Music for Wildlife, a concert series, brings African artists together to protect the continent’s iconic wildlife. It launched on Trace’s TV broadcast channels and streaming platform.
Produced by Wild Africa, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection of Africa’s wildlife and wild spaces, in collaboration with OAS1SONE, a network focused on music content and live experiences, Music for Wildlife has placed Africa’s creative talent and natural heritage on a global stage, reaching more than 350-million people worldwide.
The series features over 150 musicians from across the continent, using the emotive power of music to raise awareness and inspire action for wildlife protection. Africa, which hosts a quarter of the world’s biodiversity, faces numerous challenges, including poaching, habitat loss, the illegal wildlife trade, climate change, and human-wildlife conflict. According to WWF’s Living Planet Report, wildlife populations in Africa have decreased by 66% over the last 50 years.
From Johannesburg to Lagos, Accra to Windhoek, artists are raising their voices against the threats facing wildlife, inspiring audiences to connect with their wild spaces, particularly in national parks. Through the concert series, viewers will be introduced to Africa’s finest musicians, including chart-topping stars such as Musa Keys, CKay, Focalistic, Kamo Mphela, Azawi, Vinka, Alyn Sano, Ruti Joel, Sally Boss Madam, Lioness, Feli Nandi, and emerging talents. These artists share stories of their music, lives, careers, inspirations, and their passion for endangered species.
Each concert includes special features from African and international stars across music, entertainment, sports, comedy, television, and film. Notable appearances include Davido, 2Baba, Jackie Chan, Boity, Alex Iwobi, Stonebwoy, Emmanuella, Yao Ming, Sir Richard Branson, Morgan Heritage, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Stephanie Linus, Djimon Hounsou, and many others.
“Music for Wildlife has changed how I think about myself in relation to the natural world on which we all depend, and my role in shining a light on the things that threaten it,” says Vinka, multi-award-winning East African singer-songwriter and businesswoman. “Music is the most powerful connector in the world, and the need to connect with the challenges facing our wildlife, and the potential to protect them, is critical.”
Focalistic, an early pioneer of Amapiano and multi-award-winning rapper, singer, and songwriter, says: “Africans should care about protecting wildlife. Wildlife and national parks create a lot of jobs in Africa, such as attracting tourists from across the world. Let’s use music and arts, to protect our amazing wildlife.”
Music for Wildlife’s engaging blend of studio sessions, interviews and captivating wildlife content reaches viewers in 180+ countries, across 28 localised Trace TV channels and Trace+ global streaming platform. These performances will air across Trace’s television and streaming platform.
Olivier Laouchez, co-founder and executive chairman of the Trace Group, says: “African artists are very powerful voices and can make the difference to raise awareness for better wildlife protection in Africa. Trace is proud to open its global network to host the Music for Wildlife shows that perfectly align with our values and initiatives.”
Jandre Louw, founder and CEO of OAS1SONE, says: “Trace, one of the most powerful global broadcast media networks of African music and content, joins some of the most influential artists and voices in African music entertainment, in partnership with one of the leading conservation communications organisations in the world, to collectively lend their voices for Africa’s future, for its wildlife conservation.
“We are thrilled to be part of this game-changing partnership, both for the massive audience reach in protecting Africa’s wildlife, but also the unprecedented push this will achieve for Africa’s amazing artists and music, to audiences of millions around the globe.”
Peter Knights, Wild Africa CEO, says: “We are excited to partner with Trace in the launch of Music for Wildlife across their varied and far-reaching channels. This collaboration allows us to leverage the power of music to connect with a continent-wide and even global audience, turning up the volume on the issues that affect not only wildlife but the natural foundation on which human life depends.”
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