This will be a first for Mauritian artists. They will appear in a “Mauritian Playlist” on Spotify, one of the most popular music streaming platforms hosting 82 million songs and 442 million listeners including 182 million subscribers in 183 markets. This is an unprecedented visibility for our artists that Mauritius Telecom is offering. Master classes will also be offered for free by this streaming giant.
This opening and partnership was announced by the CEO of Mauritius Telecom, Sherry Singh on Wednesday 29 June at the Suffren in Port-Louis who believes that this is a new chapter for the Mauritian landscape which is to be considered as a post-Covidian compensation. “This is not a commercial agreement but a sense of responsibility, as a leader in the telecommunication industry, in the face of the difficult environment in which our artists are called upon to operate, at a time when they have been hard hit by the pandemic. We believe in local talent and we are sensitive to their situation. We now want to accompany them in a new phase of progression, offering them more visibility, while taking into account the question of profitability in the medium and long term. Thanks to our agreement, Spotify will be able to offer an entirely local playlist to the world.
Indeed, Mauritian music on streaming platforms is often classified in the African or Indian Ocean music sections. This will be the first time that the title “Mauritian Playlist” will appear as a more targeted category. Artists will be able to use Spotify’s large platform to sell their tracks but also Mauritian culture. The artists present at the launch event are delighted with the opening. They are looking forward to joining the master class to learn about the digital tools and strategies, as they will be joining Spotify to better sell themselves, online, to an audience that will be the world! And so, apart from the aid promised by the Ministry of Arts and Culture and by the GM during the Budget 2022-2023 speech, they will be able to do better.
Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Spotify’s Managing Director for the Susaharan Africa region, who was present at the event, said: “We are looking forward to working with Mauritius Telecom to expand our local music and offer a Spotify experience that meets the specific needs of Mauritian fans. We are, on the other hand, committed to educating artists, providing them with information and tools to help them grow their fan bases on Spotify.
La Nikita wonders about feasible marketing
Noémie Rose, a singer in the spotlight with the stage name La Nikita, TV and radio host also present at the event, welcomes this initiative of Mauritius Telecom and especially “the fact that Mauritian artists and Mauritius will have its repertoire will open us up to the world in a more targeted way. Not to be outdone, “we are waiting for Spotify to organise the Masterclass in order to train us in these digital tools and the management of our networks. This is the future!” However, she does have one question: “Will artists be able to exhibit and market their merchandise and do real marketing around their work, image and reputation?” she concludes, making it clear that the message received by artists is that this initiative will bring them a range of benefits.
