A total of 38 artists will feature in the new season of Coke Studio Africa. The artistes are from Nigeria, Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana and French West African countries – Togo and Cote d’Ivoire, increasing the number of participating countries to 11 up from last season’s 5.
This diverse line-up will include breakthrough performances from fresh talent such as Lydia Jasmine from Uganda, Kenya’s Dela Maranga whose rendition of hit song Hello by British singer Adelle went viral and Simi from Nigeria. Feli Nuna from Ghana, Tanzanian Ruby and Sosey from French West Africa will also be part of the glittering array of talent on offer.
“The music industry is constantly evolving and this season we will take African viewers on a journey of discovery of talent. These new talents are the ones to watch out for and we are glad to have them on Coke Studio to present new African sounds,” said Mr. Ahmed Rady, General Manager, Coca-Cola East Africa Franchise.
Speaking about Coke Studio Africa Season 4, Mr. Rady explained this season’s theme;discover. “During the season, all the artistes will get a chance to discover each other’s music, discover new rhythm, try out new music genres, immerse themselves in other cultures and embrace diversity by performing each other’s songs,” he explained. “They will get a chance to discover what they are made of as they try out new singing styles and genres away from their comfort zones,” he said.
Jaguar, Sauti Sol, The Kansoul and Bahati from Kenya, Stonebwoy, Efya and El from Ghana are some of the big names also engaged for season 4. From Mozambique, Neyma, Lizha James and Yuri da Cunha will entertain their African fans. Nigeria will be represented by Patoranking, Cynthia Morgan, Waje, Kiss Daniel and 2 Face Idibia (also known as 2baba). Tanzanian heavy weights Yamoto Band, Navy Kenzo, Vanessa Mdee and Joh Makini will also grace the Coke Studio stage while Uganda will be represented by Chameleone, Rema Namakula, Radio and Weasel and Eddy Kenzo. Toofan from Togo will represent his area code.
“This season we will dig deep into each of the artists’ psyche. The audience will discover who they really are by finding out their motivation behind their biggest songs and behind the scene videos of a day in their lives,” said Tim Horwood, the Creative Director of Coke Studio Africa Season 4.
The musicians along with the highly talented Coke Studio Africa band will entertain viewers each week with tracks produced by both local and international producers. The broadcast will also be done in 5 languages to accommodate the new markets; Amharic, French, English, Kiswahili and Portuguese.
Partnering for the second year with Coca-Cola, national carrier Kenya Airways will fly in the Coke Studio Africa artistes and producers. “The airline connects over 40 African cities through our hub in Nairobi and earlier this year we improved connectivity in Africa by 30 per cent. These connections are not only catalysts of intra-African trade but also cultural exchange where artists from different cultures, speaking diverse languages, with different musical sounds come together on one platform to share their talent with the whole of Africa,” said Kenya Airways Head of Marketing: Africa Jacquie Muhati. “We are excited to partner with Coke Studio Africa for a second year as we discover Africa’s rich musical talent,” she said.
For the first time in partnership Chevrolet will be providing artist transport throughout the production phase. The Sarova Stanley will provide food and accommodation for the artists and Samsung will be the communication partner.