Spotify, an online musical streaming platform , has announced Kenyan singer, Maya Amolo, as its first-ever “Fresh Finds Africa Artiste”.
This is part of Spotify’s programme tailored specifically to spotlight and develop emerging independent artistes from across the continent.
Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s head of music for Sub-Saharan Africa, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.
Okumu said this was centered around the Fresh Finds playlist , which focuses on helping emerging artistes to learn and grow by giving them the tools for long-term and sustained career success.
She said the Fresh Finds playlist served as a launchpad for up-and-coming artistes to get exposure, while also catering to fans and industry tastemakers who want to discover fresh new talent.
“Fresh Finds artiste selection is informed by a combination of data and editorial decision making, with our curation team choosing artistes that are showing momentum both on and off Spotify.
“Spotify has always been committed to connecting fans to up-and-coming artists and the music they love. The Fresh Finds programme is an enhanced version of that.
“For an upcoming artiste like Maya, these figures promise an increased audience and opens her up to new opportunities which might not have been possible without Fresh Finds,” she said.
The 23-year-old Maya Amolo is an alternative R&B artiste from Nairobi. She cut her teeth on SoundCloud, collaborating with internet producers to create songs including “U Wanna” and “Where Tornados Flew”.
Maya’s sugary vocals and soft harmonies quickly amassed her a dedicated listenership and grabbed the attention of local producers and musicians.
Maya headlines the inaugural Fresh Finds Africa playlist housed in Spotify’s Fresh Finds hub to showcase tracks from other up-and-coming African artistes.
In addition to being playlisted with the rest, she gets a one-on-one workshop on the best practices for using the Spotify platform as well as in-app and social support to help her grow her career.
Since its global launch in 2016, Fresh Finds has playlisted over 25,000 artistes, with their average monthly listeners increasing by 108 per cent within a month of their songs being included in the playlists.
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Maya’s first body of work, “Leave Me At The Pregame”, which takes the listener through a melodious journey of self-acceptance and healing, was released in mid-2020.
Maya has since gone on to establish herself as one to watch, having been covered by NPR, The Native Mag, Okay Africa and TANGAZA Magazine. She is set to release the first single from her forthcoming project on March 31.
In her response, Maya said, “I am honoured to be chosen as the first artiste to launch Fresh Finds in Africa.
“This is a much needed platform for upcoming artistes and I am excited for the growth that will come as a result of this,” she said.
Fresh Finds Africa will be a monthly programme, with a new artiste selected every month by the Spotify music team, and forms part of Spotify’s continued commitment to support the African music industry, through initiatives such as EQUAL and Radar.
(NAN)
