Spotify introduces the Ootz Editorial Playlist

An insight into Spotify’s editorial East Afro EDM playlist

The birth of the Afro EDM playlist

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Spotify

Early in the month of August 2020, Spotify editors made a reckoning in the urban music scene in East Africa through creation of the ‘Oontz’ playlist that encompasses the best blends of Electronic music across East Africa. Artists from all over the world feature in this playlist including but not limited to Europe and America, though majority are African EDM artists. East African countries feature the most artists and these are Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Other noticeable countries with acts on the playlists are South Africa and Morocco.

Given that Africa is the mother of Afro House music which is a subgenre of house music which is classified under EDM. In a way, it is nice to notice that the genre has spread and diversified all around the globe with creators sprouting from South America and European countries such as Netherlands where a DJ known as Adrian Noble is known and recognized for playing and promoting Afro EDM. Other deejays are DJ Ayane from France, DJ Arta from Uganda, to mention but a few. Afro EDM is still a bit underground but with time as all the stakeholders work tirelessly towards the promotion of the sound, it will find its way up to the mainstream just like Amapiano.

The mood of the playlist

Just like any other Spotify editorial playlist, there is a particular mood presented by the tracks placed onto this playlist. Descriptively, the vibe from the tracks can be termed as chill, relaxing, uplifting. Afro EDM makes your soul want to dance and the music certainly is good for a drive as well as other events and this is just the way electronic music is described in accordance to mood or emotion. Furthermore, the music is rich in Afro percussion styles as well as rhythms which are all infused with modern electronic sounds to give it the unique nature and feel.

In terms of the tempo (speed) of the music, Afro EDM is moderately fast with the range of BPM between 100 and 125. Some styles of Afro EDM may have a slower or faster BMP number depending on the particular style of the songs. Nevertheless, this beauty of African music sounds amazing and very nice as well therefore, the fans would love to hear more of it and new listeners should not miss out on tapping the amazing masterpieces created by these ingenious Afro EDM producers and deejays. Notably, female deejays support and play Afro EDM and they are at the center of the promotion of the music.

About East Afro EDM

Not long ago the movement of electronic music started in east Africa, events such as Nyege nyege festival in Uganda started giving Afro EDM artists a platform to present and showcase the electronic music made in east Africa with headlining acts from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The event pulls crowds from all the east African countries and happens annually in the pearl of Africa (Uganda) just at the source of the Nile River. MTN Uganda is the main sponsor of the event who should be applauded for the efforts in promotion of Afro EDM in the East African region. Other Afro EDM events are held periodically in Kampala and Nairobi such as Urban Flow Vibu event and Underground Kampala events. All I can say, the music is slowly by slowly gaining traction across the region and all over the world.

Listen to the Ootz Spotify playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWY7SO3HC2gxu?si=TuEuBUhORlmW-9KS1wntxA&utm_source=copy-link

Listen to Afro EDM mixes here:DJ ARTA SESSIONS (DJ Mixes): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyI4QtGDLQjwTM3-rCOERm23Y-Sgi-mss

Uganda’s EDM Scene