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Spotify announces multi-year investment for Ghana’s emerging artists through its Creator Equity Fund
Global streaming platform Spotify today announced a donation to Vibrate Space, a non-profit organization helping young Ghanaian music entrepreneurs with the tools and skills they need to thrive in the industry, from its Creator Equity Fund to support emerging artists in Ghana.
Vibrate Space, which is operated by Surf Ghana in Accra, is a community recording studio and music business programme, offering education, mentorship and space to young Ghanaian artists, so that they can create, connect and collaborate.
Spotify first partnered with Vibrate in September 2022 with a donation that facilitated the launch of the studio. Over the past six months, Vibrate has registered over 200 studio bookings, and hosted many more creators for events and classes.
To help Vibrate achieve its robust plans to grow and support the creative economy in Ghana, Spotify is making a sizeable donation from its Creator Equity Fund which will be administered over multiple years.
Speaking about the partnership, Phiona Okumu, Head of Music for Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) said, “Since Spotify’s arrival in Africa five years ago, we have worked to identify opportunities to support artists in ways that speak directly to each of our markets. The partnership with Vibrate allows us to continue supporting emerging artists and cultural entrepreneurs in Ghana in addition to the on-platform work we are doing in the country.”
The most recent donation was announced today at an event at Surf Ghana by Spotify’s Global Head of Artist and Audience partnerships Joe Hadley. “Spotify is proud to continue our efforts to support and uplift creatives with our Creator Equity Fund. I’m excited to share that from that fund we’re announcing a donation to the Vibrate Space in Accra, Ghana. They have been incredible partners to us; continually pouring into the local community and creating a space where artists can come together to grow creatively. We’re looking forward to hearing the music, stories, and success that will come out of Vibrate.”
The donation will be administered over multiple years, enabling the organisation to collaborate with and support even more aspiring young artists who seek to kick-start their careers.
Vibrate’s plans to use the additional funding for artist support include a festival at the space, to be held at the end of the year, supporting artists to put on their own events and establishing a youth hostel, where young people can find affordable, short term accommodation while also experiencing the collaborative and community aspects of Vibrate. The organisation is also looking to establish an artist in residency and exchange programme to fuel creativity, collaboration and cultural exchange, as well as a women’s programme aimed at supporting women’s growth in the industry. They also intend to expand their educational offerings, by extending their highly successful monthly masterclasses for another two years and introducing a three month instrument learning programme, starting with piano lessons and expanding into other instruments.
Supporting Emerging Artists
Founder and director of Surf Ghana, Sandy Alibo said: “
We are happy to be partnered with Spotify. They’re really supportive of the alternative scene and not every brand understands that. We work with young, and emerging artists and creators who are looking to make a mark in the music industry and Spotify is a brand that speaks to young people, and has played a significant role in taking African and Ghanaian music to the world.”
Spotify data shows that fans on Spotify are finding and listening to Ghanaian artists all around the world. For every stream in Ghana of a Ghanaian artist, there are 6 streams all around the world, with top international markets for Ghanaian artists including the USA, UK, Nigeria, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and France.
A number of Ghanaian artists have been beneficiaries of Spotify programmes aimed at showcasing local artists on a global stage and increasing discoverability. These include Black Sherif, who is a Spotify RADAR artist, Amaarae, Moliy and Gyakie, have both been EQUAL Ambassadors and Kofee Bean is a Fresh Finds artist. Sincerely Accra, a Ghanaian podcast, was also named as one of 13 African podcasts to receive a share of Spotify’s 100,000 USD last year.
Managing Director for Spotify SSA Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy said, “Spotify is constantly seeking new and innovative ways to promote African music, and celebrate and support its creators. We see ourselves as a global platform with a local focus and we really drill down to understand what is happening across the continent, and how we can support both artists and users in those markets. Our partnership with Vibrate is one way that we are doing this in Ghana, but we have plans and projects in place to support artists both on and off platform across the region.”
The professor who spends his days exploring the intricacies of African languages found himself at the centre of a different kind of lesson on Friday, October 2, 2026. 
This time, there were no lecture notes, academic arguments or university classrooms. Instead, there was the weight of tradition, the rhythm of a community celebration and the solemnity of an oath at a royal palace.
Professor Ọbádélé Kambon, a full Professor of African Linguistics at the University of Ghana, was enstooled as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene of Akuapem Mampong in the Eastern Region in a ceremony that brought academia and traditional authority together.
For the professor, the occasion was more than a new title. It was a moment that connected his academic interests in African languages and indigenous knowledge with the living traditions of an Akan community.
The day’s events unfolded through a series of customary observances. Kambon was first taken to the compounds of the Ɔkyeamehene and Gyasehene, where the preparations for his installation continued.
Then came the application of hyire, the white kaolin powder associated with traditional rites.
With the customary proceedings underway, the new chief was lifted onto the shoulders of celebrants and carried along the main thoroughfare of Akuapem Mampong.
The procession transformed the streets into a public stage for a ceremony rooted in the community’s traditional institutions.
There was something striking about the image, a university professor, accustomed to the measured language of academic discourse, being carried through the town in a display of traditional recognition.
Yet the celebration was not complete with the procession.
A ram was sacrificed at the Mamponghene’s compound before Kambon was taken to the palace, to swear the oath associated with his new offices.
The ceremony brought him formally into his roles as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene.
Beyond the colourful proceedings, the titles themselves carry layers of historical meaning.
Kambon in his research explores the historical connections between Apagya and Akan political and military organisation.
Accounts cited in his work linked Apagya to an asafo, or military company, while historical writing traces an Apagya stool in Asante to the reign of Opoku Ware I in the eighteenth century.
These historical associations offer a glimpse into the institutions that have shaped Akan society over generations, although they do not automatically define the precise responsibilities of the office in Akuapem Mampong.
Kambon’s own professional life reflects a similar interest in preserving and examining African knowledge.
His work encompasses Akan language structure, naming practices across the Black world, proverbs and indigenous intellectual traditions.
Through Abibitumi, the platform he founded, he also promotes language learning, scholarship and cultural engagement.
But tradition was only one part of the story that day.
When the formal ceremony gave way to a reception, the occasion expanded into a celebration of three milestones: Kambon’s enstoolment, his promotion to full professor and his daughter Ama’s admission to the University of Ghana.
The gathering therefore carried a personal significance that went beyond the honours bestowed on one man. 
It celebrated professional advancement, the continuation of family aspirations and a connection to cultural heritage.
For a father, seeing a daughter gain admission to the same university where he holds a distinguished academic position offered another reason to celebrate.
For the professor, the moment placed family achievement alongside his own professional and traditional milestones.
Kambon had already established a place in the traditional life of Akuapem Mampɔn through an earlier installation as Banmuhene Kyidɔmhene, recorded in 2017.
His latest enstoolment adds another chapter to that relationship.
In Akuapem Mampɔn, the day brought together the university, the palace and the family table in one celebration. And for Kambon, the journey from the lecture room to the traditional procession showed how scholarship, cultural responsibility and family achievement could converge in a single memorable occasion.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
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ASOHOM organises fundraising gala to protect Ghana’s water resources, support vulnerable communities
The Association of Spouses of Heads of Missions and International Organisations (ASOHOM) last Friday held the 2026 edition of its annual Charity Gala, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra under the theme ‘Woven Currents.’
It was attended by members of the diplomatic and international community, distinguished guests, corporate partners, and artists, friends of Ghana and supporters of ASOHOM’s charitable mission.
What was supposed to be a fundraiser turned into a perfect platform to celebrate friendship, culture and creativity.
Water was at the heart of this year’s message, said Sovanna Taliercio President, ASOHOM and Chairperson of its Fundraising Committee.
“Through art, music and live performance, the gala highlighted the vital connection between water, life and our shared future, while drawing attention to the importance of protecting Ghana’s water resources and supporting sustainable solutions for vulnerable communities,” a statement signed by Ms Taliercio said.
The evening featured a remarkable exhibition of Ghanaian contemporary art, live performances, an auction and raffle, alongside an elegant dinner and opportunities for guests to connect and support the cause.
She expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of the event— sponsors, artists, performers, partners, volunteers, ASOHOM members and, most importantly, every guest who chose to support its cause.
“Our fundraising efforts are ultimately about more than one evening. They are about transforming generosity into tangible support for communities in need. The funds raised through ASOHOM’s charitable initiatives will contribute to projects aligned with our humanitarian priorities and our commitment to supporting meaningful and sustainable development in Ghana,” she said.
She expressed pride at what ASOHOM represents: a community of women and men from across the diplomatic and international community who come together beyond their official roles to build bridges, strengthen partnerships and give back to the country we are privileged to call home.
She said the success of ‘Woven Currents’ was a testament to the power of collaboration, compassion and collective action and reminds that with togetherness, small contributions can create lasting impact.
By Spectator Reporter
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