HIVE Collaboration #03: Why localisation is vital for global stars from emerging markets

To continue growing a global music culture from emerging markets, investment must also happen at home.

By Srishti Das

Contributed by Michelle Yuen // Edited by Mayuyuka

As emerging markets develop, many breakout artists drive new scenes into the global music industry. For instance, Afrobeats has emerged as a powerful force, captivating audiences far beyond its Nigerian roots. Last month, Burna Boy became the first African artist to sell out a stadium in the US. He sold out New York City’s 41,800-seat Citi Field on his Love, Damini tour, performing hit after hit from his last four records right after he sold out the 60,000-seater London Stadium in June.

In the last month, however, reports have shown how the Nigerian music industry suffers as talent looks abroad, with many top artists from emerging markets often focused on gathering global audiences through international collaboration, recording, and working with companies outside their home countries. It’s easy to point fingers and say a successful artist must give back to the community, but must that be the main objective for successful artists? I disagree. The fate of a growing market should never be in the hands of one artist or a small group of people. It must lie in the hands of the larger local industry itself. Instead, an influx of investment and initiatives is more likely to drive the artists at the top to give back and participate in growing their home markets.

Last week, in our newsletter titled ‘The sustainability of a rising music scene depends on the ecosystem created around it’, we discussed the importance of developing a music ecosystem around a growing music scene. Today, we will dive into the importance of creating a thriving scene with an appropriate balance between local and global partnerships for artists.