KENYA: Alikiba's Signing to Sony Music Entertainment Africa and What it Could Mean For East Africa's Biggest Artists

Thursday 19, May was a momentous day for Tanzanian Bongo-star Alikiba as he signed the biggest deal of his life, signing a major distribution deal with international music label Sony Music Entertainment.

He now becomes the second biggest artist in Africa to be signed by the record label after Nigeria’s Davido.

The signing took place at Sony’s Sub-Saharan Africa headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Among the details revealed from the deal was the fact that Kiba will release his upcoming sophomore album later this year with Sony.

His latest single ‘Aje’ which will presumably be on the said album was first to be released under the Sony Music banner.

“My partnership with Sony Music in addition to my already very successful partnership with my management team at ROCKSTAR4000 now completes the team, and solidifies the most powerful proposition and team to take my music to even greater heights, to new audiences and fans across borders and across the world,” he told the press.

“I’m really excited in the future of music from the African continent as its now the time for the amazing music and sounds from Africa to take over the world, and I’m excited on where this amazing partnership will be able to take my music now to fans across the continent and across the planet,” he concluded.

Speaking to the press who had attended the event, Sean Watson, Managing Director of Sony Music Entertainment Africa had this to say of the development: “Sony Music Entertainment recently announced several key strategic steps that we’d taken in Africa including new operations in Nigeria and the signing of high profile West African artists. We also mentioned that we’d be making similar inroads in East Africa. Well here we are, at the dawn of our East African journey and who better to start it with than an artist of the stature of Alikiba. We’re very proud of being able to partner with such a talented individual and can’t wait to get started on sharing his music with his fans all over the world.”

And now to the question that lingers on many of your minds, what does this mean for the rest of East African artist?

Well for the longest time, only artists from West African artists like Nigeria and Ghana as well as South African artists got most of the attention of the international market leaving many East African artists (with the exception of few) in the wind.

Therefore what the signing of Alikiba could potentially mean for many East African-based artists is that now Sony Music has opened up to the region and may be on the prowl to sign more artists.

We already know for a fact that Sony Music which just recently launched its offices in Lagos, Nigeria and has been in South Africa for the longest time albeit through other organizations, and as revealed during Davido’s signing they will also be laying a base in East Africa preferably in Nairobi, Kenya.

So the possibility of them signing other East African artists looks more reality than a far-fetched fantasy. But until then we’ll just have to wait and see.