From Bonfire Parties to Big Breaks: Taiwo James’ Journey in Music Promotion

Yinka Olatunbosun

Growing up in an entrepreneurial household, Taiwo James was no stranger to the world of business. From an early age, she was always buying and selling things, even for a small profit–from extra school bags to pens, to provisions. Reflecting on her early entrepreneurial spirit, Taiwo recalls, “It was so bad, or good depending on how you view it, that I would take my school fees, trade with it, make a profit, and then pay my school fees.”

This knack for business became the foundation of her career in music promotion, a journey that began with a bonfire party. While at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta studying Agriculture—a course she had little interest in—Taiwo’s passion veered elsewhere. She had some money, so she researched some short-term investment ideas. She found out that entertainment around the university was limited to late-night clubs and pubs which involved a lot of alcohol.

“I wanted to create clean fun and a celebration of talents,” she explains. This vision led to the birth of one of the first bonfire parties at Elegushi Beach, Lagos. The day was October 24, 2014; the event was called “Burn Fire Party”. Tickets were sold; upcoming artistes and deejays were invited to perform. With a seven-foot-tall fire burning all night and over 1,000 attendees, the event was a sold-out success.

“After that event, more artists and deejays reached out to me asking: When is the next one? We need this kind of event often,” Taiwo recalls that post-event, she began to think more seriously about bridging the gap between upcoming artists and new audiences.

She later switched universities and courses, so she cracked codes during the day as a Computer Science student at Les Cours Sonou University, Benin Republic; at night, she researched the music industry asking: How can artists reach a wider, more diverse audience? She grew a list of contacts–on-air personalities, arts and culture writers, television hosts–and she started contacting them to learn how they featured songs or artists on their platforms. That research led to the birth of 69 Entertainment in Nigeria. In 2017, Taiwo registered her brand as a music marketing and promotions agency, taking on her first client, Surprise.

In those early days, she faced some opposition. Her family believed she should focus more on her degree or getting a job in tech after. That was the dream of the average Nigerian parent: get a 9-5 job where you had peace of mind. “They did not understand why as a young lady, I was traveling with artistes across the country, doing radio tours, organising media rounds,” Taiwo says that the more grounded her company became as she worked on some music tours with leading Nigerian brands including MTN, Guinness, and Ecobank, her parents believed more and more in her dreams.

While on those tours, Taiwo noticed only a few brands gave upcoming artists a platform. “They would say the celebrities brought the numbers, which is true. But people forget that celebrities started from their first stream, from one listener before they got to their first thousand, first million. Why can’t we give these artists the same support to ensure that every single number they get is valued?”

Taiwo became a woman on a mission: she wanted to bridge the gap between artists and their audiences. She wanted to help build these ‘small artistes’ into brands on their road to stardom. However, most of the work had to do with artiste education.

“Creativity is not enough. Many of these artists don’t understand how the music space works. They think it is just about making music, but there is lots more.”

Since her first client, she has worked with over 52 clients, managing their brands online and offline, ensuring their songs reach new audiences. She has worked with a variety of people in the entertainment business–musicians, music filmmakers, DJs, Event organisers, and more. While doing this, Taiwo continued to expand her knowledge of marketing by upskilling. She earned a Diploma in Communications Strategy and Marketing from 02 Academy. She also pursued an MA in International Marketing and Business at the University of Coventry. After graduating, she launched the 69 Entertainment Brand in November 2022.

69’s approach to artist promotion is methodical and personalised. When an artist reaches out, her team listens to their song, analyses their branding, and evaluates their digital footprint. They then create a brand development plan, outlining a roadmap with timelines and goals. This comprehensive strategy includes photoshoots, content creation, and a branding content calendar, ensuring that every aspect of an artist’s image is carefully crafted and marketed.

When artist Lucianne Obinna was trying to re-enter the UK music scene after a five-year hiatus, she needed a music promoter. After a thorough search online, she said she shortlisted and contacted three music promotion companies.

“Everything about 69 was consistent. They were responsive and their strategy resonated with me,” Lucianne says in a phone interview that the engagement has led to the successful launch and distribution of her songs “Te Amo” and “More” as 69 Entertainment has helped her to bridge African music audiences in the UK and on the continent.

“69 organised radio plays, interviews, and more. I got interviews at every radio station worth its salt. My songs got on several playlists, increasing my listeners by over 100 percent. This was possible due to 69’s efforts. Not forgetting my performance at Afro-Audacity which was all positive vibes. It was exciting singing to an energetic raving audience,” Lucianne recalls.

Considering the difference between the Nigerian and the United Kingdom music scenes, Taiwo says that while there is a better-structured music distribution scene, many African artistes need to be aware of how to take advantage of a more structured system. Looking at the numbers from PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) annual report, Africa’s Entertainment & Media Outlook 2023-2027, the music streaming market will continue to expand, across the board, including on streaming platforms like Spotify from which Nigerian artistes’ revenue grew by 74% over the research period. While getting on Spotify’s Top 100 songs is important, budding African musicians need to pay attention to monetisation, licensing, and Intellectual Property. Therein lies the significance of Taiwo’s work.

“We educate them on the benefits of belonging to music bodies like PPL PRS. This connects you to a wide network of skilled people who not only understand how the industry works but ensure you reap the value of your creativity.”

PPL and PRS means Phonographic Performance Limited and Performing Rights Society. PPL handles the collection and distribution of royalties for performers and record companies for the use of their recorded music; PRS for Music is responsible for collecting and distributing royalties for songwriters, composers, and music publishers for the use of their musical compositions and lyrics. In 2018, they formed a joint venture called PPL PRS Ltd, allowing organisations that play or perform music publicly to obtain a single license.

While Afrobeats is taking over the airwaves globally, raking in the awards, booming through phones and clubs, mainly the big names are gaining attention. For instance, in a November 2023 statement, the Grammy Academy announced three new categories for the 2024 Grammys, including the Best African Music Performance award. This is a significant recognition of African music’s commercial and cultural impact. However, many upcoming artists still need to be discovered, so they cannot mine these opportunities.

Beyond education, Taiwo is committed to improving artists visibility through playlisting their songs, pitching to radio stations and publications, and leveraging influencer marketing. Her strategies ensure that every artist, regardless of their starting point, has the opportunity to build a successful career. She also does this through event curation.

Noticing that only a few events were platforming African musicians, there were even fewer in her part of the country, Coventry. She created AfroAudacity–an annual celebration of African music in the UK–inviting artists to perform for a waiting audience. The 2023 edition had over 300 attendees and featured over 10 artists and 2 upcoming deejays.

In the ever-evolving world of music marketing, Taiwo James stands as a testament to the power of passion, innovation, and relentless determination. Her journey from a student entrepreneur to a key player in Nigeria’s music industry underscores her vision of transforming raw talent into celebrated artistry. Taiwo is working on an app that will transform the music scene for upcoming African artists. Finally, her two loves–tech and music–will embrace.

“I hope that through the app, our work will spread the gospel of African music, to more countries…the world needs more African music, not just from celebrities, and in the process, we will make not only more streams but even more household names,” Taiwo says as she shares her future dreams of keeping the fires of African music burning bright.