Three East African playlists to celebrate the mid-week

Spotify has rolled out a number of playlists aimed specifically at fans of East African music.

If you’re looking for a place to find playlists that showcase the diversity of East African music, then spotify is it. The music-streaming platform has three fantastic playlists that cut across Hip Hop, R&B and Zilizopendwa genres. 

The first playlist, called “254 Flow” takes its name from Kenya’s international dialling code and contains the best bars, beats, and rhymes from the country’s hip-hop artists. The playlist, which is targeted at 18 to 24-year-olds (extending to 25 to 34-year-olds) sits in the Hip-Hop hub. It comprises of a mixture of established artists and new and upcoming acts, for whom it will act as a launchpad. The playlist is updated every two weeks, with different artists being showcased on the cover. 

The second playlist is called “Eastern Vibes” and is designed to showcase alternative music from across East Africa. The genre playlist sits on the R&B Hub. Targeted at people in their twenties, the playlist highlights underground alternative and new wave singers. The songs on the playlist could easily extend to mood music. Eastern Vibes is updated every week, with the artist featured on the playlist cover changing twice a month. 

The third and final East African playlist is called Zilizopendwa. Taken from the Swahili term for “what was loved”, the playlist honours Kenyan classics from the 80s and 90s. It includes music from a variety of genres, including Rhumba, Rock-Rhumba, Chakacha and Benga. Targeted at people aged 35 to 44 and and 45 to 54, it features artists from Kenya, Tanzania, and Congo, and is updated once a month. 

All three playlists are available on both Spotify Freemium and Premium. Together, they underline Spotify’s commitment to providing something for everyone, especially when you take the Swahili focus into consideration. 

According to a 2021 report from PWC, revenues from Kenyan entertainment, media, and advertising companies are set to be worth Ksh900 billion by 2025. Thanks to high smartphone penetration and internet accessibility, growth rates in these industries will be among the highest on the continent and will be further aided by companies such as Spotify.

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