Music and entertainment are no exception to the global coronavirus crisis.
On the African continent, many artists are stepping up their efforts to contribute to the fight against COVID-19 on a daily basis. But these often precarious cultural professions are under serious threat from the situation in which people are forced to stay at home and desert their places of life and entertainment.
Digital technology is therefore becoming an alternative way for artists to bring their music to their audiences.
It should be remembered that in Africa, as in the rest of the world, the digital revolution has been disrupting the music industry for several years. New modes of consumption are emerging and online music platforms are developing, even if the market still appears to be under-exploited.
In this context of crisis, the Universal Music Africa label has chosen to bring live music to African audiences in a different way.
The label's division dedicated to activities in French-speaking Africa has set up the "Digital Live Play" program from its base in Abidjan.
Based on the concept of "filling up an empty venue," this new program allows for the organization and broadcast of one concert per week to a confined audience. A total of eight artists will take part in the initiative and perform on stage, without an audience, in various entertainment venues. They will also take the opportunity to raise awareness among the population about the various safety measures to limit the spread of the virus.
Ivorian artist DJ Kedjevara kicked off the program on March 27 with a concert recorded at the Majestic Cinema in Abidjan and broadcast exclusively on Orange TV packages and Dailymotion.
Other venues are also expected to host artists, notably the CanalOlympia network, enabling the program to be rolled out in several West African countries.
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