Yoel Kenan’s vision for a continental music scene is paying off. The world’s going gaga over Afrobeats, as Africa’s music is commonly plugged, but tune into Afriquency’s curated playlists on iTunes or Spotify and you’ll encounter sounds, rhythms and languages barely heard outside the continent. English lyrics meld with Yoruba or Chichewa. Layered sound smoothly segues from one beat to another. Soulful, bold voices ring out, expressing stories and dreams, histories and hope. From Afro hip-hop to Afro jazz and Afro soul, plus Zambian deep house, Malawian Afropop, Afro dancehall from Nigeria, an entire playlist dedicated to South African reggae artist and Rastafarian Lucky Dube, with songs in Zulu and Afrikaans and more, the sheer range is electrifying. It’s a vine bearing rich fruit thanks to entrepreneur Yoel Kenan’s mad vision for Africa’s musical talent. “I’m running a marathon, not a sprint,” he says. | 