Tuesday night (16.06.23) was all about networking and all things streaming in Kenya with a group of influencers and press partners at a dinner hosted by Spotify’s Africa team.
The dinner served as the Kenyan launch of its VIP programme- a partnership between Spotify and local influencers.
Held at Botanica, it was also an opportunity to meet with members of the Kenyan media and thank them for their support in 2023 so far. Guests including Julia Gaitho, Patricia Kihoro, Cindy K, Gufy and many more, were treated to a delicious three-course meal and conversation centered around music and emerging trends in Kenya.
Spotify is able to use its data to track local support for artists and also to identify key trends.
One key trend to emerge in Kenya in 2023 has been older artists making a comeback this year. This nostalgia, which was evidenced in the hype around the BoyzIIMen tour to Kenya, can also be seen in data tracking artists who first released music before 1990 who are still enjoying stream-time today.
Monica Kemoli- Savanne, Artist and Label partnerships manager for Spotify East Africa said: “Nostalgia is such a powerful force, and seeing how Kenyans are connecting with music and artists from all around the world is an illustration of how music acts as a gateway to revisiting memories and different times in our lives. I was also pleased to see how Kenyans are streaming musical legends from across the continent.“
Topping the list of artists who saw the biggest increase in their streams last month, who first released music before 1990 was Tina Turner, who saw a 454% increase in streams, following her passing in May.
All images are courtesy of Festus Olang.
