-hop energy, and raw electronic beats, began from Cairo’s streets and went ahead to become a defining voice for urban youth. Despite bans and controversy, the genre continues to reshape Egyptian pop culture through rhythm, resistance, and grassroots creativity
Nigerian Contemporary Music Scenes in the 1990sBy Josplay | 11/17/2025 | GeneralThe 1990s marked a defining era for contemporary Nigerian music, blending indigenous rhythms with global influences to create a fresh sound. This period witnessed the rise of pioneering artists who fused hip-hop, R&B, reggae, Afro-juju and highlife into a new urban identity.
The Extraordinary Journey of Raï MusicBy Josplay | 11/13/2025 | GenresRaï music began in the smoky cabarets of colonial Oran and eventually made its way to the cultural heritage list of UNESCO. It is most defiant and influential musical export from Algeria, a genre born from struggle that never gave up.
Genre Spotlight: Asakaa in GhanaBy Josplay | 11/10/2025 | GenresBorn in Kumasi’s Ashanti New Town, Ghana’s Asakaa music blends local slang, drill rhythms, and hip-hop energy. Led by the Asakaa Boys, it’s reshaping Ghanaian youth culture, fashion, and global perceptions of African street music.
The Streaming Platform Built for African Music is JosplayBy Josplay | 11/6/2025 | Company NewsAs the African music industry continues its explosive growth, platforms like Josplay are not just streaming services, they are cultural infrastructure, ensuring that the creative wealth of the continent benefits its creators and communities first.
Genre Spotlight: Coupé-Décalé in CongoBy Josplay | 11/3/2025 | ReviewsCoupé-Décalé fuses Ivorian and Congolese rhythms into an energetic dance sound born in Paris. From Abidjan to Kinshasa, its electric guitars, flashy style, and club-ready beats continue to shape Congo’s nightlife and modern African music culture.
Josplay joins Africa’s biggest music conversation - ACCES 2025By Josplay | 10/28/2025 | Company NewsJosplay will join hundreds of Africa’s leading music professionals in Pretoria, South Africa, for ACCES 2025 - the Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases.
Genre Spotlight: Dancehall in NigeriaBy Josplay | 10/24/2025 | ReviewsDancehall, which emerged in Jamaica in the late 1970s, evolved from roots reggae into a rhythm-heavy sound defined by its Patois lyrics and infectious riddims. In Nigeria, it grew into Afro-dancehall; a lively fusion of Jamaican grooves, African rhythms, and local storytelling that continues to shape the country’s modern music scene.
Salif Keita: The Golden Voice that Defied TraditionBy Josplay | 10/22/2025 | PeopleHe was born royal, but forbidden to sing. From Mali’s noble lineage to global stages, Salif Keita turned rejection into rhythm and pain into purpose. His album Soro didn’t just make history — it changed the sound of African music forever.
Viral Nigerian Dance Movements Through Two Decades: What is Next?By Josplay | 10/20/2025 | GeneralFrom Galala to Zanku, explore the evolution of Nigerian dance styles that dominated the streets and went global. A journey through two decades of movement.
Genre Spotlight: Mbalax in SenegalBy Josplay | 10/15/2025 | GenresMbalax is defined by fast-paced, syncopated rhythms and frequent use of call-and-response vocals, and its use to mobilize people in political rallies, also making it a tool for social commentary and national pride.
The Biggest African Music Collaboration Ever is ...By Josplay | 10/13/2025 | GeneralThe biggest African music collaboration ever is not what you think. It is not just one viral hit or celebrity partnership—it is the ongoing conversation between artists across 54 countries, building bridges through sound. From Lagos to Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam to Dakar, African artists are rewriting the rules of global music. Here is how they are doing it.
