By: Lloyd Mahachi

The African music industry is at a crossroads as it navigates the emerging technology of artificial intelligence (AI). Some musicians and producers are excited about the possibilities AI offers, while others are concerned about its impact on African culture and heritage. Nigerian musician and producer Eclipse Nkasi is one such pioneer, creating a virtual singer powered by AI, Mya Blue, who features in his remix of the classic tune Joromi.

Nkasi believes that AI can be a boon for Africa, but acknowledges the concerns about cultural appropriation and ownership. Kenyan musician and producer Tabu Osusa fears that AI will enable recording company moguls in the West to profit from African sounds without crediting the original creators. Osusa views this as theft, highlighting the risk of cultural appropriation and the potential for African artists to languish in poverty.

A report by Creatives Garage and the Mozilla Foundation found that Kenyan musicians are anxious about AI leading to others benefiting from their creativity. The study warned that AI’s power to store data might sound the death knell for traditional music culture. However, the report also noted that AI provides creative music development and cheaper marketing and design services for those with access to tech devices.

Despite the challenges, some see AI as an opportunity for Africa to showcase its diverse music heritage. Nigerian entrepreneur Emmanuel Ogala’s company, Josplay, uses AI models to create archives of African music. Ogala believes AI will reveal the continent’s cultural diversity, addressing the homogenization of African music under the umbrella of “Afrobeats.” South African musician Tyla, who won the Best Afrobeats song at the MTV Video Music Awards, also highlighted the diversity of African music.

Experts agree that better financing and infrastructure are needed to leverage AI’s opportunities. Raising funds to develop digital archive AI tools is difficult, and copyright legislation written for a pre-AI era needs renegotiation. Despite these challenges, there is a growing realization that embracing AI is crucial for the African music industry to maintain control over its talent and heritage. As Nkasi’s Mya Blue said, “I am not the enemy, I am just a music lover exploring the different sounds of the world.”

Editor: Josephine Mahachi