In 2015, more than $10 billion in royalties were collected in over 123 countries worldwide. However, out of that number, only about one percent came from the African continent.
Despite being the second-largest mobile market after the Asia-Pacific zone, Africa is the least covered region in the world. Less than half of Africa’s population is subscribed to mobile networks, and according to Internet Live Stats, only about 23 percent of Africans, or about 281 million people, have access to the internet, making it more difficult for musicians to sell their music.
Though these statistics may seem alarming, connectivity in Africa is on the rise, just in time for the new wave of African electronic music, which combines traditional songs and rhythms with experimental sounds from the latest technology.
Angelique Kidjo Coming to Kennedy Center
Grammy-winning singer and humanitarian Angelique Kidjo, “Africa’s premier diva,” will make her way to the Kennedy Center in D.C. this month.
The Benin-born Kidjo, whose high-energy international music intertwines with West African traditions, will perform at the venue on Nov. 30.
Kidjo, who rose from poverty to international stardom, takes listeners through a journey from her escape into France from the Communist-controlled Benin, her start in music and her current organization Batonga Foundation, which aids African women and children.
D.C. Embassy Highlights African Film
The Embassy of France in Washington, D.C., next week will hold a free screening of the 2015 film “Hope” as part of an extensive film series in the city.
The embassy will host the screening on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in conjunction with the “Films Across Border: Stories of Migration” series, which aims to showcase “inspiring stories of courage, hope, and determination, as international voices and perspectives are portrayed via dramatic features, documentaries and shorts.”
The film, penned by French writer Boris Lojkine, chronicles the pragmatic but affectionate alliance between a young Nigerian woman and a Cameroonian man battling cruel circumstances in hopes of reaching the shores of Spain.