Meeting paves way for Grammy Recording Academy in Africa

Youth Affairs, Sports and Arts Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba. [Facebook]

Earlier this week, in a move hailed as a ‘pivotal moment’ for African music, Kenya joined Rwanda, Nigeria, and South Africa as founding members of a steering committee tasked with establishing a Grammy Recording Academy in Africa.

The inaugural meeting was held in Kigali and chaired by Recording Academy President Panos A. Panay and CEO Harvey Mason Jr.

Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba attended, accompanied by Youth Affairs and Creative Economy PS Ismail Maalim and Director of Innovation and Talent Development Moses Weunda. 

“This is long overdue,” CS Namwamba said, highlighting the Academy’s potential to empower African creatives through skills development, talent cultivation, infrastructure investment, and international exposure.

He further praised the Recording Academy as a monumental step, that provides a platform for Kenya to strategise and implement initiatives to propel its music onto the global stage. He expressed pride in Kenya being one of the four champions of the Pan African Recording Academy, along with Rwanda, Nigeria, and South Africa.

“Kenya is confident that the partnership will empower emerging talent, leverage technology to improve production quality and distribution, preserve cultural heritage, build sustainable ecosystems, and advocate for conducive policies for artistes. Our continent boasts immense potential for technology to revolutionise African music production and monetisation which the Recording Academy should leverage on,” he said.

He also expressed Kenya’s pride in being a champion of the Pan-African Recording Academy, alongside the other three nations.

The meeting’s focus, as outlined by Namwamba, lies in prioritising creativity and fostering innovation within the African music industry. He stressed the collective effort’s importance in ensuring African artistes receive the recognition and opportunities they deserve.

This historic gathering marks the beginning of a new era for African music, promising a future brimming with transformative opportunities for artists across the continent.