Tidal has unveiled a new genre page dedicated to highlighting the Africa’s thriving music scene, according to reports by Music In Africa.
This features Africa Now playlist, curated to bring the freshest and finest African Music to your ears, Afrobeats Heat, dedicated to the contemporary dance genre popular with Nigerian and Ghanaian artists, and l’Afrique: Top Francophone Hits, which focuses on coupé decale, rumba, R&B and trap from West and Central Africa.
There is also a Naija Hits, Mzansi Hits, and Sabar & Kora: Senegal, Mali, Guinea & the Gambia, dedicated to contemporary Mandinka and Wolof pop which will be updated regularly
“The booming continent exhibits a powerhouse of musical talent,” Tidal said. “As the world’s youngest continent with 60% of the population under the age of 25, young producers and artists are creating exciting pop music at a breathtaking rate, challenging cultural norms and making waves locally and internationally.”
Tidal’s latest genre expansion adds to recent efforts by major streaming platforms to spotlight African music. In March, the Apple-owned Shazam launched the East Africa Risers playlist on Apple Music for trending and emerging artists in the region. The music discovery and identification app has also launched similar playlists for Nigerian and South African artists.
Tidal was founded in 2015 following Jay-Z’s acquisition of Norwegian public company Aspiro. In March, mobile payments group Square agreed to acquire a majority stake in Tidal for $297m. In September last year, Tidal secured a partnership with telecoms giant MTN Nigeria. The deal allows subscribers of the mobile network access to Tidal’s extensive catalogue of music, videos, concerts, interviews and news.
