Empowering music creators through education, support and consultations. The Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) is inviting music creators, publishers and members to participate in a dedicated two-week member engagement session, The State of Your Music: Service Weeks at SAMRO. Creators often face difficulties in receiving proper credit and compensation due to administrative oversights. These…
London – More than 125 years of black music in Britain is being celebrated in the inaugural exhibition at the new V&A East museum in Stratford, London. RFI was at the opening to explore how music from Africa, the Caribbean and North America merged to make a distinctly British sound. V&A East, the latest offshoot…
Alan Osmond, oldest member of the famed family singing group The Osmonds, has died, leaving a legacy of having “quietly carried so much responsibility so the rest of us could shine,” his loved ones said Tuesday. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. He was 76. The…
Singer Taylor Swift is signed to Universal Music. Image: Reuters Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square on Tuesday proposed merging its acquisition vehicle with Universal Music Group with a plan to list in the US in a deal aimed at reviving the world’s biggest music label’s value. Pershing Square’s cash-and-shares offer values Universal Music at around €30.40/share,…
Dust off the sequins and stock up on the pyrotechnics: The Eurovision Song Contest is coming to Asia. The organizers of Eurovision, the glitzy singing contest that draws Super Bowl-like viewership every year in Europe and beyond, said Tuesday that they would hold the first-ever Eurovision Song Contest Asia in Bangkok on Nov. 14. Music…
For African music, 2024 was a landmark year. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) confirmed that Sub-Saharan Africa’s recorded music revenue surpassed $100 million for the first time, reaching $110 million with a growth rate of 22.6 percent, making it the fastest-growing region in the world. Driven by the global boom of Afrobeats…
Rock art is widespread across southern Africa and includes a wide range of depictions such as human figures, animals, dots, handprints, and other painted or engraved imagery on rock surfaces. The rock art tradition of paintings was made by San hunter gatherers over thousands of years. The first dance scenes in southern African rock art…
In a move that mirrors past controversial shifts in the streaming industry, YouTube Music has begun moving its lyrics feature behind its Premium paywall. Previously available for free since its introduction in 2020, the “Lyrics” tab now presents free-tier users with a stark warning: “Unlock lyrics with Premium.” Read: iPhone 17e to retain $599 entry…
NewsFeed Grammy winners including Billie Eilish and Bad Bunny used their acceptance speeches to condemn ICE operations in the US, while other artists made symbolic protests by wearing ‘ICE out’ pins on the red carpet. Published On 2 Feb 20262 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share
Long regarded as the continent’s living archive of history, identity and collective memory, African music is now at the centre of an urgent conversation about reforming and strengthening music education. In this interview with Funmi Ogundare, Music scholars warn that while global interest in African sounds is rising, weak structures at home threaten the transmission…
