Make Sierra Leone Famous Podcast Talks Making Salone Music Global

In the ninth episode of the Make Sierra Leone Famous Podcast: ‘How To Export Sierra Leone Music’, Our host Vickie Remoe is in conversation with successful music producers Nashito Kulala and Jon Akinola. Together they explore Salone’s music from hip hop and afrobeats to bubu and strategies to take Salone music global.

Exporting Sierra Leone Music

Sierra Leone’s music industry is buzzing with budding talent. Today, artists like Drizilik, Emmerson, and Jacob Evangalista,  are making waves with their beats, grabbing the attention of people in Sierra Leone and abroad.

While the music is great, some believe it lacks a distinct ‘Sierra Leonean Identity.’ They argue that like Nigeria’s afrobeats and South Africa’s Amapiano, Sierra Leone could make waves by crafting a genre deeply inspired by traditional Sierra Leonean sounds. This unique trend could help the country stand out in the global scene.

Kulala, who is not only a music producer but owns record label, Hejenah Entertainment, said that Sierra Leonean traditional music has a distinction in instrumentation and vocals thus giving it a unique sound that has the potential to bring in a lot of attention to the country’s music space.

Akinola, a top music producer in Sierra Leone, emphasized the importance of marketing Sierra Leone music. Despite the quality of the songs, they struggle with marketing and branding to make them more appealing to the international audience.

Industry individuals need to invest in making Sierra Leone music a viable business and growing its brand for exports. A strong brand is necessary for promoting and marketing music in a global space.

Moreover, Sierra Leoneans are the best advocates for marketing Sierra Leone music. By listening to, supporting, and sharing the sounds, they can also propel Sierra Leonean music to greater heights.

Akinola shared how Sierra Leoneans can support their artists.

“The best audiences can do is have an open mind and be welcoming towards songs done by artists in Sierra Leone,” he said.

Make Sierra Leone Famous Podcast is Available on Video and Audio on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts

This episode further touched on palm wine music and traditional Sierra Leone sounds, successful Sierra Leonean artists, as well as the importance of branding in the international audience. To catch a rewind of the episode, click on this link  to stay in tune.

A new episode of the Make Sierra Leone Famous podcast will go out this Thursday at 10:00 AM. It will be available online via YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Audiomack, so make sure to not miss it!