Spotify is shining a spotlight on one of its flagship, curated playlists African Heat, through an interactive campaign that brings the spirit of Africa alive around the world.
The campaign journeys through a series of partnerships, activations, a dance challenge video (#africanheatchallenge), and more creative content opportunities that will play out through on-and-off-platform initiatives on local, regional, and international levels.
Highlighting the diversity of African talent, the playlist is an explosion of Afro-centric sounds, carving out a space for African creators to showcase their music to a global audience.
Centred on the key role that the Afro-dance community has played in spreading African pop music across the globe, the campaign includes the likes of Focalistic, Fuse ODG, Olamide, as well as some of the leading female faces of dance music in Africa – Moonchild Sanelly, Sho Madjozi, Niniola, and Amapiano’s Lady Du.
These artists also appeared on large-scale Spotify billboards to promote African Heat in New York City and Toronto.
By including emerging and established artists alongside one another – Amapiano’s newer artists Focalistic and Lady Du together with Azonto dance genre pioneer Fuse ODG and Shaku Shaku street dance driver, Olamide – Spotify is showcasing its dedication to and investment in all artists.
Taking African Heat to The Streets with the #africanheatchallenge
The beautifully shot clip was directed by the talented, award-winning, Johannesburg-based Zandi Tisani, who uses her experience to draw attention to her work in edgy and bold ways. Set to Focalistic’s hit “Ke Star,” the clip encourages fans to immerse themselves in the sounds of the playlist, delving into the language of dance to express the connection between African communities worldwide that share a love of dance music. Watch the clip HERE.
The video features dancers from major cities in Africa and across the globe, including local sensation Kamo Mpela, Nigeria’s Boluwatife, Ghana’s DWP Academy and more as they move through the streets of their cities doing the #africanheatchallenge.
Amplify Spotify’s commitment across Africa
Spotify recently expanded its footprint in Africa by launching into new markets including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda, giving African creators the opportunity to connect with a global audience of fans. With its unrivalled mix of features that have made it the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service, including more than 70 million international and local songs and over 4 billion playlists.
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