US-Based Busie Matsiko-Andan launches platform to highlight the effect of COVID-19 on music industry

Multi-award winning serial entrepreneur, Busie Matsiko-Andan launches RESET, a workshop series for thought leaders to discuss the reflective pivot of their business as the world navigates the hyper vigilance of COViD-19 together.

RESET’s most recent segment featured some of the biggest shots in the music industry from across the continent, who were discussing the Music Industry Business in Africa and the Diaspora.

The panel intelligently and enthusiastically discussed the plight of the music industry, from a business perspective, with focus on the after effects of Covid-19 on the industry on the continent and the diaspora.

The show that was aired on Afrique Today, the # 1 Digital TV Station based in the Washington DC area and live streamed on 7 online platforms including Facebook, Youtube, and Roku TV, was hosted by Busie Matsiko-Andan and viewed by over 10,000+ tastemakers and press members virtually in one day.

Sponsored by PontGlobal, a boutique management consulting and recruiting firm based in New York, the show featured entertainment industry luminary, Ava Lizzette Hall, a legend in the music industry who through her extraordinary leadership helped launch BET Africa and was instrumental in African Music such as Afro-beat going mainstream.

During the show, Hall expressed her pride and joy at the tremendous strides the music industry has made, both in Africa and the Diaspora, highlighting that there was room for even greater things to come.

“It’s a beautiful thing to see African artistes and those in the US, doing beautiful music and projects together. I do hope we can see more music collaborations between US artistes and those in Africa,” she explained.

Other panelists included Nigerian Afrobeat artiste, Akeju who owns Aflik TV, the largest distributor and producer of Nollywood entertainment globally and is a big proponent of Artistes live streaming especially in this hyper vigilant times when artists have lost a significant source of their livelihood.

Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo, who was also a guest on the show, expressed his gratitude towards Ava Lizzette Hall, and the entire BET platform, who he credits for propelling him onto the international stage. Kenzo shot to fame after his breakout single, “sitya loss”, gained him tremendous international recognition, even catching the attention of top music executives, including P-Diddy. The song’s video amassed over 24million views on Youtube.

Also inclusive on the panel was the two time Emmy Nominee, Founder and CEO of Amp Global Derrick Ashong who is a musician and technologist who has built a company that allows content creators to own their own narrative and build direct connections with fans all over the world and more recently a platform call Take Back the Mic (TBTM). He wowed the crowd with his enthusiasm and passion by rallying the crowd to support artistes in every way possible.

Kim Sebuliba, who hails from Uganda and is the only female live events producer in East Africa echoed out the need for strong collaborations and synergies in the music industry in order to overcome the challenges caused by Covid19 in the music community.

The prestigious panel was hosted by New York based Pont Global Founder and Global Strategy Consultant a leader in advancement of Africa and the diaspora, Busie Matsiko-Andan.
A key highlight of the event was the panelists acknowledging both the negative and positive impact of Covid19 on the Music Industry. As Mrs. Matsiko-Andan unveiled the purpose of this music panel, she shared with the audience her vision to make the RESET show a global platform that thought leader can leverage to inspire, support and propel each other to success.

“Thought leaders would therefore discuss the reflective pivot of their business as the world navigates the hyper vigilance of COViD-19 together. It is also important for us to leverage our networks and navigate synergies to move past these times. I would also like to encourage our audineces to incorporate #RESET into their daily lives on social media channels such as Instagram, facebook and twitter, to illustrate how they are making changes in the world,” she explained.

The show’s host also echoed the need for legislation in Africa and the diaspora to help the entertainment industry and agreed with the panelists such as Akeju to push for streaming of artiste music.

Akeju hinted his business had largely grown during this time since streaming is a large part of his business. As a business man he advised that musicians should diversify their portfolio to avoid calamities in times of uncertainty in the world.

“I am excited that the discussion on the Music Industry Business in Africa and the Diaspora, during and Post Covid-19 was met with enthusiasm to such a diverse group of tastemakers and an global community, highlighting the challenges as well as the opportunities for the music industry. It’s not all negative. Technology has brought the world together. That’s how we have a panelist dialing in from Mauritius, two from Kampala, Uganda, one from Los Angeles and two in New York. Now the next steps should be leveraging these opportunities and monetizing.

Our panel shed light on our efforts to educate and empower the global community by illustrating the need to be part of a mobilized populace of change agents and and not to be totally individualistic like the African proverb demonstrates “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” said RESET creater and Host, Busie Matsiko-Andan concluded.