Apple Music spotlights five African cities’ vibrant African Sounds with new playlists. Discover unique local music from Accra, Lagos, Nairobi, and more.
Apple Music has launched a new playlist initiative to spotlight the unique sounds of five major African music cities: Accra, Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Dar es Salaam.
This project, known as “The Sounds of Africa” and an expansion of “Africa Now Radio’s City Charts,” provides curated collections of music showcasing each city’s distinct artists and genres. The goal is to celebrate Africa’s diverse musical creativity, challenge the notion of a single “African sound,” and highlight the continent’s increasing influence on the global music stage.
Why Does This Matter?
For too long, the incredible variety of African music has often been lumped together under one generic umbrella. This initiative actively challenges that outdated notion. By focusing on specific cities, Apple Music highlights the distinct local flavours, genres, and artists that make each scene unique.
Imagine instantly tapping into the heartbeat of Lagos’s Afrobeats scene and then jumping over to the infectious Amapiano rhythms shaking up Johannesburg, all within the same app. This gives listeners worldwide a chance to explore, discover, and appreciate the specific cultural contexts that birth these sounds.
For the artists, it means greater visibility on a massive global platform, connecting their local sounds with an international audience hungry for fresh music. It’s about giving credit where it’s due and showcasing the true depth and breadth of contemporary African music.
Meet the African Music Cities
Apple Music, working with a handpicked selection of local artists, music experts, and cultural tastemakers, has curated playlists that serve as sonic snapshots of these five influential cities:
Accra, Ghana
Accra’s musical landscape is rich and evolving, the birthplace of Highlife. Highlife’s smooth guitar melodies and rhythms laid the foundation, evolving into Hiplife (a fusion of Hip Hop and Highlife pioneered by artists like Reggie Rockstone) in the 1990s.
Today, Accra pulses with energetic Afrobeats, Afro-fusion, and a thriving Hip Hop scene. You’ll hear sounds from legends and current stars alike. Think of the lyrical prowess of Sarkodie, the dancehall-infused energy of Stonebwoy, the raw storytelling of Black Sherif, and the thoughtful flows of M.anifest.
As M.anifest, one of the playlist curators, puts it, the songs “pay ode to the personality of Accra… a worldly African urban space rooted in the culture of its original people.”
Lagos, Nigeria
Widely considered the engine room of contemporary African music, Lagos is the undisputed global capital of Afrobeats.
Building on the revolutionary Afrobeat foundations laid by the legendary Fela Kuti, today’s Afrobeat sound, a fusion of West African rhythms, Hip Hop, R&B, and dancehall, dominates playlists worldwide.
Lagos is home to global superstars like Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Davido, alongside powerful voices like Tems and new-generation hitmakers like Rema and Asake. The city’s playlist, curated by figures including iconic singer Asa and super-producer Don Jazzy, captures this vibrant energy. Asa describes her selections as “a reflection of sound, feeling and movement.”
Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi’s music scene is a thrilling collision of genres and cultures. From the Genge roots popularized by artists like Jua Cali and Nonini, the city has seen the explosive rise of Gengetone – a raw, energetic, street-infused sound pioneered by groups like EthicEntertainment.
Alongside this, Nairobi boasts a strong Afro-pop tradition, represented beautifully by groups like Sauti Sol and versatile artists like Nyashinski and Femi One.
Curators like singer Nikita Kering emphasize the emotional connection: “These tracks represent the heartbeat of Nairobi… They evoke different moods but are deeply rooted in the city’s essence.” Fellow curator Xenia Manasseh notes the scene’s experimental and revolutionary spirit.
Johannesburg, South Africa
Jo’burg’s music scene tells a story of rhythm and revolution. It’s the birthplace of Kwaito, a unique genre that blends house music tempos with African sounds and slang and emerged post-apartheid, with pioneers like Boom Shaka and TKZee.
Today, Johannesburg is the global epicentre of Amapiano, a mesmerizing, log-drum driven sound that fuses deep house, lounge, and Kwaito influences.
Artists like Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, and vocalist Samthing Soweto (who is also a curator) are leading the charge. The city also maintains strong Hip-Hop (think Nasty C, Cassper Nyovest) and House music traditions.
Curator and media personality Nandi Madida shared, “Johannesburg lives in me and these songs remind me why.”
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
This coastal powerhouse beats to the rhythm of Bongo Flava.
Emerging in the 1990s, Bongo Flava blends Hip Hop, R&B, dancehall, and traditional Tanzanian sounds like Taarab, creating a distinctly East African pop sound.
Dar es Salaam is the genre’s heartland, producing stars with massive followings across the continent and beyond, including Diamond Platnumz, Alikiba, Harmonize, Zuchu, Rayvanny, and Marioo.
Curators like Marioo highlight the music’s connection to city life: “These songs embody the spirit of Dar—from its romance to the resilience of its people.”
Harmonize calls it “the true sound of the city.” More recently, the fusion sound ‘Bongopiano‘, blending Bongo Flava with Amapiano, has also gained traction here.
The Bigger Picture: Streaming and Global Reach
Initiatives like Apple Music’s “Sounds of Africa” are more than just cool playlists; they reflect a broader shift powered by music streaming.
Platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, Boomplay, and others have become crucial gateways for African artists to reach global audiences directly, bypassing many traditional gatekeepers. We’re seeing the impact already. Stars like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tems, and Diamond Platnumz are selling out international arenas and topping global charts. Collaborations between African artists and international icons are becoming commonplace.
Recent reports show significant growth in streaming royalties for artists in countries like Nigeria and South Africa, indicating that the world is not just listening, but actively engaging with and valuing African music. Spotify data, for instance, showed hundreds of millions of user playlists featuring Nigerian and South African artists, underscoring this global appetite.
While challenges around fair revenue distribution and market access remain, the trend is undeniable. Streaming platforms amplify African voices, foster cultural exchange, and help to reshape global perceptions of the continent’s creativity.
Apple Music’s move to recognize specific genres like African Dancehall, spearheaded by Ghana’s Shatta Wale, further signals a commitment to acknowledging the continent’s diverse musical innovations.
